Nome, Alaska
Kaitlyn Theonnes grew up in Anchorage, where she participated in ANSEP’s Middle School Academy and continued on with ANSEP’s Acceleration Academy in high school. Two years ago, Kaitlyn was thrown a curveball in the education department when her family moved to Nome and she found herself at a high school with just 200 students.
“One of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome in my education was moving to Nome,” she said. “It really made it hard for me to stay on track with the classes I needed.”
Because of the limited courses her school currently offers, Kaitlyn says she relies on ANSEP to further her education and stay on track to pursue a degree and career in STEM. With her high school graduation just around the corner, Kaitlyn says she is grateful for all the beneficial experiences ANSEP has afforded her.
“Science has not always been my best subject, but ANSEP helped me get interested and improve my skills in that area, so I like it better now. It’s easier to like something once you understand how it works,” Kaitlyn reflected. As she enters her fifth summer with ANSEP, she is eager to continue learning.
“Just because you go to ANSEP doesn’t mean you have to be a science nerd, “ Kaitlyn said. “You can be an ordinary kid, but ANSEP helps you become more well-rounded.”
Thanks to her hard work as well as encouragement from ANSEP and her family, Kaitlyn has completed every component available to her since her first ANSEP middle school experience – Middle School Academy, STEM Career Exploration and Acceleration Academy. Now, at 16 years old, she is excited about her future and hopes to attend college in pursuit of a civil engineering or a chemical engineering degree.
