MORE THAN $1.8 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO 363 LOCAL RESIDENTS

Wasilla, Alaska – For the fifth year in a row, the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is increasing the amount it is awarding in academic scholarships. This year, 363 Mat-Su residents will share in more than $1.8 million to pursue higher education in the fields of health and human services. Individual awards will range from $500 to $7,000.

“The vision of the Mat-Su Health Foundation is a community where all persons have the opportunity for a healthy life. One strategy to achieve that is ensuring there is sufficient healthcare workforce with the expertise to meet the needs our growing community,” said MSHF President and Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Ripley. “MSHF  scholarships help support local residents pursuing the education and training necessary to fill those integral roles.”

The Mat-Su Health Foundation’s 2022 academic scholarship recipients are listed below, starting with the six Mat-Su Scholars Awards and followed by all other students who received awards.

  • The Annie Demming Scholarship for a current high school student: Leah Beer
  • The Vivian “Babe” Shaver Scholarship for a behavioral health major: Allison Leadbetter
  • The Ya Ne Dah Ah /K’tl’egh’i Sukdu Scholarship for a graduate-level applicant: Shiann Bontrager
  • The Jessica Stevens Scholarship for a physician assistant major: Tristan Merchant
  • The Darlene Reed Scholarship for a nursing major: Brenda Holbrook
  • The George V. Larson, III Scholarship for a hospital administration or nonprofit management major: Azlynn Brandenburg
Annie Abeles
Ruby Acord
Christine Dawn Adams
David Adams
Marissa Akers
Rhys Allen
Rebecca Ames
Jessica Andersen
Kasiana Anderson
Amaliya Andrushko
Trinity Antill
Alexandra Apling
Kelsea Armstrong
Andrew Ashton
Belle Baca
Rebekah Bailey
Meghan Bailey
Victoria Banks
Landon Basner
Marissa Beachell
Nicole Bell
Ryan Benedict
Amanda Berends
Olga Berezyuk
Catherine Bergey
Courtney Bernowski
Elsa Biddle
Nona Bird
Sarah Blanning
Allaina Bolinder
Stacey Bowden
Braden Bowker
Eldridge Bradley
Cheyenne Breshears
Alice Breshears
Laura Brockman
Kristie Brooks
Isabella Brown
Charlotte Brown
Paula Brown
Jacqueline Brown
Chris Brown
Sarah Bryan
Robyn Burton
Monica Bustillos
Alexandra Butler
Alexander Cadieux
Zanya Caldwell
Kailey Carlson
Feona Carney
Rachel Carpenter
Heather Carter
Aaliyah Caruso
Nicole Catlett
BonnieJean Christensen
Justina Christensen
Martha Christenson
Arora Clay
Stefani Clements
Tyler Coffman
Emily Colee
Jadyn Collier
Brooke Compton
Amity Condie
Elizabeth Condio
Megan Coniam
Rachel Cote
Kiela Cott
Kaci Cox
Bryon Croom
Tansi Daugherty
Hanna Davila
Camille Dayton
Sarah Deardorff
Alyna Deishl
Danielle DePaepe
Corina Dickey
Sara Diltz
Chloe Dolman
Isabella Duffield
Hannah Duguid
Sharon Duste
Megan Eakin
Ayla Ehmann
Macee Eklund
Tyler Eldridge
Grace Eldridge
Jena Enderson-Roop
Brett Ewing
Breanna Ewing
Kira Fagerstrom
Faith Farris
Desiree Ferguson
Rhodora Ferris
Vincent Feuilles
Jennifer Fields
Ryan Finley
Sage Fitchett
Corbin Flaming
Jewel Fleckenstein
Elizabeth Fountain
Shannon Frati
Molly Frati
Pamela Freeman
Rett Gallagher
Heather Gallatin-Baker
Brittany Galloway
Lyanna Garver
Mary Geist
Samantha Gerhardt
Katherine Germain
Cherianne Germain
Samantha Gibson
Sarah Godfrey
Dawn Gonzalez
Heidi Goozen
Alia Granda
Mark Granda
Katrina Grant
Ashley Grill
Taylor Grohol
Amber Grubb
Frank Grubbs
Ekaterina Gurgurov
Desiree Hacker
Hana Haddeland
Susan Haddox
Jared Hanson
Alana Harris
Caitlyn Harrison
Raquelle Hartmann
Natalia Heath
Valerie Heinrichs
Joshua Hejl
Ben Henderson
Sierra Hernandez
Elizabeth Heyano
Mary Holbrook
Hailey Holland
Myah Hoover
Judith Horcsik
Tracia Howell-West
Ally Hull
Mikaela Hull
Emily Humenik
Michelle Hupfer
Tobin Hushower
Amanda Hutchins
Faith Itta
Ella Ivanoff
Faith James
Karolyn James-Wallace
Sarah Jamieson
Lariah Jasek
Rachael Johnson
Megan Johnson
Alyssa Johnson
Jessica Jones
Rhiannon Jones-Young
Julia Kahumoku
Aryanna Killebrew
Moriah Kinne
Angelina Klapperich
Justin Knight
Payton Knittle
Elisabeth Kolb
Brooklyn Kopsack
Yulia Koroleva
Kelsey Kraemer
Aubrey Kramer
Nathan Kristich
Isabella Krostek Lorentzen
Chami Krueger
Ethan Kuzina
Leslie Lajeunesse
Rima Lake
Brittany Lambing
Kailah Laxague
Jared Layton
Corina Layton
Annette Lecomte
Alexa Leingang
Carol Leonard
Tiffany Michelle Leonard
Angela Leshchinskiy
Roma Lyn Leuthold
Angel Libby
Emily Link
Keely Livingston
Marin Livingston
Alexis Lochner
Cindy Lorang
Teresa Lowrey
Lauren Luchsinger
Margaret Ludwig
Gregory Lytle
Vanessa Madruga
Sarah MaffeJacob Mahoney
Ashley Marsden
Angel Martin
Hannah Martin
Ruby Matthews
Alexis Mattson
Sabrina Maurer
Emily Maxwell
Brandi Mayo
Christina McAdams
Carrie McClure
Kimberly McDowell
Demetria McGrew
Laura McHenry
Alexandra McNinch
Mya Meehl
Harrison Menard
Autumn Merrill
Neve Michael
Alyssa Miles
Melissa Miller
Liz Miller
Maria Mills-Price
Shannon Minder
Gracie Minnick-Whaley
Carol Mitchell
Ryan Moat
Desiree Molina
Connor Monroe
Emily Montanez
Noel Moritz
Mariah Morris
Colleen Newcity
Sommer Nielsen
Cassidi O’Brien
Cariera Odenthal
Cynthia Odongo
Lydia Ortiz
Christine Oswald
Alyssa Oswald
Narda Oteo
Amie Otis
Samuel Ouellette
Danielle Owens
Ashley Pack
Avery Palenske
RuVonne ParsonSophie Paterson
Rio-Morgan Patrimonio-Raval
Susan Paul
Kyra Pehrson
Anna Peters
Jennifer Petty
Trisha Pevan
Kristen Pickard
Grace Piersma
Jonathan Pomrenke
Tommie Poorbaugh
Elise Porterfield
Jenna Priebe
Kimberly Quincy
Kristin Rabe
Casey Rahn
Aiko Ranchoff
Katelyn Randall
Jaala Rankin
Jennifer Rappuhn
Margarita Ratcliff
Lexi Rau
Roshan Rayback
Holly Regallo
Terri Reynolds-Rogers
Naneth Rhoads
Hunter Richards
Noah Richards
Tracy Richardson
Ian Richey
Anne Ritala
Miguel Rivera
Chailyn Roberts
Turkan Rollins
Abigail Roper
Soveyra Rosas
Jacob Ross
Leiah Rusher
Cheyenne Russell
Joseph Sadley
Shawn Sanders
Carol Sant
Michelle Sara
Hannah SchaeferChannel Scherer
Dory Schneider
Grace Schumacher
Charles Severance
Savannah Shanigan
Rachel Shaver
Zebediah Sheldon
Kristin Shelton
Riley Short
Savanna Simmerman
Madi Simonton
Logan Simpson
Whitney Simpson
Haley Slack
Jennifer Slatter
Amber Sluss
Katelyn Smith
Abigail Smith
Claire Smith
Samuel Snively
Bonnie Snyder
Haley Soares
Tori Soliday
Livia Solis
Hope Spargo
Mary Spatafore
Daniel Spencer
Olivia Spiegel
Amy Sprouse
Christine Starkweather
Lexi Stevenson
Rebecca Stiner
Ava Straub
Kristina Sullivan
Jenna Sutton
Monroe Swain
Lori Syverson
Glenna Tate
Lindsay Teamer
Carly Thomas
Ashley Thompson
Nadezhda Tolmacheva
Susan Townsend
Melanie Trost
Sarah Uschmann
Mathew Uscola
Lydia Vance
Kiana Verplancke
Rebecca Vickrey
John Vinette
Marilyn Vink
Caleb Wagle
Ripley Wakaliuk
Natalie Waterhouse
Taylor Whipple
Megan Whitlatch
Amy Williams
Jessie Wilson
Alexis Wood
Krista Wood
Jacob Worden
Zoe Woyce
Madalyn Yaskus
McKenna Young
Alexandra Zivotic
Maisie Zugg
Tricia Zuyus
Jocelyn Zweifel

The MSHF offers scholarships in two categories: academic scholarships for students pursuing college degrees with health and human services majors, and vocational scholarships to assist students with the cost of training and certifications for jobs in health and human services fields. Scholarships are awarded based on how well each applicant meets the foundation’s eligibility criteria, including financial need and career choice. Applications for MSHF academic scholarships will be accepted again beginning in January 2023, but vocational scholarships are accepted year-round. More information can be found at healthymatsu.org.

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About Mat-Su Health Foundation: Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF) is the official business name of Valley Hospital Association, Inc., which shares ownership in Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. In this capacity, MSHF board members and representatives actively participate in the governance of Mat-Su’s community hospital to protect the community’s interest in this important healthcare institution. The MSHF mission is to improve the health and wellness of Alaskans living in the Mat-Su and the tools it uses include grantmaking, convening of local partners, and policy change. The foundation’s work has resulted in significant improvements in systems that support the health of Mat-Su residents in areas such as behavioral health, child welfare, crisis response, community connections, workforce development, transportation, housing, and senior services. More information is available at healthymatsu.org.

 

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