Summer Morse

Wasilla, Alaska In Alaska, many bright young students like Summer Morse don’t have local access to the quality of high school education necessary to academically prepare them for college level courses. In 2016, ANSEP took another step to alleviate this issue when it created a full-time high school component in partnership with the Matanuska-Sustina Borough […]

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Jonah Settle

Wasilla, Alaska Ever since Jonah was a little kid, he was always interested in math and science. In 2013, he participated in his first Middle School Academy and became hooked on ANSEP. He spent his next two summers doing STEM Career Exploration and Acceleration Academy components before enrolling full-time in ANSEP’s new Acceleration Academy High […]

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Kaelyn Stalker

Kiana, Alaska Kaelyn Stalker, an Inupiaq from Kiana, Alaska, has always been passionate about protecting the state’s wildlife. Growing up, though, she never imagined it would become part of her daily life as a STEM professional. The summer before sixth grade, Kaelyn attended ANSEP Middle School Academy and learned how biologists use science and math […]

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Sara Oomittuk

Palmer, Alaska   When Sara Oomittuk, an Inupiaq from Palmer, was in elementary school, she hated math and science classes because the subject matter didn’t make sense to her. In sixth grade, Sara attended ANSEP Middle School Academy and realized how exciting STEM education could be. For the first time, she met students from other […]

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Taylor Hoffman

Bethel, Alaska In many ways, Taylor Hoffman is your typical college student – he enjoys playing basketball, snowboarding, playing the guitar and ukulele, lifting weights and spending time outdoors hunting and fishing. However, Taylor is actually far from an ordinary college kid. Originally from the small town of Bethel, Taylor grew up living a traditional […]

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Michele Yatchmeneff

Aleutian Islands, Alaska Michele Yatchmeneff, Unangax (Aleut) from Alaska’s Aleutian chain, is many things, but a stereotype is not one of them. Practicing a traditional subsistence lifestyle that is common throughout rural Alaska, Michele has a first-hand understanding of the challenges many Alaska Natives face when pursuing STEM education and careers. Luckily for Michele, her […]

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Cody McIntyre

Tuntutuliak, Alaska Growing up in Tuntutuliak, a village with fewer than 400 people, Cody McIntyre didn’t initially think college was going to be part of his future. Now, at age 20, he is well on his way to earning an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and has his sights set on earning a doctorate.  In […]

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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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