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Join Matt Jardin as he speaks with other University of Alaska Anchorage alums and members of the Seawolf community to talk about their pathways to and from education.
20 Episodes
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Anyone can put on a coat, hat and beard and call themselves Santa Claus. But few embody the spirit of Father Christmas as perfectly as professional piloting alumnus Dan Bale. An Alaska bush pilot who has logged more than 20,000 flight hours over the course of his 50-year career, during the winter, he is more affectionately known as Santa Dan. Now in his 17th year, Santa Dan is available for photos with kids (and even dogs) at the Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. In this episode, Dan talks about his childhood watching planes take off from the New Orleans airport runway, why you need a strong poker face when playing with children, and recounts a lovely Christmas story that perfectly encapsulates his roles as a pilot and as Santa. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music. Access captions for this episode >>
November is American Indian Alaska Native Heritage Month, and in a bit of serendipitous timing, this month is also when business alumnus Jason Hotch, a first-generation university graduate from the Southeast Alaska village of Klukwan, stepped into his new position as director of Native Student Services at UAA. In this episode, Jason talks about transitioning from working in business to education, resisting the need to rush things unless you absolutely want to, and making education more equitable for everyone. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music. Access captions for this episode >>
Mana in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, translates to inheritance. It is also the title of an exhibit on display in the Anchorage Museum from October 2023, in time for Filipino American History Month, until January 2024. The collection serves as an archive of portraits and stories of Filipino immigrant elders from communities across Alaska. In this episode, journalism and public communications alumni Shayne Nuesca, Mana cofounder, and Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, Mana cowriter, talk about the origins of the project, the surprising benefits of talking to strangers, and the importance of preserving our histories. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music. Access captions for this episode >>
After a record-breaking season for Seawolf volleyball, English alumna, former student-athlete and longtime assistant coach Stacie Meisner closed the year with a promotion to head coach. The seventh head coach in program history, Stacie took the reins over from Chris Green, who she played for as early as high school in Nebraska. In this episode, Stacie talks about stepping into the shoes of her mentor, some of her favorite matches as an athlete and as a coach, and how her coaching philosophy builds better people out of players. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music. Access captions for this episode >>
Every year, millions of people crowd movie theaters around the world to watch the latest blockbusters starring beloved characters from Marvel and DC Comics. But journalism and public communications alumnus D.K. Johnston is one of the lucky few who get to watch them from behind the camera as they’re being made. After picking up a camcorder at 9 years old, D.K. has racked up dozens of production credits across Alaska, California and Georgia. He’s worked on everything from low-budget independent films, to Netflix reality shows, and multimillion-dollar Marvel content like Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Most recently, he served as additional second assistant director on the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods for DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures. In this episode, D.K. talks about his move to Hollywood, his advice for breaking into the movie industry, and the early days of Anchorage’s underground independent filmmaking scene. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music. Access captions for this episode >>
Marsha Schirack-Olson and Solveig Pedersen love love. In fact, that statement is one of the first things you’ll see on the website for P.S. Consulting, their dating and relationship consulting business. When they’re not helping people navigate the dating and relationship landscape, they’re helping students navigate the higher education landscape as communications professors at UAA. In this episode, Marsha and Solveig talk about their favorite relationship advice to give, what makes for an effective online dating profile, and how everything in life boils down to solid communication. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3DTMlnR
Dial 911 and the responding dispatcher might send one of three options: a police officer, a firefighter or an EMT. But what if no crime has been committed or no laws broken? What if there’s no actual burning building, just the feeling that everything is on fire? What if the medical emergency isn’t of the body but the mind? Enter a fourth option: Anchorage’s Mobile Crisis Team. Launched in summer 2021 and housed within the Anchorage Fire Department, the Mobile Crisis Team responds specifically to mental health emergency calls, such as suicidal ideations, schizophrenic or bipolar episodes, and even feelings of grief or loss. Funded by $1.5 million from a 2020 alcohol tax in Anchorage, the Mobile Crisis Team includes two units operating 10 hours a day, seven days a week. Each unit comprises a licensed clinician and a paramedic. The earliest of these units consists of clinician Jennifer Pierce, a clinical psychology alumna, and paramedic Michael Riley, a fire service administration alumnus. In this episode, Jennifer and Michael talk about their respective backgrounds as a police officer and firefighter, what sets the Mobile Crisis Team apart from other emergency first responders, and how they hope the program will continue to grow. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3iTJXpX
“I told you so” is something Eva Ulukivaiola hears a lot from her mom. Starting in middle school, Eva’s mom enrolled her in TRIO, sacrificing valuable free time and summer vacations. But her mom hoped that Eva and her sisters would use this resource as a springboard to be the first in their family to earn college degrees. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, TRIO is a national program that helps students enter and complete post-secondary education. TRIO is also where Eva, now an economics and global supply chain management alumna, currently serves as Student Support Services retention coordinator, where she guides kids like she used to be on their own journeys to higher education. In this episode, Eva talks about the mission and history of TRIO, how her education and career have brought her life full circle, and the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3WFXIYo
It can be easy to lose yourself in Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines with a population of about 14 million people. It can be harder to do that in Utqiagvik, Alaska’s northernmost city with a population of about 4,000. But E.J.R. David found himself exactly that: lost, struggling with issues of identity after moving from Metro Manila to Utquiagvik as a teenager. That is, until he discovered a science at UAA that helped him make sense of what he was feeling. Today, E.J. passes on what he’s learned as a professor of psychology at his alma mater, as well as a published author, radio host and advocate. In this episode, E.J. talks about the culture shock he experienced after moving to Alaska from the Philippines, the importance of studying psychology from immigrant and indigenous perspectives, and how we can pass on our heritages to future generations. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3yCw7Nv
With a new academic year underway, education alumna and high school English teacher Temperance Tinker Kays is right where she wants to be. This year, however, has big shoes to fill. In April 2022, toward the end of her 14th year at West Anchorage High School, Temperance was surprised with the title of this year’s Milken Educator Award, considered to be the Oscar of teaching. In this episode, Temperance shares some of her favorite lessons to teach her students, how both teaching and learning have changed since the pandemic, and how communities can better support their schools and teachers. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3SjC3lV
Through times of growth, spells of waiting and pivots caused by unprecedented global pandemics, lifelong Alaskan and journalism and public communications alumna Tosha Swan has seen the state’s business community weather it all. As vice president of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Tosha helps advocate and celebrate local entrepreneurs. And as director of the chamber’s Young Professionals Group, she facilitates connections and development for those just starting their journeys. In this episode, Tosha talks about her graphic design inspirations, how the employee-employer relationship has evolved since the pandemic, and what people can do to help kick-start their careers or businesses. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3RlIyE2
Last year, UAA hockey was in a much more precarious place. One of three athletic programs slated for discontinuation due to drastic cuts to the University of Alaska system’s state-funded budget, Seawolf hockey elicited support from Alaska to Washington, meeting its fundraising goal of $3 million to be reinstated in time for the 2022-23 season. Now back on track, the UAA hockey team has a brand new head coach, one who may be familiar to followers of Anchorage hockey: history alumnus Matt Shasby, who played 127 games as a Seawolf from 1999 to 2003 before playing pro hockey with the Alaska Aces. Off the ice, Shasby serves as vice president of player development for the State of Alaska and has coached youth hockey at every age for the Anchorage Hockey Association, making the move to coach university student-athletes a natural progression. In this episode, Matt talks about his trajectory as a player, what he’s learned from his hockey head coach predecessors, and how his experiences as a teacher influences his approach to coaching. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3GJgxke
Homegrown. Homesick. Homebound. Civil engineering and engineering management alumna Michele Yatchmeneff has been all of those things. In October 2021, Michele accepted the role of executive director of Alaska Native education and outreach at UAA. Sitting on the chancellor’s Cabinet, her position is focused on ensuring Alaska Native students, faculty and staff have equal opportunity to succeed on campus. What makes Yatchmeneff the perfect person for the job is that she has been all those things at UAA. Before taking the job, she served as associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and assistant director of the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program. In this episode, Michele talks about the challenges she faced pursuing her undergraduate, graduate and doctorate degrees, how impactful it can be to see someone with a similar background hold a leadership position, and how programs like ANSEP and the Alaska Native Success Initiative can be scaled up to benefit entire communities. Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/35YST6J
In September 2020, the Board of Regents made the difficult decision to discontinue three UAA athletic programs due to reductions in the University of Alaska system’s state-funded budget for FY2019-20, unless the teams could raise two years of funding to cover expenses. Gymnastics was the second of these programs to achieve reinstatement, raising half their goal of $444,000 by June 2021. This accomplishment was enough to return for the 2021-22 season. Now the team is working on hitting their second goal of raising another $444,000 by June 2022. Today the podcast is joined by aviation technology alumna and gymnastics head coach Marie-Sophie Boggasch and health sciences alumna and gymnastics assistant coach Kendra Daniels, to share how they achieved the first milestone and the work that lies ahead. Marie-Sophie and Kendra also talk about how they became gymnasts, what it’s like to coach the next generation of athletes, and the ongoing relationship UAA gymnastics has with the Anchorage community. Donate to Save UAA Gymnastics: https://bit.ly/3C9XTAg Access captions for this episode: https://bit.ly/3k84NQo
Responding to the University of Alaska’s drastic state-funded budget reductions for FY2019-20, the Board of Regents voted in September 2020 to discontinue UAA’s hockey, gymnastics and Alpine skiing programs unless the teams could successfully raise two years of funding to cover operating expenses. With gymnastics and Alpine skiing meeting their goals, eyes are now on Seawolf Hockey, which so far has raised $2.59 million of its $3 million goal ahead of the Aug. 30 deadline. In addition to a recent upswell of support from the NHL’s Seattle Kraken team, two former Seawolf hockey teammates — Brian “Krafty” Kraft, marketing alumnus and the owner of two Alaska fishing lodges, as well as Steve “Bogie” Bogoyevac, who studied business management and real estate and is the senior managing director of a California real estate investment firm — have each donated $50,000 to Save Seawolf Hockey. They are encouraging other UAA alumni to contribute, offering to match donations up to another $50,000. In this episode, Brian and Steve talk about how they arrived in Alaska from Chicago and California, respectively, how their time playing hockey at UAA has impacted their lives today, and why they think it’s important to continue paying it forward. Donate to Save Seawolf Hockey: bit.ly/3CyNCOX Access captions for this episode: bit.ly/3s0nDeE
Inspired by a particularly impactful guidance counselor he had during his high school years in Olympia, Washington, Vincent Feuilles, A.A.S. Human Services '19, knew he wanted to become a counselor. After moving to Wasilla, Vincent began taking classes at UAA through the Mat-Su College, earning his associate of applied science in human services in 2019, with a bachelor of human services on the horizon and plans to continue on to earn a master of social work. Despite the work ahead of him, Vincent isn’t waiting to make an impact, founding both Authentic Beginnings, a counseling business specializing in substance misuse and name and gender marker changes, as well as the Queen’s Guard, a charity supporting LGBTQ youth. More recently, Vincent is organizing the first Pride Festival in Wasilla, scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 11, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Snider Memorial Park. Attendees can keep up to date through Facebook: bit.ly/3xap7nP Vendor applications can be submitted via Google Forms: bit.ly/3zc832y In this episode, Vincent talks about the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community that he’s working to address, what led him to pursue human services and social work, and how to create an inclusive environment. Access captions for this podcast episode: bit.ly/3pDo39j
For the globetrotting Geser Bat-Erdene, B.B.A. Finance ’19, every new destination and experience is a new resource for him to use toward the benefit of his home country of Mongolia. During his time as an international student at UAA, he quickly assumed a leadership position with student government as a sophomore, eventually becoming president of the organization his senior year. Geser also founded the Mongolian Student Society, growing the group to be much more than a student club while hosting visiting ambassadors from Mongolia. After earning his degree in spring 2019, Geser moved to Washington, D.C. to become a financial analyst. During his off hours, he co-founded 77Nation, a podcast discussing Mongolian political issues that has grown to have an audience of more than 11,000 listeners. In this episode, Geser talks about the impact his podcast has had on his home country, his approach to enact governmental change through his financial education, and his experiences as an international student. Access captions for this podcast episode: bit.ly/2SVu8Sd
Helping people was always a calling for Celeste Hodge Growden, A.A. General Program ’92, B.S.W. Social Work ’96, and she does exactly that through her advocacy for racial equity and systemic change. After obtaining her degree from UAA, she joined the Anchorage chapter of the NAACP, first as vice president, and eventually as the chapter's longest-serving president. In 2019, Celeste became president and CEO of the Alaska Black Caucus, which was followed by a year that saw the entire country grappling with the issues she has worked her whole life to address. In this episode, Celeste talks about partnering with the community to tackle these big issues, the necessary work that still needs to be done, and how her organization has partnered with her alma mater to help train the next generation of social workers. Access captions for this podcast episode: bit.ly/3qsEGUW
Economics alumnus Justin Doll has an appreciation for the way complex systems work, starting as an interest in STEM fields when he was younger. As Doll grew older, that focus shifted toward business and public policy, leading him to UAA and eventually to the University of Alaska Southeast to earn his Master of Public Administration. While pursuing his education, he took on a job at the Anchorage Police Department and found his calling, staying with the department for the last 24 years, culminating in his current position as chief of police. In this episode, Justin talks about his nontraditional student trajectory, how he discovered his passion for public service and the importance for law enforcement to maintain a dialogue with the community. Access captions for this podcast episode: bit.ly/2J7JhuJ
Wesley Early has had a lifelong fascination with the stories that reside in each of us, and that fascination is what led him to a career in broadcast journalism. After graduating from UAA with a bachelor's in journalism and public communications, Wesley jumped right into the industry, working for Alaska Public Media in Anchorage as a web editor, nightly news producer and education reporter. In 2019, Wesley moved to Kotzebue, Alaska, a rural community with a population of about 3,200 to become director of the local news station, KOTZ. In this episode, Wesley talks about his favorite stories, how UAA prepared him to enter the field and his experience establishing a journalism presence from the ground up. Access captions for this podcast episode: bit.ly/3q5U1eq
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