Spirit of Youth

Isaac is a coach at the Alaska Rock Gym. He is an outstanding listener and mentor, working with young climbers and encouraging them to solve problems independently. Issac exemplifies allowing kids to climb as they are and meeting them where they are. He is empathetic to his students and creates a safe space for them to take risks, overcome fear and deal with emotional distress. Isaac is outstanding at what he does in the climbing community. 

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District
• Award Category Role Model

Evelyn is an avid chess player in Fairbanks, AK.  Her passion for chess drove her to approach her teacher and ask if she would be the sponsor to start a club at her school.  The chess club is now incredibly active, hosting tournaments for the school and the community at large.  Most recently, Evelyn worked with UAF and coordinated a tournament on an even larger scale. Evelyn is a quiet leader who leads by positive example. She is incredibly respectful and works with the appropriate parties to allow for her idea to come a reality. This activity encourages individuals to stay off of technology and utilize their brains! 

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
• Award Category Role Model

Troy has been a member of OPT-In Kiana for six years, starting as an OPT-In Kiana, Jr. Member.  He now serves as an intern with their youth group. He has participated in the LeadOn Summer Planning Group and last year attended LeadON, as he did this year. Troy jumps in to help within the community as well.

• Home Town KIANA
• School District NORTHWEST ARCTIC BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
• Award Category Role Model

Shageluk has a three-mile road between the village and the runway which is under construction. There are ancient pit houses of Shageluk ancestors along the road. This spring, students at Innoko River School ensured their community’s history was being preserved while a construction company came in to resurface the road. Students put markers out that identified the pit houses, which the company honored and left the area alone. They are learning how to own their history including the land, lifestyle and beliefs.

• Home Town Shageluk
• School District Iditarod Area School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Dreamer

Josie has been heavily involved in her community by volunteering for multiple fundraising efforts across Southcentral Alaska. Josie does not allow anything to hold her back, despite a traumatic start in life, and recently won the title of Miss Alaska High School.

Josie wants to be a pillar of hope to girls who might feel alone as they navigate through the emotions of being a teenager or subjected to a bad situation.

• Home Town Wasilla
• School District Matsu Borough School District
• Award Category Phoenix, Role Model

Kaycie is a student from Metlakatla who excels in school and at the Metlakatla Boys and Girls Club teen events. She was recently accepted into the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth class and looks forward to her goal of attending an Ivy League university.

• Home Town Metlakatla
• School District Metlakatla
• Award Category Dreamer, Role Model

Jamie participated in AASB Youth on Boards, where they provided feedback and insight to their School Boards. This took courage and heart on the part of the students, and they spoke about issues like mental health supports, suicide, the need for caring adults and best ways to support students in leadership roles.

• Home Town
• School District Yupiit School District

Shanley participated in AASB Youth on Boards, where they provided feedback and insight to their School Boards. This took courage and heart on the part of the students, and they spoke about issues like mental health supports, suicide, the need for caring adults and best ways to support students in leadership roles.

• Home Town
• School District Yupiit School District

Through a partnership with the Huffman Elementary PTO, three students, Mo Narus, Skylar Berg, and Grainne Rogacki, students at South High School, started a Science Club for students at their former elementary school.

They wanted to inspire young students to love science as much as they do, and provided all of the planning and supplies for a six-session course that included a hands-on experiment.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Innovator
• Radio Story Listen to their story here

Mazzy is a skilled beader. An important part of her Athabaskan culture, she wanted to teach beading to other kids, so Mazzy created a class for third and fourth-graders at her school. Mazzy helped shine a light on Indigenous knowledge and made it something desirable and important.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage School District

Carter took initiative to complete the necessary training to become an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the city of King Cove’s EMS system, no small feat considering King Cove is a community located 625 miles from the “big city” of Anchorage.

• Home Town King cove
• School District Aleutians East Borough
• Award Category Life Saver, Role Model

Darcy leads through teaching new Mock Trial students the processes of how American legal systems work, and has encouraged freshmen and other students to join the team this year. Darcy’s vision is to improve the West Valley Mock Trial team, and in the process help advocate for students’ rights through teaching her peers important skills that will culminate in participation at the 2023 Alaska State Mock Trial.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks Northstar Borough School District
• Award Category Role Model

With a focus on climate and the environment, Riga dedicates her spare time to projects within the Model United Nations project, gaining important negotiation skills. She also serves on the Friends of Creamer’s Field board of directors as its youngest member, and has worked at Tanana Lakes to remove invasive vegetation.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
• Award Category Humanitarian, Discovery

Vianne Foster was a participant at the Association of Alaska School Boards’ Youth Leadership Institute, learning valuable skills of legislative process, advocacy, and leadership.

• Home Town
• School District Bering Strait School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

Jennifer was a member of the Association of Alaska School Boards’ Youth Leadership Institute, gaining valuable skills of advocacy, legislative process, and leadership.

• Home Town
• School District Bering Strait School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

Jeffry was a member of the Association of Alaska School Boards’ Youth Leadership Institute, learning valuable skills of advocacy, legislative process, and leadership.

• Home Town
• School District Alaska Gateway School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

Josephine (Josie) is the only Fairbanks representative for Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, or AYEA, a youth-oriented program that brings together young environmental activists from around the state to define and address environmental issues. This year, Josie is tackling the issue of food justice and food security in Fairbanks in an effort to improve sustainable and inclusive access to food in her community.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
• Award Category Discovery

Ellie was a participant in the Association of Alaska School Boards’ Youth Leadership Institute, learning valuable skills of advocacy, legislative process, and leadership.

• Home Town
• School District Anchorage School District
• Award Category Humanitarian

Larenti participated in AASB Youth on Boards, where they provided feedback and insight to their School Boards. This took courage and heart on the part of the students, and they spoke about issues like mental health supports, suicide, the need for caring adults and best ways to support students in leadership roles.

• Home Town
• School District Kashunamiut School District

Larenti participated in AASB Youth on Boards, where they provided feedback and insight to their School Boards. This took courage and heart on the part of the students, and they spoke about issues like mental health supports, suicide, the need for caring adults and best ways to support students in leadership roles.

• Home Town
• School District Kashunamiut School District