To support high school graduates’ transition to college, the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program is offering its seven-week 2020 Summer Bridge component virtually. Nearly two dozen students began their Summer Bridge experience on May 22, and they represent nine different communities across Alaska including Anchorage, Chugiak, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kotzebue, Kwigillingok, Nunapitchuk, Palmer, and Bethel.
Summer Bridge, which lasts through July 10, is geared towards students who have just graduated from high school and are transitioning to college. Traditionally, students are paired up with an ANSEP strategic partner for a summer internship. In this adapted virtual component, the 23 Summer Bridge students will participate in a group research project, attend weekly ANSEP community meetings hosted online and be enrolled in a college course, which will earn them college credit.
The students enrolled in this year’s Summer Bridge component have already earned a combined 602 credits towards degree programs at the University of Alaska as a result of their other coursework with ANSEP through Acceleration Academy.
Students chosen to take part in ANSEP’s first virtual Summer Bridge component are:
Ahtna, Inc.: Seth Johnson, Anchorage; Dastzeni Tibbits, Anchorage
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation: Debra Lane-Hayes, Anchorage
Bristol Bay Native Corporation: Rylee Sorensen, Anchorage
Bering Straits Native Corporation/Cook Inlet Region, Inc.: Kaitlyn Knox, Anchorage
Calista Corporation: Jaden Andrew, Nunapitchuk; Adeline Dyment, Bethel; Jason Evon, Kwigillingok; Shariah Hunt, Fairbanks; Jill Jacobs, Fairbanks; Stefani Martinez, Anchorage; Christine Noratak, Anchorage; Chloe Phillips, Anchorage; Joseph Wittrock, Anchorage
Chugach Alaska Corporation: Aleric Kompkoff-Anderson, Anchorage
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.: Kasen Callison, Palmer; Isaiah Wilcolf, Palmer
Non-affiliated: Paul Crosby, Anchorage; Noah Faso-Formoso, Chugiak; Patrick Noble, Anchorage; Amara Sanguni, Juneau
NANA Regional Corporation: Tara Kirk, Kotzebue
Sealaska Corporation: Samuel Hughes, Fairbanks
“With Summer Bridge, our students are able to do some career visioning by working paid internships with our partner organizations,” said ANSEP Founder and Vice Provost Dr. Herb Schroeder.
If a student follows ANSEP’s longitudinal model, they can go from eighth grade to a bachelor’s degree in six years or less with most of those college credits earned at no cost to them or their families. Students who are interested in the ANSEP model of education can apply for other components including Middle School Academy, full-time Acceleration Academy and University Success.
New students will join the approximately 2,500 other Alaskans in the ANSEP pipeline. The program is creating change for students from across Alaska and developing a more empowered workforce for communities around the state. To find applications, visit ANSEP.net.
