Spirit of Youth

Manny Budke noticed that the Student Council at Hoonah High School did not have a structure, constitution, By-Laws or clear vision for its purpose. This year, he decided to run and was elected as Student Government President. His goal is to build a constitution, work with the principal and school board to advocate for student concerns. He also works with the student body informing them about the purpose of student government  and how it works.

• Home Town Honnah
• School District Hoonah Public Schools/ Raven Home School
• Award Category Business & Government, Service To Peers

Jivan has led a Make A Difference Day project in October every year for the past 4 years.  He has also been involved with the Alaska Tobacco Control Alliance Youth leaders program for over a year, and has attended two trainings in Anchorage on tobacco education, prevention, and advocacy topics. Jivan has worked and volunteered for Green Star, and raised awareness of plastic bag waste.

• Home Town Fairbanks
• School District Fairbanks North Star
• Award Category Science & Environment, Service To Community, Service To Children

For the past four years, Colony High School Senior Jedediah Dean has been conducting independent research to determine whether radiation levels have been rising on the beaches of Prince William Sound as a result of the 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima. Jedediah has won a number of awards at the Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair, and placed second at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
• Award Category Discovery

Jackson has been involved in Teens Against Tobacco Use for the past 4 years. He has given tobacco prevention lessons to his peers, and has also testified to the Alaska state legislature on the importance of a smoke-free workplace.

• Home Town Soldotna
• School District Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
• Award Category Business & Government, Lifesaver & Prevention, Service To Peers

Shannon Guthrie attended the Fall 2016 Eastern Interior Regional Advisory Council, and testified on issues surrounding subsistence living. The council has said that Shannon is a youth leader and will be an asset to the upcoming meeting in February 2017. Shannon was also one of two chosen students who represented the Yukon Flats School District at the 2016 Association of Alaska School Board (AASB) Advocates for Youth.

• Home Town Beaver
• School District Yukon Flats S.D.
• Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Overcoming Challenges

Maria Kulikov is a teacher and creative director at Youth on Record, a club that provides resources for young people to record their own music. Maria is currently involved in the student association at Kenai Peninsula College, in addition to tutoring her peers. Maria is a licensed CNA and is working hard to achieve her goals while giving back to her community.

• Home Town Homer
• School District
• Award Category Service To Community

Milagro Darby has started her own tutoring business, which offers services to youth, as well as students taking lower-level college courses. Milagro has overcome personal health challenges with Lyme Disease, and is working to raise awareness of Lyme Disease and counsel others who are also impacted by this health issue.

• Home Town Juneau
• School District Yukon-Koyukuk School District
• Award Category Overcoming Challenges, Service To Peers

Noah Leaf and his family started a summer soccer camp in Seldovia, which Noah helps run. The soccer camp gives children the opportunity to be active and gain new experiences.

• Home Town Kenai
• School District Private
• Award Category Service To Community, Service To Children

Dixie George is a dedicated student at Angoon High School. This year, she has overcome personal strife and helped her family through a period of struggle, all while keeping up with her school work.

• Home Town Angoon
• School District Chatham
• Award Category Overcoming Challenges

Yuting (Tina) Kang is an involved member of her community, and is committed to academic excellence. Upon arriving at Cook Inlet Academy, she worked hard to overcome language barriers and achieve a high level of success.

• Home Town Soldotna
• School District Private
• Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Overcoming Challenges, Service To Community

Jennifer Sage is captain of Youth Leaders, a peer mentoring group in Noatak that offer support to youth, including suicide prevention. Jennifer has been involved with Youth Leaders for the last four years.

• Home Town Noatak
• School District Noatak
• Award Category Service To Community, Service To Peers

Jenysa Ahmaogak is a member of a Alaska Native dance group, makes cultural clothing, and encourages others to value their native cultures.

• Home Town Wainwright
• School District North Slope School District
• Award Category Cultural Pursuits

Shahaila Nick helped organize her school’s annual Veteran’s Day event. Veterans were able to share a meal with youth in the community, and Shahaila went above and beyond to teach youth about military service, and encourage them to thank those who have served. Shahaila is her school’s Student Body President, a member of the Aniak Fire Department’s Dragon Slayers, and volunteers at the Alaska Commercial Company’s AC Value Center during fundraisers.

• Home Town Aniak
• School District Kuspuk School District
• Award Category Service To Community

Leena Robinson is involved with a group called People in Need of Knowledge, which works to raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco use. Organizing events aimed at educating the community about tobacco, participating in student council, and even helping to start up a Girl Scouts group in Nenana, Leena is a passionate local leader.

• Home Town Nenana
• School District Nenana
• Award Category Lifesaver & Prevention, Service To Community

Molly Ekstrom is a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska High School program. She is dedicated to acting as a positive role model, and ensuring that her Little Sister achieve success.

• Home Town Haines
• School District Haines
• Award Category Service To Community, Service To Children

Amber Pike, Jenna Morris, Isabelle Libbrecht, Charlie Latimer, Aaron Jenkins, Vasily Soloview have all demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in their role as Anchorage Youth Orchestra performing board members. The group of youth act as spokespeople for the orchestra, and are organizing a benefit concert to take place in February 2017.

• Home Town Anchorage
• School District Anchorage
• Award Category Service To Community, Service To Peers

Chloe Kincaid has created a program called “Hooked on Books” to encourage reading among elementary school children. Each week, she goes into classrooms to read aloud from a new book with the goal of introducing students to new genres and styles. She then works with the class to brainstorm similar books, which the kids cans copy down if they enjoyed the sample book. Chloe compiles lists of students’ favorite books, and posts them at school, and in public libraries as a resource for others.

Chloe also serves as the Student Body Secretary, Class Foreman of her ceramic class, and leader of her Battle of the Books team. She is heavily involved with her church, and is currently President of her youth Sunday School class.

• Home Town Soldotna
• School District Soldotna
• Award Category Faith-Based Service, Service To Children

Katya Mozalevskaya volunteered with Royal Family Kids Anchorage for one year before starting Royal Family Kids Mat-Su Valley in 2014. Royal Family Kids is an organization that works to better the lives of children who have experienced abuse. Katya is a highly motivated and compassionate member of her community.

• Home Town Palmer
• School District Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District
• Award Category Service To Community, Service To Children

Summer Sagoonick is a highly involved member of her community. At the age of 10, she began volunteering to help teach at Vacation Bible School, and has traveled to several villages in the region to assist with this program. She also attended a Covenant Youth in Action training where she learned how to teach VBS as a youth leader. Summer is a role model to her peers.

• Home Town Unalakleet
• School District Bering Strait
• Award Category Faith-Based Service, Service To Peers

Rachelle Persson became a leader at the young age of four when she began tutoring her peers in math. Thanks to her efforts, all of her peers passed their math tests. Today, Rachelle is continuing to tutor others, and has become increasingly involved in the community, helping out with the Traditional Cultural Camp at Junak and the Alaska Cultural Camp. During the summer, Rachelle volunteers at the Kalskag Youth Center as a life skills coach. It her belief that youth become empowered when their basic needs are met.

• Home Town Kalskag
• School District Mt. Edgecumbe
• Award Category Cultural Pursuits, Service To Peers