Spirit of Youth

Finn Gagnon

Finn uses humor and his intelligence to persuade others to follow the right path; he makes good decisions and allows all to benefit from the knowledge and maturity he possesses.

Kilee-Ann Thornhill

Kilee-Ann has proven to be an inspiration to her teammates, a driving motivational force for them to work harder and achieve more and, above all else, she is kind and compassionate.

Aleea Faulkner

Aleea started “For the Love of Socks,” which gives socks to the homeless. She and her mom also took over the Bear Hugs program, which distributes backpacks and necessities to kids in need.

Samantha Martin

Samanthais involved in the Kenai Peninsula farm and flock swap meet / youth farming education, which provides information to students and future workforce.

Colvin R. Moore

As part of his daily Boys & Girls Club responsibilities, Cole prepares and serves meals for 35 students, tutors grades K-3 and is a peer mentor for the entire group.

Grace Lili’i

Grace goes above and beyond by including others in class activities, encouraging their participation, and helping them execute class assignments.

Michael Wheatley

Jakira Starks

Along with other students, Jakira created a gofundme account in an effort to afford a trip to Juneau to advocate for middle school education. By October, they had enough miles and money to commit to a trip to go to Juneau during the 2018 legislative session.

Ana Hokenson

Along with other students, Ana Hokenson created a gofundme account in an effort to afford a trip to Juneau to advocate for middle school education. By October, they had enough miles and money to commit to a trip to go to Juneau during the 2018 legislative session.

Fatoumata Sabally

Fatoumata and fellow students created a gofundme account in an effort to afford a trip to Juneau to advocate for middle school education. By October, they had enough miles and money to commit to a trip to go to Juneau during the 2018 legislative session.

Abigail Burke

Along with other students, Abigail Burke created a gofundme account in an effort to afford a trip to Juneau to advocate for middle school education. By October, they had enough miles and money to commit to a trip to go to Juneau during the 2018 legislative session.

Abigail Massong

Abigail demonstrates responsibility and diligence in all she does, whether it be course work, horsemanship, cleaning stalls, attending enrichment activities, or church attendance. She chooses personal friends that enrich her life and chooses to do the same for them.

Carlee Rizzo

Carlee created and established the Nikiski Children’s Fund, which is now expanding to become the Peninsula Children’s Fund. She has fundraised thousands of dollars for Nikiski North Star Elementary and Nikiski Middle/High School that teachers and staff can use whenever they see that a child or family has a need.

Gillian Brinker

Gillian is actively involved in the local FFA group. She participates in competitions at both a state and national level in FFA. She also volunteers at The Learning Farm in Anchorage and cares for the animals in addition to teaching local children about the animals.

Grace Eldridge

When Grace moved to Colony High School, she volunteered to take over as choreographer for the Colony MS Drama. This position includes lots of summer work to design the choreograph with the director and music director, along with researching many of the shows she has designed.

Gabby Nayokpuk

Gabby collected a dozen photos and quotes from Shishmaref community members about why salmon is important to them and why we should protect them. She also wrote a piece that was published nationally by the League of Conservation Voters.

Eve Downing

Eve spent a fellowship canvassing alongside the Cook Inlet Keeper, from door knocking to street canvassing. She worked a number of big events like Wild Alaska Salmon Day and Progress Days in Soldotna, and SalmonFest on the Kenai Peninsula.

Jennifer McCumber

The Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) Youth Salmon Fellows (YSFs) are a group of young Alaskans who worked on the issue of salmon habitat in their communities. Jennifer McCumber focused on collecting stories, hosting events, and canvassing in both Utqiagvik and around the state. Over the summer, Jennifer tabled at the Inuit Circumpolar Council […]

Julia Scully

The Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) Youth Salmon Fellows (YSFs) are a group of young Alaskans who worked on the issue of salmon habitat in their communities. Julia Scully hosted a successful stream clean-up at Eklutna and capped her fellowship with an open mic, where Alaskans were invited to share why they believe salmon […]

No More Mat-Su

No More Mat-Su is a youth-led organization whose goal is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the Mat-Su Valley. NMMS is in its 5th and last year, students organized an event at the Glenn Massey Theater called Rock the Resilience. They are currently working on the second annual Rock the Resilience.