2018-2020
Arctic Youth Ambassadors

Alejandro Soto

Alejandro is from Anchorage, Alaska and is a graduate of East Anchorage High School. He attended the University of Alaska Anchorage. Alejandro has served a member of the Alaska Geographic Youth Leadership Team, the National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) Next Generation Advisory Council, and as a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar.

Alejandro’s ultimate goal for his participation was to help diversify the field of Conservation and introduce people to the beautiful outdoors. As a member of the Arctic Youth Ambassador Program, Alejandro was active in raising awareness about what is happening in the rural communities of Alaska and making connections to the urban neighborhoods of Alaska as well to rest of the world.

Alliana Salanguit

Alliana Salanguit was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to Anchorage, Alaska when she was five years old- it has been her home since. She is a graduate of the University of Anchorage-Alaska. Alliana has participated in multiple Model Arctic Councils and student forums. She also interned for the Municipality of Anchorage under the Mayor's Office and now works as legislative staff for a state representative. She is currently the Chief of Staff for Alaska State Senator Forrest Dunbar.

Ben Hunter-Francis

Benjamin Hunter-Francis II is Yup'ik and was born and raised in Marshall, Alaska. He graduated West Anchorage High School in 2017, and while in high school, participated in numerous after school activities. One of those activities included Native Youth Community Adaptation and Leadership Congress (NYCALC). After participating in NYCALC, Benjamin joined the Arctic Youth Ambassador program where he and other youth across Alaska shared their stories, experiences, and concerns about the Arctic. Benjamin has also attended the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer, Alaska. Benjamin completed Job Corps in 2019 and is currently working as a Senior Security Officer at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. One of his core goals is to encourage Native youth to be successful in life and to be proud of who they are and where they come from. Some of Benjamin's hobbies include camping, fishing, helping family/friends with little to big chores and projects.

“The Arctic Youth Ambassador program provided the foundations of my voice being heard, stories/experiences that I gained, networking opportunities that I gained during my time in the Arctic Youth Ambassadors program. As well as growing my leadership skills, public speaking, and being more comfortable being myself when I’m speaking. Lastly, this program made a big difference for me with transitioning from high school into adulthood, great resources and a diverse group of personnel with a variety of experiences that we got to work with and staying connected with each other and supporting each other.”

Brian Conwell

Brian Keitaro Conwell gratefully grew up on Unangam lands in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, Alaska. He graduated in 2022 from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in History and Literature and a language citation in Japanese. At Harvard, he wrote a thesis on Japanese World War II memorials on Unangam land and the ongoing memory of World War II in the region. He is currently the Legal and Technology Fellow at the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA). In the near future, he hopes to attend law school and become a lawyer so that he can better help communities close to him. He enjoys reading, fishing, hiking, playing basketball, playing cards, and spending time with family and friends.

Kate McWilliams

Kate is from the small tundra town of Bethel in Western AK. She grew up salmon fishing in the Kuskokwim River, gardening, trail running, camping, and crafting. She studied Sustainable Development at Pomona College and during this time, Kate served as an Arctic Youth Ambassador with the 2017-2019 cohort. With AYA, she participated in panels and spoke to diverse audiences about topics relating to her home region, such as broadband, waste management, and other rural infrastructure. Kate credits the AYA program for challenging her to discuss issues Arctic communities are faced with. "I learned to assign words to changes that I see taking place in my community, and also learned about similar things happening in my peer's communities around Alaska. I'm incredibly lucky to have met the other ambassadors because they help me grow in so many ways." Kate's curiosity and fascination with the intersection of people and nature drew her to opportunities involving climate change resilience, environmental planning, and outdoor recreation. She now lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where she currently works as a Ranger for the US Forest Service.

Shania Wells

Shania Wells is from Noorvik Alaska, a small village above the Arctic Circle. She enjoys living off the land by picking berries with her family, helping with fishing season, making seal oil and storing fresh caribou. Keeping the land clean is very important to her- she participates in various community activities, such as Spring trash pick-up, community gardening, and volunteering at her local city building to teach younger teenagers how to live a healthy, clean, and humorous life. She is overall dedicated to the wellbeing of her land, people, and way of life.

Eben Hopson

Eben Hopson is Inupiaq raised in Utqiagvik, learning both traditional and modern ways of life. Eben has been taking part in the traditional Spring and Fall Whaling hunts his community partakes in the State of Alaska the past few years. His interests are in the field of Photography and Cinematography. Eben has produced films telling the stories of his community and issues they face. His Grandfather and namesake, Eben Hopson Sr., was an influential Alaska Native Leader and the 1st Mayor of the North Slope Borough. He feels that his aspiration for a paramount role in his community, Alaska, and the Arctic, comes from his grandfather. Eben has noticed a lot change, such as the weather, seasons, and temperatures in his community and the surrounding villages. During his time as an Arctic Youth Ambassador (and as an alum), he took advantage of opportunities to share the stories of his community and spread awareness of the way that climate change is impacting his people and their way of life.

Kayla Booth

Kayla is known by her Inupiaq name 'Saqik'. She was named after my great-grandfather, Saqik Sours. She is a graduate of Kotzebue High School and grew up in Kotzebue, Alaska, located 30 miles above the Arctic Circle. She enjoys spending time with my grandparents who live at camp year-round and enjoys living a subsistence life style, as well as spending time outdoors.

Tasha Elizarde

Tasha Elizarde is from Tlingit & Haida lands now known as Juneau, Alaska. As an Arctic Youth Ambassador, Tasha was able to lead several projects, including hosting a youth storytelling program called Arctic Voice and implementing the new organization Arctic Youth Network as elected vice-chair. Since being an ambassador, Tasha has supported the program's outreach through a formal role with its host organization, Alaska Conservation Foundation. Her experience as an ambassador inspired her to study conversations around inequity, colonization, and empowerment further. In 2022, Tasha graduated with a B.A. in History, Business, and Asian Pacific American Studies from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Since moving back to Alaska, Tasha has worked in public media and the arts industry. Tasha is a craft artist, photographer, and an adoring dog owner who loves spending time with her family and friends.

Gabe Stenek

Gabriel Stenek is from Shishmaref, Alaska. Gabriel is Inupiaq, was born in Nome, Alaska, and attended Shishmaref High School. Gabriel has been involved in sports, hunting, and other activites on the land.

Throughout his life, Gabriel has noticed the effects of climate change near his hometown of Shishmaref. Witnessing the changes around him gave Gabriel a passion to advocate the negative effects of climate change and to inform others on the toll climate change takes on earth.

Laurel Katchatag

Laurel Katchatag is Inupiaq and from Unalakleet Alaska. She graduated from Frank A. Degnan High School in 2014 and is a graduate of North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. Laurel was an active member of various student clubs at NPU and has interned with First Alaskan's Institute and Norton Sound Health Corporation.

She enjoys traveling to different countries, meeting new people, and sharing food with others. You can find her in coffee shops listening to podcasts and audiobooks, playing board games, playing outdoors, or hanging out with her family.

Vanessa Farley Duhrsen

Vanessa Farley Duhrsen grew up in Anchorage. She is a graduate of West Anchorage High School, and has been a leader in numerous environmental and youth organizations including Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, West High's Partner's Club, Nordic Journeys, and Citizens Climate Lobby. As a tribal member of the Chippewa Cree, Vanessa cares deeply about protecting indigenous culture, advocating for climate change mitigation in order to preserve Native ways of life. Vanessa enjoys exploring the wilds of Alaska on foot, bike, and boat, and is passionate about protecting Alaska by advocating for environmental conservation and empowering others to take action.