I am trying to start a go fund me for my 15 year old son, freshman in high school in Kotlik, Alaska. Kotlik is a small town of 600+ residents. The high school has a small amount of students like 40 students.
Emiran Mike first time attended NBC basketball camp in the summer of 2018 in Anchorage, Ak. He was nominated by a coach who chooses 5 or 6 players of the camp for 2019 NBC Travel Team International Basketball travel team tour. He waited about three weeks to get results after having completed his application and having his interview. The interviewee told Emiran after he asked about how many players are on a team, NBC said they usually choose 8 to 10 players to get as much play time. A lot of what the funds will help pay for are traveling out of the village to get a passport, training camp, team shuttles, team airfare, sight seeing activities, food, lodging, and travel team gear. The tour which Emiran got into is for International Travel Team Boys Basketball to United Kingdom 2019.
Emiran has been very passionate about basketball and I noticed about five years ago that he was serious about playing the sport. He is the eldest among his two brothers and sister. He is an independent learner and hard working young man. During the summers he has been helping his grandpa for a number of years with commercial fishing, this past summer a few with his dad and all the way til ending of fall season with hunting and subsistence gathering with the family and helps elders just like any other hunter does.
Emiran strives to do his best receiving good grades in school receiving Honor Rolls, Student of the Month, being a part of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program, Natural Helpers, has even been a part of Student Council, and joining in other sports Native Youth Olympics, Cross Country, and right now being active in Mixed 6 Volleyball.
With all what Emiran is working towards right now will definitely impact his goals with attending college after high school and continuing to be a team player and role model to other students in Kotlik, Ak.
Thank you for your time to read about Emiran’s hopes and dreams. I thank you ahead for support in Emiran’s journey ahead.
Proud Mom, Karen Okitkun
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(Emiran’s Words)
Hello, my name is Emiran Mike and I am from Kotlik, Alaska. I want to raise money for a trip/tour to the United Kingdom. I have been nominated for the 2019 Basketball Travel Team. If I raise enough money for this trip I’d be more than happy to say I did it, if you can see I am very into basketball. It’s been my favorite sport since 3rd or 4th grade, ever since then I’ve gotten better over these past years, and to this day my 9th grade year a lot of people keep saying I play like my dad and uncles.
My main goals are to get good grades this year, and the rest of my high school years so I can make it to college. My other goal is to make it to the NBA. I know it’ll take a lot of hard work and dedication for me to accomplish this goal, but I know I can make it happen if I put hard work into it.
I wanna ask for help because our village is small and we don’t have many jobs out here. My mom works for the school, and my dad does commercial fishing, trapping, and carpentry. With the income they support myself and three younger siblings. During summers I help my grandpa commercial fish or sometimes my dad. We hunt and do other subsistence gathering like pick berries and greens. We also try to get logs to heat the homes during the winter.
I want to get as much experience away from home so I will be prepared to go to college after high school. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Emiran Mike
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Any help will be greatly appreciated with any type of donation. I’ve sent a bunch of requests out with emails and still waiting responses since we just got word over the weekend. The amount that I put on the go fund me was $8,000 requesting extra in for 3 of us to get the minor passport.
When Emiran, myself and his dad have to fly out to the nearest city where we can apply for a passport would cost about $900.00 roundtrip to Anchorage but I found out online the Post Office in Bethel may do passports as well but I am waiting for a call back to confirm that they do Passports at their Post office.
The Passport has to be applied for ahead of time so we are trying to get help now since the days will come by quickly. So pretty much anything will help towards helping my son. We would need to have a set payment and everything taken care of by May 1st, 2019. My phone number to be contacted is (907) 899-2559. Thank you for everything. Please check out the link and share along with family and friends. Thank you!
Karen Okitkun
Kotlik, AK
Alaska Native Artist Residency Program Applications Available
The Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum are looking for Alaska Native artists to apply to the 2019 Native Artist Residency program. This 2019 Alaska Native Artist Residency Program starts in May and ends in October.
Several residency positions are available. All residencies involve working at the museum and include artist stipends of $2,200, a food per diem to offset food costs, lodging, and travel to and from Sitka. Several of the residencies involve working with youth and two of them involve working nearly half of the time at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, adjacent to the Sheldon Jackson Museum and the other half of the time at the Sheldon Jackson Museum. All residencies are twenty-two days long. The dates of the residencies are: May 15th -June 5th (may involve working with youth under 18 for several days in the museum gallery); June 7th -June 29th (involves working at the museum and working with Sitka Fine Arts Camp middle school students); June 29th -July 20th (involves working at the museum and with Sitka Fine Arts Camp high school students); Aug. 22 – Sept. 12th; and Sept. 14th -Oct. 5th.
In 2019, the Sheldon Jackson Museum is offering a higher financial award, a stipend for food, travel to and from Sitka, and as in previous years, a Welcome Dinner with a local Welcome Committee, and paid time accessing and studying the museum’s exceptional Alaska Native ethnographic and art collection.
Artists-in-residence may focus on traditional or contemporary Native art forms including but not limited to wood carving, ivory carving, silver engraving, beading, skin, gut and fish skin sewing, drum making, and basket or textile weaving, drumming, and dancing. Outstanding beginners as well as experienced artists are welcome. Artists benefit from utilizing the museum’s collections for research and meeting visitors from around Alaska and the world and local Sitka community members while working in the museum gallery.
Individuals who wish to obtain an information packet on the Alaska Native Artist Residency Program outlining pay and benefits, position expectations, the residency schedule, and other details may call the museum at (907) 747-8981 and request a packet be emailed or mailed. The packet is also available at www.friendsofsjm.com and http://museums.alaska.gov/artist_opportunities.html.
If you have questions about the program or application, please email Jacqueline.Fernandez- [email protected] or call (907) 747-8904. Applications are due Jan. 2, 2019.
Jacqueline F. Hamberg
Sheldon Jackson Museum
Sitka, AK
