Meet the Heroes

Adam and Liam are the co-founders of Youth Philanthropists Alaska (YPA), a youth-led organization that is inspiring the next generation of community leaders. In just 18 months, they have grown YPA into an organization with 300+ student participants from more than 25 Anchorage middle and high schools. Through quarterly events, students learn about local nonprofits, donate their own money and vote on where the group's collective gift will go. So far, YPA has raised more than $18,000 to support Alaska nonprofits.

Adam and Liam built YPA from the ground up, creating its brand, website, social media presence and event format while recruiting students, securing sponsors and organizing every aspect of the meetings. Their vision has created a welcoming space where young people learn about community needs and discover that they can make a meaningful difference today.

As YPA continues to grow with strong community support, Adam and Liam hope to expand the program by reaching more schools and creating a toolkit to help launch youth-led chapters across Alaska. Their leadership is helping build a culture of generosity that will inspire young Alaskans for years to come. In the fall, Adam will enter his junior year and Liam will begin his sophomore year of high school in Anchorage.

Alex is a quiet leader whose impact can be seen throughout his community of Nenana. He volunteers at nearly every Tribal hall event, helping cook, clean and organize community potlatches while preserving Alaska Native traditions through his service. He is especially dedicated to supporting elders by assisting in shoveling snow, clearing roofs, mowing lawns, removing trash and simply spending time listening to their stories.

One of Alex's most meaningful contributions is helping families dig graves for loved ones who have passed away. In a community where many families are elderly or living with disabilities, his willingness to step in, often in difficult weather and even at the expense of his own free time, has helped ensure loved ones can be laid to rest with dignity.

Alex's leadership extends beyond community service. As captain of his basketball team, he led by example, making sure team vans and accommodations were clean after long trips. He is known for standing up for those who are vulnerable, encouraging others to serve and mentoring his younger brother to continue giving back.

Alex's kindness and dedication to helping others have made him a trusted member of his community and a role model for the next generation.

Annabelle’s volunteerism is strengthening both military and civilian communities across Alaska. As Ambassador for the Alaska National Guard Youth Council and Region 10 Delegate on the National Guard Teen Panel, she represents more than 20,000 military youth across four states, advocating for their needs at both the state and national levels. She has volunteered more than 200 hours over the past two years supporting military youth and families through camps, deployment events and outreach programs, while also securing an official Municipality of Anchorage proclamation recognizing Month of the Military Child.

Beyond her service to the military community, Annabelle is actively involved in Anchorage. She serves as president of her high school’s symphonic band, volunteers as a mentor for elementary students, coaches Special Olympics athletes, and supports community fishing events and environmental stewardship projects. As a Girl Scout, she helped lead a project that resulted in the Anchorage School District eliminating plastic glitter from classrooms, demonstrating her commitment to meaningful community change.

Annabelle will be a sophomore at an Anchorage high school in the fall. She plans to continue advocating for military youth while pursuing new service opportunities, including her Girl Scout Gold Award project focused on resilience and mental wellness for military children.

Grace’ compassion and commitment to serving others are making a lasting impact on her Anchorage community. At just six years old, she began serving as the emcee for Camp Fire Alaska's annual breakfast fundraiser, a role she has embraced for six consecutive years. Through her leadership, she helped inspire donors and support an event that has raised nearly $1.2 million for programs benefiting children and families across Alaska.

Beyond fundraising, Grace has distributed groceries with her local Rotary Club, advocated for youth arts education on behalf of Anchorage Theater of Youth, and supported charitable organizations including AWAIC and Assets, Inc. She also volunteers at the Archangel Attic Thrift Store, combining her joys of thrifting and helping others. Through every opportunity, she leads with kindness, generosity and a genuine desire to make her community better.

Whether supporting other youth, encouraging donors or inspiring others to get involved, Grace demonstrates that age is no barrier to making a meaningful difference. Grace will attend 8th grade at an Anchorage middle school this fall.

Grace is recognized as part of the Summer of Heroes Employee Program. Her mother, Cheryl Mattson is the director of Financial Operations and her stepfather, Charles Berdahl, is the senior manager of Financial Planning & Analysis.

Savannah is empowering students to celebrate their identities while promoting greater understanding of Alaska Native traditions.

She serves as an officer for EdRising Alaska, an organization that encourages students to pursue careers in teaching. While helping prepare more than 100 Alaskans for the national conference, Savannah recognized that recommended conference attire did not reflect or honor Alaska Native regalia. She responded with courage, respect and action. She worked collaboratively with program administrators to find a positive solution that would honor Alaska students and educate others. Savannah then helped organize the creation of qaspeqs/kuspuks by a local Alaska artist so every Alaska participant could proudly represent their culture on the national stage.

Savannah embodies the kind of leadership that creates lasting change while lifting others up.

This summer, Savannah is attending the Rural Alaska Honors Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a college preparatory program where she is earning college credits while balancing significant academic demands.

Tessa discovered a passion for advocacy and community leadership when she moved to the island of Kodiak several years ago. As a member of Kodiak Teen Court, she advanced from youth attorney to judge while serving as president of both the Bar Association and Board of Directors. Along the way, she organized fundraisers, hosted the United Youth Courts of Alaska conference and mentored other students while helping keep youth out of the juvenile justice system through restorative justice. Tessa’s commitment to serving others expanded into education advocacy. She organized student meetings, led a statewide school funding walkout and was elected as the student representative on the Kodiak Island Borough School District Board of Education. In that role, she brought the student perspective to difficult budget discussions, encouraged peers to engage in the decision-making process and demonstrated the value of student leadership during challenging times.

This fall, she will attend the University of New Mexico, with a plan to double major in sociology and psychology before pursuing law school. Tessa’s goal is to become a public defender serving underserved communities and, if possible, return to Alaska to help address the state's attorney shortage.

No matter where her career takes her, she remains committed to using her voice to advocate for others and strengthen her community.