I live in Alaska where I’ve spent many summers fishing with my family near Kenai. I’ve seen that here in Alaska, the health of the land and animals is directly related to the well-being of the rural population. Now, I am halfway through my studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage, where I major in chemistry. I hope to use my knowledge to bring about desperately needed improvements for the land.
My people are from the Village of Kotlik, located at the mouth of the Yukon River. The tundra extends for miles and there are no hills or mountains in sight. In contrast, I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city. Throughout my life my parents reinforced the importance of getting an education to prepare us for work and life in the U.S. This meant focusing on my studies from an early age, and I was fortunate to find my passion early on.
At Service High School I was in the Biomedical Career Academy. Each year we focused on a different topic, such as human body systems or biomedical research. As part of this program, I competed in the HOSA National Conference and placed top 10 nationally with my teammate. This program helped drive my passion for science, which I was able to pursue in depth at the University of Alaska.
While I was excited about the opportunity to attend the university, getting there required help. Fortunately, the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) provided me with the assistance I needed to become a full-time student. The financial, academic, and environmental support I have received from this group has been critical to my ongoing education.
I was also very fortunate to participate in a number of organizations at the university. In addition to AISES, I have been involved with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). These groups have helped me stay connected to like-minded individuals who inspire me to continue bettering myself.
My association with these groups also helped confirm my desire to study chemistry. I’ve always been interested in finding out about the ways the world remains in a state of motion. Through the connections I made at the university, I’ve been able to participate in a number of internships that have reaffirmed my interest in this space. During one internship I served as a field intern aboard the Research Vessel Atlantis, helping collect samples from the Aleutian margin off Alaska. I collected water samples, performed alkalinity titrations, and was invited to dive in the Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin, which took me into the deep ocean — a sight I will never forget!
I also interned with the Jane Teranes-Scripps Undergraduate Research Fellowship (JT-SURF) at the University of California, San Diego. Here I characterized microfauna at methane seeps as well as their methane use at the Aleutian margin. This work was my first exposure to marine biology research tied to oceanography, and it gave me a new perspective on ways that we can better take care of our land.
Perhaps my most impactful internship has been with the Department of Natural Sciences at the Bristol Bay Native Association. I worked at a camp around Aleknagik Lake in Dillingham, Alaska, and helped the Alaska Salmon Program collect ongoing data about the aquatic ecosystem that we hoped to use to promote research on salmon ecosystem changes. Seeing how the chemicals in the water can affect salmon reminds me that we need to take care of the land — when we take care of the land, we take care of the people.
Through my studies and continued research, I hope to be able to listen to the voices of our ancestors to bring about much needed change. As my journey continues, I am thankful for the support and guidance of my family, friends, and mentors, and for the many associations that I have been involved with along the way. It’s important to remember that there is no one right path that fits all. Progress of any kind still counts. I have faced trials and setbacks but will not let myself waiver. Whenever things get tough, I think to myself, “My people have fought unforgiving conditions in Alaska for thousands of years — why would I let a little academic stress stop me?”
