Archive

When political science major and Spanish and legal studies minor Katie Scoggin first enrolled at UAA in fall 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was online. Looking for a way to connect with fellow students, she joined the sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha. That first foray into campus life led to more connections and opportunities than she ever imagined.

Suspicious ads on Craigslist don’t usually lead to life-changing opportunities, but accounting alumna and spring 2024 graduate student commencement speaker Barbara Kahula is the exception.

Earlier this year, Megan Eilers, a health occupations teacher at Hutchison High School in Fairbanks, was named a 2023-24 Milken Educator Award recipient, an honor considered to be the “Oscars of teaching.”

Mechanical engineering alumnus Lawrence Giron Jr. returns from two NASA internships to contribute research on atmospheric corrosion prediction.

Real estate alumna and 2023-24 Alumni of Achievement A. Janelle Pfleiger is a 45-year real estate agent and former national president of the Residential Real Estate Council. Understanding the enormity of purchasing a new home, Pfleiger works to make sure real estate agents guiding clients through the homebuying process are beholden to the highest code of ethics.

Social work alumna and 2023-24 Alumni Humanitarian Celeste Hodge Growden is the president and CEO of the Alaska Black Caucus. By focusing on the four core areas of justice, education, economics and health, Growden works toward enacting racial equity through the process of institutional reform.

Political science alumna and 2023-24 Alumni Emerging Leader Amie Collins is the executive director of Best Beginnings. Growing up an avid reader, Collins works to pass on that passion to future generations of children and parents by developing early literacy and education initiatives.

UAA student Tayler Higgins is one of five young adults named to the 2024 Champions of Change cohort with the Center for Native American Youth. Tayler is passionate about centering and elevating Arctic Indigenous youth voices and the interaction of climate, social and economic justice work. She hopes to use her role as a champion to bring more opportunities back to her community.

On Wednesday, Dec. 13, the University of Alaska Anchorage honored individuals with the Meritorious Service Award and Honorary Degree during a special ceremony in advance of fall commencement.

Describing herself as always having been a helper, fall 2023 graduate student commencement speaker Cass Pook was inspired to return to school by her mother and her social worker sister, who passed away in 2011. With her Master of Social Work, she will continue serving her community through her ongoing work with the State of Alaska Department of Family and Community Services.