- Delaney

Alaska Is...  

        Alaska is a home away from home. A home is where the heart is and my heart is with my friends, my family, here in Alaska.

Final Reflections

As and eighth grader, I knew what my purpose was coming to Alaska. I was supposed to bond with my peers and step out of my comfort zone to prepare myself for high school. We were told to bring our cameras because we wouldn’t want to miss Alaska’s pure beauty. Well I did all those tings. I’ve made it through two years of high school and I will always remember the view from the top of Mt. Healy and the Humpback Whales leaping out of the water for me. I used skills and examples I learned from the junior leaders to fit in back home and to find who I was supposed to be.
So, coming back as a junior leader, I knew I would set an example as a responsible, fun, outgoing teenager who has gone through everything they are about to endure as freshmen. I knew I was here to teach, and learn how to be a leader, to answer their questions and to stay up drinking root beer at two in the morning. But, this time, no one told me to capture the beauty of Alaska. Now, after three weeks in a place that can create its own miracles, I’ve realized that being a junior leader is about experiencing a new kind of beauty. I witnessed the change these kids went through in their characters, the way they talk, how they act, and who they hang around with. And it’s strange to think that was me, just two short years ago. Watching them grow with their friends and knowing I was part of it is beautiful in and of itself. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. Alaska has taught me that.