ANCHORAGE, Alaska – To honor the outstanding accomplishments of its 2020 high school and college graduates, the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program will host virtual graduation ceremonies this month.

The events will air via Facebook Live on ANSEP’s Facebook page. ANSEP will air the graduation for full-time Acceleration Academy students in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough on Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. AKDT. The virtual ceremony for University Success students graduating from University of Alaska Anchorage and Fairbanks will air Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m. AKDT.

There are 11 students graduating from ANSEP’s full-time Acceleration Academy, and they are doing so with an average of 1.8 years’ worth of credits towards a bachelor’s degree at the University of Alaska. Acceleration Academy students are going from eighth grade to a bachelor’s degree in six years or less.

“These students are among the top students in the nation and are graduating from high school with up to half of the university credits they need for a bachelor’s degree while saving the state and their families a great deal of money,” said ANSEP Founder & Vice Provost Dr. Herb Schroeder. “Though we can’t be together, we are celebrating the bright future for these students and the positive systemic change we are creating across Alaska.”

The newest ANSEP Acceleration Academy (Mat-Su) alumni are: Kasen Callison, Haley Soares and Isaiah Wolcoff. Grads from Acceleration Academy (Anchorage) include Paul Cosby, Noah Faso-Formoso, Kaitlyn Knox, Debra Lane-Hayes, Patrick Noble, Chloe Phillips, Bre’Anna Sherman and Dastzeni Tibbits.

There are also 35 University Success graduates in ANSEP’s class of 2020:

• Joyell Acuna, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Laura Aspelund, UAA, bachelor’s in natural sciences
• Justin Benz, UAA, bachelor’s in electrical engineering
• Randall Friendly, UAA, bachelor’s in biological sciences
• Steven Glasheen, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Lowen Guzman, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Jessica Jacobsen, UAA, master’s in project management
• Kyle Jones, UAF, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Keifer Kanayurak, UAF, bachelor’s in civil engineering
• Samuel Kirchenschlager, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Toomas Kollo, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Bernard Laughlin, UAA, doctorate in biochemistry & neuroscience
• David Crisafi-Lurtsema, UAA, bachelor’s in computer science
• Alexis Harvey, UAA, bachelor’s in biochemistry
• Taylor Hoffman, UAA, bachelor’s in natural sciences
• Cody Kapotak, UAA, bachelor’s in civil engineering
• Danica Mike, UAA, bachelor’s in electrical engineering
• Patrick O’Neill, UAA, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Henrique Oliveira-Miller, UAA, bachelor’s in engineering & math
• De Jour Reed, UAF, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Jim Samson, UAF, bachelor’s in computer science
• Jason Slats, UAF, bachelor’s in mechanical engineering
• Malachi Rhines, UAA, bachelor’s in electrical engineering
• Joanne Semaken, UAA, bachelor’s in biological sciences
• John Street, UAA, master’s in civil engineering
• Janelle Trowbridge, UAA, bachelor’s in biological sciences

ANSEP is continuing to support Alaska’s students by working with our strategic partners to develop news ways to support students’ personal, academic and professional development while maintaining appropriate distance. In the coming months, 120 students will participate in remote ANSEP Acceleration Academy (Summer), Acceleration Ready and Summer Bridge components. There are also 80 University Success students moving forward with classes summer. To find out more information about these components and others, visit www.ANSEP.net./about.

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