Students plan their future role in Alaska

You think you know what you want to do after high school. But you may not know how to acquire the education you need to get there.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Upward Bound and Teaching Through Technology Alaska programs have teamed up once again to help high school students from across Alaska prepare for life after graduation. Through a summer session called “Your Future Role in Alaska,” students learned to build a personalized plan to match their career interest to their values.

Over the course of two weeks in June, participating students engaged with faculty and staff in a variety of programs and career paths offered at UAF’s Troth Yeddha’ campus and the UAF Community and Technical College, learned about their personal strengths, navigated the university admissions process and learned from the UB alumni and current UAF students about their experiences.

For many students, this was their first encounter at UAF, life away from home and an in-depth opportunity to explore what post-secondary paths would best suit them. The session gave students an opportunity to define their personal values and goals, thinking beyond “what I want to do” and focusing more on the importance of their role in Alaska and their community.

“It was a great learning opportunity to adapt to dorm life and adjust to a new environment surrounded by new faces,” said Vivien Ongtowasruk-Pootoogooluk, a sophomore from Shishmaref.

Identifying their own personal strengths and potential career matches using a tool called the Alaska Career Information System, coupled with engagement with professionals in specific career paths, expanded potential career options attendees had not considered before.

Robin Oaks, a junior from Haines, joined the session with a radiology technician as her career in mind. But after an introduction to CTC’s Health Science program and lesson on research given by Anshul Pandya, assistant professor of bioscience, she had bigger aspirations.

“With more schooling, I could be a radiologist and make way more money!” she said.

The students were introduced to education and character requirements to work in the public safety sector, including emergency medical services and law enforcement. UAF CTC Paramedicine Director Richie Berndt discussed the levels of emergency medical training with students and provided hands-on opportunities for students to practice being EMTs. Students learned to pack wounds, use tourniquets and apply pressure to stop the bleeding, all part of a day’s work in the life of an EMT. Officers Kelly Copeland and Jill Copeland with the UAF Police Department and Deputy Fire Marshall Kyle Carrington with Alaska Department of Public Safety Fairbanks Office also talked about the benefits of careers in law enforcement.

The students also got a taste of welding through the hands-on pipefitting apprenticeship program, given by Rodney Wolcott, training director at Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Local 375 Training Center Fairbanks.

For Robin, who wants to work in radiology, pipefitting was originally not on her radar but came to light after working with Wolcott.

Regardless of the students’ interest, applying to and paying for college or any post-secondary education can present hurdles. The participants learned how to navigate the admissions process, discovered the support network that the university offers, and met with advisors in financial aid and admissions to discuss the timeline and process.

Additionally, the summer session provided the students with an opportunity to expand their view beyond careers and to learn what they can do to improve the community they live in. They spent a day participating in volunteer work at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, packaging and distributing food. The experience not only allowed the students to see a bigger role they can play as a community member but also gave older students a chance to build confidence and guide younger students outside of the academic context.

Time was also dedicated to exploring the UAF Makerspace and working with ACEP’s CyberPod — a group of T3 alumni and UAF students working at ACEP. The participants enjoyed hands-on projects and talking with and learning from the CyberPod members about their educational journeys, career aspirations and work within the university system. The CyberPod members provided an invaluable link between high school and college, making their goals more tangible.

“It was great to learn alongside the students when visiting the different career paths and institutions that contribute to our community,” said Adrian Burke, a CyberPod member.

“We got to support students in growing and adapting to professional and university environments, and it was rewarding to see the moments of ‘Aha!’ and inspiration. I would have loved to participate in this summer program when I was a UB student,” he said.

By Yuri Bult-Ito, George Reising and Julie Engelhardt