Contributing to Social & Environmental Justice

Currently, I enjoy working as a researcher & equity consultant within local public health, education & policy. As a speaker, writer & community organizer, I'm involved in guest teaching & facilitating restorative conversations. It has been an honor to bring my multicultural & scientific perspectives to issues of social & environmental justice. As an artist performing under the name "Bad Alaskan", I hope to continue raising awareness about issues we face globally as Indigenous people, as well as values we hold dear. I also work with area museums to repatriate Indigenous objects. I have a bright future ahead of me serving Black & Indigenous (BIPOC) communities where I live & beyond.

Chugach has provided amazing support while I attended college at Haskell Indian Nations University & the University of Kansas. The support went far beyond financial; I felt I could ask the team a variety of questions about financial aid, higher education, etc. The Chugach team additionally provided me with encouragement when I encountered challenges in my education, as well as helped me build application skills which translated to many areas in my life (jobs, internships, grants). There's no way I could thank the Chugach Heritage Foundation enough for all their assistance & kindness.

My advice for new students is to put in the time early. Subjects like math & science build upon themselves. Putting in the time to learn the basics the first time around, in those 100-level courses, will save you so much time. And possibly money if you're paying for tutoring or retaking courses. My second piece of advice is not to let colonizers dictate your path in knowledge. We have teachings that deserve center stage in our education & life journey. It's easy to go through the motions of Western education without ever questioning it. You can always ask for accommodations or flexibility in research methods, coursework, etc. The worse you can be told is "no" (which I've heard many times, but not as much as I expected!). It's not confrontational to ask for what you need. I wish you luck!