I am a 36-year-old non-traditional student, currently working full-time while pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Returning to school at this stage in life is a deliberate and passionate choice to change my future. One of the first courses I enrolled in was Oceanography, and it left a lasting impact on me. The instructor tailored the curriculum to focus on Alaska’s unique marine environments, which made the subject incredibly engaging and relevant. During this class, the professor mentioned a project by students at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) who were exploring how to harness wave energy as a renewable resource. That idea sparked something in me, it blew my mind and ignited my curiosity. I was hooked. Living in Alaska, I’ve seen firsthand how heavily our state depends on oil. There is little emphasis on renewable energy, which is a missed opportunity given Alaska’s natural resources like wind and water. My goal is to work for, or intern with, a company committed to developing renewable energy solutions. I want to be part of a movement that utilizes the ocean and wind to generate sustainable power. While I know that civil engineers may not directly design energy-harnessing machines, I am excited about contributing through structural planning, permitting, and land development. To better prepare myself, I plan to either minor in mechanical engineering or take focused coursework that will equip me with the skills needed to collaborate meaningfully on such projects. Another long-term goal of mine is to work for the National Park Service (NPS). When I first moved to Alaska, I worked in Denali National Park and fell in love with the mission of the Parks Department, as well as the passion of its employees. I hope to one day become a civil engineer for NPS, whether in Alaska or the Lower 48, and contribute to preserving and enhancing our parks for generations to come. A specific moment that deepened this goal was learning about the landslide in Denali National Park that destroyed part of the main park road, cutting off access to iconic destinations like Wonder Lake. For the past several years, engineers and planners have been working on rebuilding or rerouting this section. It saddens me that such a treasured part of the park has been inaccessible, but it also motivates me. I want to be someone who helps rebuild those roads and prevent future landslides, who brings new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table. Returning to school as an adult is not easy, but it is fueled by a strong desire to make a tangible difference. I want the knowledge, tools, and hands-on experience to help create a more sustainable world. One that relies less on fossil fuels and more on innovative, renewable energy. I want to protect and rebuild our national parks so others can fall in love with them, just as I did. My journey is about more than earning a degree, it’s about building a future I believe in.

I learned the value of love and friendship and the value of community while living here in Alaska. I come from a very broken home in upstate NY to a single mother, I am one of four girls. I moved to Alaska to work in Healy during the summer seasons, but then moved full-time to Anchorage in October of 2020. I am diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder amongst other neurodivergent disorders. I grew up poor and essentially without parents, trying to figure out my life and my way in this world while I made and learned a lot of mistakes in the process. I have survived mental, physical and emotional abuse. I am an surviving drug addict and alcoholic. Moving to Anchorage, I have made this place my home. This state has been my home since my first summer season in Denali. Alaska is the first place that felt like home. In my time here so far I have found my community. I have found friends who are closer than family to me. Friends who I can call when I am feeling suicidal that will come to my rescue. Friends who love me harder and fiercer than my own blood has. My family here has shown me the real meaning and value of love and friendship. Traveling away from Alaska has made me realize how this state is compared to others in the lower 48. Alaskans have a sense of community. They help one another out, they might not be as friendly right away, but in the end, they are always willing to help someone out. I haven't experienced that in the lower 48 I am a non-traditional student, I am a 35-year old women that has to work a full-time job to fund my way through college. I don't have anybody else that is going to pay my bills. I take summer classes and still do fieldwork, just t be able to afford school, gas, food and other bills. I currently am employed with an environmental consulting company that does remediation work around Alaska. I am currently only able to go to school part-time, two classes a semester, because that is all I can afford, currently. I currently have a garden plot in the C street community garden. I snowboard at Alyeska and volunteer at Challenge Alaska during the week as well. I am a member to our local rock gym and in the winter, I also joined a pottery community at Turnagain ceramics. Besides doing these extra curricular activities that I love, I also am very involved in my vast friend group. Baking them birthday bakes or pies, watching their children. This past winter I helped clean a deceased friends apartment with a few other after Christmas. I partake in a GAYme night, with a group of homosexual men and others, we bring games and food, during Christmas we have a stocking stuffer sleepover where we make gifts and food for 30 plus people. I haven't ever experienced this type of belonging in a community before and I wouldn't change it for the world. They are my cheerleaders, they support me and lift me up and encourage me to keep going with school and tell me how proud they are that I am going to school for this degree.