Mazzy Adkins

December 31, 2022

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.    

Read More

North Crawford

December 30, 2022

North created the ‘Hidden Parks of Anchorage’ guide, and presented it in both online and print versions while in the 8th grade. Now a sophomore, North continues his service to Anchorage through additional volunteer opportunities in the Service High Partners Club, Providence Horizon House, and in park cleanups and work days.

Read More

Teagan Guillermo

Teagan is a 6th grade student at Kodiak Middle School with a job at a local doctor’s office – a bit unusual. In the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) program, Teagan is involved in a project to create a working rocket, hypothesizing and experimenting to hopefully lead to success. Teagan’s nominator says, […]

Read More

Lola Swanson

Since 2018, at the age of 10, Lola has been instructing young children of the Seward community in the art of dance. Over the course of the last four and a half years, she has taught more than 100 youth ranging in age from three to 14 the basics of  ballet, jazz, and tap through […]

Read More

Abbey Markell

December 27, 2022

Abbey Markell started her own business from scratch, baking healthy, homemade dog cookies and cakes in attractive fun shapes and colors to support a local pet supply store’s two locations. Alaskans can now purchase locally-baked, customized options of cute cookies and adorable birthday and “Gotcha-Day” cakes that are nutritionally-balanced and free from preservatives. Says Abbey’s […]

Read More

Hannah Lewellyn

December 12, 2022

“Making the impossible, possible” is Hannah’s personal motto, and everything she does comes from this tremendous work ethic. Hannah participates in Lego Challenge events, developing robotic figures that challenge students’ abilities in technology and science. She has assisted younger students with the skills of coding and problem-solving, helping them to develop into worthy members of […]

Read More

Sophia Layos-Wagaman

Sophia Layos-Wagaman is an aspiring circus arts performer from Fairbanks. A competitive gymnast since 2013, Sophia has competed at U.S. Gymnastics invitationals in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Alaska. She has spent the last four years adding circus skills to her repertoire including straps, lyra, wire and partner acrobatics. She performed with the Golden Heart […]

Read More

Yedidia Diboue

December 8, 2022

Yedidia embodies the spirit of fine arts, with a love of singing, violin, and drawing as her primary interests, using these media to express her feelings in a positive way. She also serves as an officer of the Anchorage Youth Court, and created her own business called “YY Sweets,” donating profits to charity.

Read More

Rebecca Tyler

In 2020 Rebecca started her own non-profit organization, Big Air Becca, dedicated to providing opportunities for underserved youth to experience the outdoors. An avid free-skier, Rebecca brings skills of advocacy, fundraising, and leadership to her sessions teaching kids to ski, climb, and enjoy Alaska’s outside spaces.    

Read More

Luke Jack

December 6, 2022

Luke is a longtime volunteer in the Alaska Youth Stewards program, addressing the issues of local littering and regional marine debris  across the Southeast Alaska region. Additionally, Luke serves his fellow classmates through a small school cafe’, managing all aspects of the business himself.

Read More

Emil Lopez

October 26, 2022

Emil Lopez believes that all young people deserve to be heard, and he’s working to bring awareness and solutions to amplify the youth voice in Alaska. A keynote speaker for a recent youth summit, Emil brings to the table an awareness of and solutions for the role of young citizens. A student at Bettye Davie East […]

Read More

Camylle Peterson

December 31, 2021

Camylle loves fashion design and is an incredibly gifted seamstress. She has been designing and creating her own clothes for some time. She has been able to make soft toys for children. Camylle is an inspiration. Her sewing machine skills and eye for fashion are advanced beyond her years. She has started to sell a […]

Read More

Ethan Van Kirk

December 27, 2021

Ethan participates in art, jazz, baseball, wrestling and is currently a soccer referee. He received 3rd place in state wrestling and has attended soccer tournaments. Despite his successes, he is still modest, stoic and humble. He helps others by sharing all that he has, helping those in need after having been bullied.

Read More

Katie Cox

When a fire destroyed her hometown theater, where she had performed since she was five, Katie sprung into action. She spent this last summer and fall creating original paintings and selling them on the sidewalk in front of her house. She sold and then donated over $600 to the rebuilding efforts. Additionally, she collected thousands […]

Read More

Emaline Buchanan

December 24, 2021

When Emaline was 13, she started a nonprofit called Duchess Foundation. The nonprofit provides feminine products to school nurses and school districts. She started it when she recognized that her friends needed some help. She turned 16 in February and continues to help her community through the nonprofit.

Read More

Deszerei Chong Balingit

December 5, 2021

Deszerei has started and continues to grow her baking business in Sitka called Deszerei’s Delights. She makes home baked sweets like cookies, cakes and macarons. She recently expanded her business to include weekend sandwich specials like a turkey wrap layered with cream cheese, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Read More

E Chythlook

February 1, 2021

E has been a powerful example of LGBTQ inclusion. During the first year with the Anchorage Youth Symphony, E was instrumental in crafting Alaska Youth Orchestra’s revised Concert Black attire requirements, setting a nationwide example of this classical music norm, which has historically been gender specific. That revised policy has been shared with every youth […]

Read More

Alaina Vik

December 28, 2020

Alaina started a program called Operation Sweet Support, where she assembled care boxes for Alaskan troops stationed abroad. She was able to raise over $5,000, located private contributors and had the military fund one of the three shipments. Over 200 boxes were packed and shipped.

Read More

Kinley Erickson

Kinley is active in her church’s youth and early childhood programs. She is always patient and caring to children and has taken care of many special needs kids. During her lunch period, she created a Bible study to reach those she didn’t know. She baked the night before while balancing school and work so those […]

Read More

Ron Paguio

December 22, 2020

While involved in the PenPal Program, which connected students from Alaska with students from Uganda, Ron emotionally supported his penpal who had been  a victim of police brutality at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer. Ron also created a supportive and safe space for other students to process this story and […]

Read More