Joyell Acuna

Anchorage, Alaska For as long as she can remember, Joyell dreamed of following in her uncle’s footsteps and becoming an engineer. An Athabascan who grew up in Anchorage, Joyell was unaware of the many STEM education opportunities available to her so close to home. When she was a junior in high school, Joyell’s counselor opened […]

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Charlee Korthuis

Bethel, Alaska Meet Charlee Korthuis, an eighth-grade student from Bethel, Alaska. Charlee considers herself a typical Alaska girl with Yup’ik roots – she loves sharing her culture with others through traditional dance, trying new things and making friends. And one day, she wants to become a geologist. “I fell in love with rocks at Girl […]

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Yosty Storms

Unalakleet, Alaska Shaylyn “Yosty” Storms grew up in Unalakleet, Alaska, where she and her seven siblings lived a traditional Iñupiaq subsistence lifestyle. Passionate about protecting her family and community’s way of life, Yosty wanted to become a marine biologist. She took the first steps toward this career when she joined ANSEP in high school, and […]

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Katherine Sakeagak

Wasilla, Alaska When Katherine Sakeagak (left) first became involved with ANSEP three years ago through Middle School Academy, she was already concerned about the challenges that going to college would present. Now, even though she is only a junior in high school, she is confident and prepared for college. As a full-time student at ANSEP […]

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Brock Grant

Palmer, Alaska Brock Grant became involved with ANSEP as a Middle School Academy student. Two years later, he considers himself somewhat of a scientist. After Middle School Academy, Brock continued through the ANSEP pipeline and completed a STEM Career Exploration session that opened his eyes to the world of STEM careers. Eager to learn more, […]

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Tommi Crist

Wasilla, Alaska If you sit down and have a conversation with ANSEP student Tommi Crist, you’ll be shocked to learn that she is only a rising junior in high school. You may be even more surprised to learn that while she’s a shining star today, Tommi was once behind and struggling in school. She will […]

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Tonia Osborne

Nome and White Mountain, Alaska Tonia Osborne has dreamed of becoming a marine biologist for as long as she can remember. However, growing up in rural Alaska, she felt that she didn’t have access to classes that challenged her academically. In 2011, Tonia became involved with ANSEP through Middle School Academy and has been engaged […]

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Kelsy Panruk

Chefornak, Alaska Kelsy Panruk is proud of her Yup’ik heritage and dreams of becoming a civil engineer. Her goal is to improve the quality of life in her hometown of Chefornak, Alaska, and it is also a priority for her that she keep her family’s traditions alive for many years to come. With support and […]

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Jaden Ulroan

Chevak, Alaska Many students are nervous or anxious before starting college but not Jaden Ulroan. Involved with ANSEP since middle school, he feels excited and prepared to start his freshman year at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where he will study civil engineering. Jaden, who recalls having an interest in math and science classes from […]

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Jeremy Chung

Bethel, Alaska Eighteen-year-old Jeremy Chung, Yup’ik from Bethel, Alaska, recently graduated high school and enrolled as an ANSEP Summer Bridge student. It was not a difficult decision for Jeremy to choose to spend his summer learning and getting real-world work experience – he has had his sights set on becoming a computer engineer for some […]

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