Noah Sage is a member of the 4-H Trapping Club, and has developed skills in trapping, caring for meat and fur, skinning, and stretching. He uses his knowledge to assist new club members, and has presented at national conferences on the importance of passing on these skills. Exhibiting extraordinary leadership skills, Noah is helping to continue a longstanding tradition of Alaskan trapping.
During her time in high school, Denali Schultz became an involved member of the community. She volunteered often, and joined the Native Youth Leadership team in Kenai. While acting as a leader in her community, Denali was also working two jobs to help pay the bills for her family. Denali overcame a number of personal challenges, but continued to give back to her community and to her peers.
Vadim Yenan has attended a number of district-wide Youth Leadership trainings, and has had an extremely positive impact on his school’s climate, given his strong leadership skills.
Jacob Iya is an exceptional student who serves as a Youth Leader at Hogarth Kingeekuk Sr. Memorial School.
Kaulani Napoleon organized a donation drive aimed at collecting school supplies for refugee youth in the community. He began by presenting the idea to the Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services program run by Catholic Social Services in Anchorage. After receiving the green light from RAIS, Kaulani began reaching out, organizing, and educating the community. At the end of three months, Kaulani had collected hundred of school supplies from people across the country. The supplies were meticulously organized based on the individual needs of each student.
Carrie Damian played a key role in creating a concept and storyline for a short film about the negative impacts of e-cigarettes on youth. The film aimed to prevent e-cigarettes from making their way Carrie’s hometown of Nanwalek.
8th through 12th grade students in Port Graham spearheaded a project to raise rabbits that would eventually be used for skin-sewing and tanning hides. The students were involved in the process from beginning to end and used hands-on experience to build scientific and traditional skills. The rabbits were raised and treated with the utmost care and respect.
Sierra Tucker is a participant in the Nome Native Youth Leadership Program and the Alaska Federation of Natives Elders and Youth Conference. Her peers selected her to serve on the First Alaskans Institute statewide Elders and Youth Council in 2015. She was also recognized by the Bering Straits Native Corporation as a 2016 Young Provider.
Sesika Poleo is a highly motivated student at Clark Middle School. She is an impactful leader, striving to help guide other students who look up to her. Sesika goes above and beyond on school assignments, and helping out at school.
Each year, Kenai Middle School celebrates Mix it Up at Lunch Day. This day is part of a national campaign that encourages young people to question norms, cross social boundaries, and foster tolerance by connecting with someone new at lunch. In Kenai, the Mix it Up Activities continue over the course of a month.
Grace Morrow, an eight grade student in Kenai took the lead on organizing this year’s Mix it Up event. She produced a documentary capturing student perspectives. Grace is also a part of a group at school called the Potatoes. The Potatoes do not stand for bullying, and accept people for who they are.
Bringing together her passion for music and psychology, Maiya Anderson started a piano lesson program at the senior center in Kenai. The lessons bring joy to the elders in the community, while also helping to bridge a generational divide. Not only is Maiya able to create a strong bond with elders—the program also gives elders the opportunity to share their traditional knowledge and wisdom.
Esau Sinnok serves as an Arctic Youth Ambassador, and is working to inform communities about the impact of climate change on his native village of Shishmaref. Esau is currently attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and is pursuing a degree in Tribal Management with the intention of continuing to act as an advocate for his community.
North Star Youth Court is a program that provides legal and mediator training for youth in Fairbanks. The organization aims to promote restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution practices. Youth adjudicate misdemeanor cases for 1st and 2nd time offenders, acting as clerks, attorneys, and judges. Participants are between the ages of 12 and 18. By taking on a number of cases, North Star Youth Court is able to alleviate a portion of the burden of work carried by the Juvenile Justice System.
The Savoonga Youth Leaders work hard to better the lives of those around them. They offer counseling to their peers, host community events, help out with the food bank, and provide a taxi service to elders who need assistance getting to community functions. The Savoonga Youth Leaders are always looking for, and finding new ways to build a stronger community.
The Hooper Bay RAY Youth Group is working to preserve their community’s traditions through dance, language, and the continued practice of other traditional skills. The group also works with their peers to prevent suicide, as well as drug and alcohol abuse.
Haley Edmondson is an active member of her community and volunteers her time to better the lives of those in her community, particularly other youth. Her achievements include hosting a fashion show to raise money for Breast Cancer research, raising over $4,000 for the Children’s Hospital, helping to create a nationally recognized “Raise Your Voice” video with the Alaska Injury Prevention Center, and organizing bonding activities with life skills students attending South Anchorage High School.
Kaisa Reese Ahluniq Kotch is devoted to combating suicide in her community. Kaisa is a member of the TECK Youth Leader’s Program, a school district program in which youth are trained in bullying and suicide prevention. She also serves as a youth representative with the Maniilaq Behavioral Health Program, which works to identify and combat primary causes of suicide. Kaisa volunteers frequently, singing for the community’s elders at the Long Term Care Unit, helping out with shiifish and hotcake feeds, and participating in Elders Council potlucks, among other pursuits.
Savannah Rizzo has worked to establish an organization called T-Books, which provides new books to disadvantaged youth in her community. The goal is to ensure that all young people have access to literature. Through a number of fundraisers, the group was able to raise $3,000, which has been used to purchase new books for students throughout the Kenai Borough School District. They also provided Battle of Books books to Russian schools that would not otherwise be able to afford participation. T-Books is beginning to expand its programs, and is currently working to provide books to schools in Louisiana where many school libraries have lost their collections due to flooding.
Savannah is working hard to inspire youth in her community, and reduce poverty by promoting literacy.
Jenevia Jetaun Wika started the You Are Not Alone club at South Anchorage High School. This club offers a safe space for students to receive support, and information regarding suicide prevention. Jenevia’s goal is to educate high school teens on warning signs and preventative tools, as well as to offer hope to her peers. The You Are Not Alone Club gives students a place where they can feel accepted and supported for who they are. Jenevia was instrumental in helping to make this possible.
Samir Akal came to Anchorage two years ago after leaving a refugee camp in Egypt. Going above and beyond what was required of him, Samir has achieved a high level of academic success. But his hard work has not stopped there. Living with diabetes himself, Samir hopes to help others combat the disease by working towards becoming a nurse. He has volunteered at Providence Hospital, tutored other Somali speaking students in math, and spent this most recent summer volunteering at the Mountain View Public Library.
