Melissa Clements

December 31, 2025

Melissa volunteers with the Bright Lights Book Project, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy by making books accessible to communities across Alaska. She regularly spends her Saturdays preparing books for distribution to local schools and community members, directly supporting efforts to address Alaska’s low literacy rates. Melissa also helped place, maintain, and stock a bookcase […]

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Alexis Griffin

Alexi volunteers with the Bright Lights Book Project, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy by making books accessible to communities across Alaska. She regularly spends her Saturdays preparing books for distribution to local schools and community members, directly supporting efforts to address Alaska’s low literacy rates. Alexi also helped place, maintain, and stock a bookcase […]

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Phoebe Tschappat

Phoebe is a youth leader working with the Copper River Watershed Project to strengthen recycling and environmental stewardship in Cordova. She helps lead an aluminum can recycling program, collaborates with teachers and school administrators to engage students across grade levels, and supports community outreach through events and local media. Phoebe also assists with hands-on environmental […]

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Morgan Saiget

Morgan is a youth leader working with the Copper River Watershed Project to strengthen recycling and environmental stewardship in Cordova. She helps lead an aluminum can recycling program, collaborates with teachers and school administrators to engage students across grade levels, and supports community outreach through events and local media. Morgan also assists with hands-on environmental […]

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Betsy Jo Boeskool

Betsy Jo Boeskool is an engaged youth leader who demonstrates cultural pride, initiative, and service through her involvement with the Filipino American Society of Fairbanks. She has led youth-centered cultural and fundraising efforts, including delivering a Filipino American History Month speech, helping run a youth-led Sari-Sari store to support Fil-Am programming, and organizing fundraisers to […]

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Ella Wheeles

Ella is a senior at Dimond High School and an exceptional student leader with a strong record of academic achievement, athletics, and civic engagement. Through her roles in Student Government, Model UN, and as Secretary of the Anchorage School District Student Advisory Board, she independently led youth advocacy efforts around education funding and student opportunities […]

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Rebel McGrath

Rebel is a compassionate and joyful 14-year-old youth leader whose energy, kindness, and empathy make others feel welcomed and valued. She is deeply committed to service, volunteering across her community through cultural programs, food drives, school events, fundraising efforts, and support for organizations such as Rotary Exchange, Parks and Rec, and the Humane Association. Rebel […]

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Emmanuel Edwards

Emmanuel is a compassionate and thoughtful youth leader who demonstrates maturity, empathy, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion within his rural community. As a member of the Tide Turners youth leadership team, he was selected to attend the 2025 Lead On youth conference and has taken an active role in addressing bullying, promoting […]

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Yedidia Diboue

Yedidia is a highly driven, thoughtful, and kind youth leader who combines entrepreneurship, innovation, and service to create meaningful community impact. At just 11 years old, she founded YY Sweets, independently managing all aspects of the business while donating 10% of her profits to causes such as St. Jude’s, Sandy Hook Promise, and Women LISTEN, […]

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Emily Brubaker

December 30, 2025

Emily Brubaker is an exceptional young leader who turns complex ideas into meaningful, lasting policy change at the local, state, and national levels. She led the BioGlitter Initiative, resulting in a unanimous Anchorage School Board vote to end future purchases of plastic glitter and address microplastics as an environmental and public health issue. As Alaska’s […]

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East High School Interact Club

The East High School Interact Club, sponsored by Anchorage East Rotary since 2013, has spent 12 years leading meaningful service projects at the local, national, and international levels. Current Interactors operate the T-Bird Boutique, a free in-school clothing shop, and manage donations, hygiene kits, and shower bags to support students and youth facing basic needs […]

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Tehani Samoa Taugofie

December 29, 2025

Tehani Samoa Taugofie is a highly involved youth contributing her time and energy to Color Your Mine: Art Youth Activity, Youth Court Summit, Multicultural Youth Educational Summit, and Community Cricket Culture. Tehani was a leader in the Color Your Mine: Art Youth project, which is a project that focuses on helping youth with mental disabilities […]

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Wesley Hewson-Lastimosa

December 16, 2025

Wesley has been an active member of Ketchikan Youth for Change for three years, contributing to youth-led advocacy focused on substance use prevention and homelessness awareness. He has helped develop and implement multiple school- and community-based programs, including Red Ribbon Week, Your Choice Carnival, Ghost Out, and Sleep-Out, reaching elementary, middle, and high school students […]

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Sean Middleton

December 11, 2025

Sean Middleton demonstrates exceptional youth leadership in Fairbanks by organizing hockey training sessions, mentoring younger athletes, and promoting healthy living through fitness programs he designs at the Hockey Club Fairbanks (HCF) gym. He fosters teamwork, discipline, and positive community culture while also volunteering for events like the HCF Christmas party to bring joy to younger […]

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Jillian A. Dolph

December 8, 2025

Jillian has been committed to community service since childhood, contributing to a wide range of efforts, from supporting Anchorage Firefighters to volunteering with Special Olympics and Dimond High’s Partners Club. She has led major philanthropic projects, including organizing a blood drive that collected 30 units of blood, enough to save up to 66 lives, and […]

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Sofia Jordan

Sofia is a highly engaged student leader who holds elected positions in multiple organizations, including PR Officer for Student Government and National Technical Honor Society and President of HOSA. She revitalized her school’s Holiday Craft Fair after years of unsuccessful attempts, coordinating student groups and community outreach to bring more than 20 activities to life. […]

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Isabel Eden Machos

Isabel has been a dedicated volunteer since early childhood, playing a key role in low-cost spay/neuter clinics and offering calm, compassionate support to both animals and stressed pet owners. She helps rehabilitate cats and kittens in need, assists with humane trapping efforts, and is involved daily in caring for rescued animals, even in harsh weather. […]

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The Lynx Initiative by Dimond Robotics

November 20, 2025

The Lynx Initiative (TLI) is a youth-run robotics program created by Anchorage teens who saw that too many students, especially in Title I schools, had no access to STEM opportunities. In just two years, TLI built Anchorage’s first K–12 robotics pathway, growing from 2 teams to 13 and serving students from 23 schools, including Alaska’s […]

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Sophia Pilgrim

November 14, 2025

Sophia has led transformative youth-focused initiatives in Ketchikan, securing $3.5M to launch the community’s first low-barrier youth center and creating a free lunch program serving more than 300 young people. As a leader in Rotary Interact and Ketchikan Youth for Change, she has mobilized her peers in service, raised over $10K annually for local causes, […]

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Wayne Barnum

April 11, 2025

Wayne has made a significant impact on the Gruening Middle School debate program through his dedication, leadership, and passion for debate. Over the past three years, he volunteered as a judge and recently joined the coaching team—organizing scrimmages, leading weekly practices, and presenting complex topics in an engaging way for students. Under his mentorship, the […]

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