2020-2021
Arctic Youth Ambassadors

Alicyn Bahnke

Alicyn Bahnke grew up in Nome, Alaska, and graduated from Nome-Beltz High School in 2020. A lover of all things outdoors, Alicyn spends time outside whenever she can -- whether it’s through subsistence, walking, running, or biking. Alicyn received a Spirit of Youth reward in the Discovery category for her work drafting a resolution to declare a state of emergency on climate action; The proposal was successfully passed through the Alaska Federation of Natives. Alicyn was also selected as the alternate youth representative for her region. During her time as an Arctic Youth Ambassador, Alicyn developed skills in youth advocacy and conservation; Her aspiration lies in lifting youth voices to be heard and encouraging others speak up about what they believe in.

Andrea Wagner

Andrea Wagner is Yup’ik and raised in Wasilla with roots in a small city along the Yukon River, Emmonak, Alaska.

Splitting her childhood between urban and rural Alaska, she grew eager to get involved in her community and State. Andrea served as Matsu-Borough Student Representative for the School Board in highschool, and upon graduating was selected as Youth Representative for the First Alaskans Elders and Youth Board in 2019. Andrea also served as an intern for Senator Dan Sullivan in Washington DC; within her time in D.C. she was appointed as Alaska’s Cherry Blossom Princess.

Currently living in Tucson, Arizona, Andrea recently received her associate's degree in liberal arts and now attends the University of Arizona to study Communications. She is passionate about youth engagement, indigenous issues, and poetry. She is eager to create connections and help build them.

Araya Stoffa

Araya Stoffa is Gwich’in Athabascan and Iñupiaq with roots in Barrow, Alaska. Growing up in Fort Yukon and graduating from Nenana High School in 2018, she then attended Emmaus Bible College in Iowa the following fall semester and played a year of college basketball as a Lady Eagle. Araya is currently taking time away from college and attending pre-apprenticeship trainings. Araya is also a member of the Gwich’in Youth Council, advocating for conservation and elevating awareness of climate change. Having grown up spending time out in the woods and practicing subsistence hunting, Araya is passionate about the subsistence way of life; Her experience has taught her that protection of land and water is the key to preserving a legacy for the next generation. Araya hopes that being an Arctic Youth Ambassador will help bring awareness to climate change and bring each other closer together to help protect Alaska lands and waters.

Cassidy Austin

Growing up in the Copper River Watershed in the rural community of McCarthy, Alaska, Cassidy has always felt a strong connection to her environment. She has been a member of the Copper River Stewardship Program for the past four years doing restoration work and learning the importance of natural resource protection. With the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, Cassidy has traveled to meet with representatives to lobby in support of climate advocacy and has had many opportunities to participate in climate activism work. Cassidy is truly passionate about defending the land and waters of Alaska Natives, and she feels fortunate to have the ability to stand up for a healthy, sustainable future for her home state. With the Arctic Youth Ambassadors, Cassidy is excited to put her personal experiences to use and contribute to an even greater cause.

Duncan Okitkun

A Yup’ik from Kotlik, Alaska, Duncan has studied his Yup’ik language at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Duncan hopes to use his education to become a Yup’ik linguistic teacher in his hometown and work hard to make the Yup’ik language a priority in educational curriculum. Duncan’s community and elders instilled in him an understanding and passion for traditions and skills, including subsistence hunting, fishing, and singing/dancing/drumming. Duncan is a highly skilled maker of traditional Yup’ik drums, and since 2013, he has led many Yup’ik dance groups. As an Arctic Youth Ambassador, Duncan is excited to share his experiences with others in order to help protect the Arctic and its people’s way of life.

Eve Downing

Eve is from Sterling, Alaska, and is a student at Northwestern University in Illinois. She has a natural affinity for youth environmental advocacy. This has led her to projects like the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action program, where she has led canvassing teams and organized community events. Eve has worked on rule-making petitions for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, traveled to D.C. to share her perspectives on Pebble Mine, and has done extensive work in the Kenai Peninsula Borough to facilitate sustainability. In 2019, Eve worked with AYA alum Tasha Elizarde on the Arctic Voice program, where she created a striking visual story of the impacts of climate change in Soldotna, Alaska. “My passion is to help create a just transition into a more equitable and greener world that is responsible for the health of everyone. I believe a step in the right direction is creating open conversations about the issues that we can see going on throughout our state, because I believe that a lot of understanding can be created with conversations that are started with genuine intentions, and not to prove a point.”

Gabe Canfield

Gabe Canfield is Kingikmiut Iñupiaq born in Fairbanks and raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. After attending Ketchikan high school, she graduated from Dartmouth College, with a degree in Native American studies and environmental studies. Gabe is passionate about traditional ecological knowledge and working with environmental issues--specifically environmental disasters--in Southeast Alaska concerning transboundary mines in the British Columbia-Alaska border. Gabe was on the student executive board of Native Americans at Dartmouth, pioneered the Aurora Alaskans at Dartmouth club, and in her hometown works with local youth as a Ketchikan Youth Initiatives mentor. She loves being outdoors, fishing, fitness, and puns.

Jenna Stringer

Growing up in Utqiaġvik, Jenna has witnessed first-hand the effects of climate change and coastal erosion on her community, and hopes to use her personal experience to raise awareness about these issues. During her 2-year membership with Alaska Youth for Environmental Action, Jenna lobbied legislators for sustainable solutions in the Arctic (such as renewable energy), signed and delivered petitions for a state-wide plastic bag ban, led youth trainings about the power of self, and appeared on the news to speak about climate issues.

Jenna believes that while scientific research and data are no doubt important, climate change is a personal experience that must also be shared through the voices of those affected by it. In her free time, Jenna loves singing, baking, and practicing karate.

Kaihinjik Alexander

Kaihinjik currently lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, and is studying at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As a member of the Gwich’in tribe, Kaihinjik grew up with a strong foundation of Indigenous knowledge taught to him by his community and his family. Having lived his life between two different worlds – in remote villages of the Arctic, and densely populated urban cities – Kaihinjik wants to use his unique perspective in order to bridge the cultural gap between the two and preserve his community’s cultural integrity. His experience as a wildland firefighter has taught him much about the complex relationship between humans and ecosystems, and how climate change threatens this relationship. Kaihinjik is a natural storyteller, a poet, and a photographer; he believes that listening to the stories of others is key to creating global connection and addressing the major environmental problems that our world faces today.

Kyrstyn Kelly

Kyrstyn grew up in Palmer, Alaska, and graduated from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Like many of her fellow Ambassadors, Kyrstyn was a member of the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action throughout high school – an experience which introduced her to conservation and activism. She’s led a workshop on “Story of self” at the Alaska Forum on the Environment and interned at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer during high school. Kyrstyn has served as the Associated Students Director of Sustainability and was a chair on the Environmental Affairs Committee. Kyrstyn is incredibly passionate about environmental equity and enjoys the vast access to public lands in Alaska. Even after her time in the AYA program, Kyrstyn has continued advocating for the health and preservation of Alaska’s marine and wildlife systems.

Mercedes Kashatok

Mercedes Kashatok is an Unangan/Yup’ik born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She is a graduate of Mt. Edgecumbe High School, a boarding school in Sitka, Alaska. She is a member of the Anchorage Unangax Dancers; Mercedes takes great joy in learning and sharing her culture with those around her in any way possible. By the same token, Mercedes values the importance of connecting with others and listening and learning from their stories – specifically, disenfranchised groups and those lacking a voice.

In her spare time, Mercedes loves spending time in the great outdoors of Alaska. As an Arctic Youth Ambassador, she used her voice to express concerns on Arctic issues and better her community.

Muriel Reed

Muriel is an aspiring science communicator previously working as a lab and field assistant, stake setter, and data entry extraordinaire at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Resource Protection Department. She is a student at the University of Alaska Southeast. A life-long resident of Sitka, Alaska, Muriel captures digital media for the Sitka Conservation Society. She also has written for Edible Alaska, produced short videos highlighting environmental issues, and presented at multiple conferences. Throughout the ambassador program she hopes to strengthen her skills in storytelling and outreach.

Muriel sees resilience in her community through their relationship with the land. “When the stores have been bought out by neighbors, we turn to shovels and hooks. When life becomes too stressful, we turn to birdsong and hammocks. When kids get bored, or friends get lonely, we turn to trailheads and beach fires.”

Salim Theo Houck

Salim grew up in Cordova and Juneau, and, after graduation, enrolled in Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, as a double major in Global Studies and Environmental Studies with a minor in Native American and Indigenous Studies. Fighting for environmental and Indigenous issues in Alaska is Salim’s vocation and they have been involved in organizing marches, petition events, and even contributed original music for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. Salim is very artistically gifted in multiple mediums – cinematography, music, and as an award-winning poet. Salim’s experience with film leads them to believe it is one of the most effective ways to share stories – especially concerning something so visually striking as Alaska and the Arctic. Salim hopes to use film to tell stories of Indigenous life in Alaska, and to incorporate oral tradition and amplify those Indigenous voices which are so often ignored or overlooked.

Samuel Schimmel

Sam is St. Lawrence Island Siberian Yupik and Kenaitze Indian from Alaska. Growing up subsistence hunting and fishing, Sam has experienced firsthand how Climate Change impacts Arctic communities, and understands the importance of strengthening relationships throughout the region in order to bring about significant change. Sam was appointed by Governor Bill Walker to serve on the State of Alaska’s Climate Action Leadership Team. He is a representative on the National Congress of American Indians Climate Action Task Force and was on the steering committee for the 2020 National Tribal Climate Change Summit. As a former Arctic Youth Panel member, Sam is engaged and involved regionally, nationally, and internationally with climate change impacts on indigenous communities. He is a student at Stanford University and is the Chair of the Arctic Youth Network.

Solomon Himelbloom

Solomon Himelbloom is currently a computer science student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, Solomon enjoys the outdoors and was a 2019 member of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Youth Conservation Corps. He also participated in activities such as Kodiak Teen Court and the 2018 Rural Alaska Honors Institute at UAF and is a graduate of Kodiak High School. Solomon looks forward to communicating the rapid changes occurring in the Arctic and highlighting his experiences in Alaska.