Paige's Interviews
Mike
Living in California, Mike came to surprise his close friend in Alaska for his birthday party. Mike's mother has lived in Alaska before so he was somewhat familiar with the state. Mike was young and in college and traveled to Alaska with some college classmates but after arriving in Alaska found out his friend had left to Hawaii for his birthday. Mike got a bigger surprise than he bargained for, so he decided he was going to get a job and live here so he got a job at the North Slope and worked the oil pipeline. During this time Mike lived in a tent in the middle of the tundra. Mike says, "My buddy gave me a big surprise being in Hawaii and all but I got more of a surprise than he did!" Mike is a super built and funny guy he has a great sense of humor and makes jokes about Texas so he opened a T-shirt shop and sells his comedy on a shirt for men at Solstice festivals. Mike discontinued his job on the pipeline and made his t-shirt shop his top priority and only job. Now living in Alaska for most of his adult years Mike has become very successful with his T-shirt shop and enjoys Alaska a lot.
Jessica Drain
After graduating from college in December of 2010 Jessica Drain, of Maryland, found a job at her local Pet Smart. Jessica is extremely polite, nice, and very friendly. She is like a warm, welcoming person who loves animals.
One day while looking for a summer job Jessica found an add in the paper for a completely paid for trip to Alaska to work in Denali National Park. The job appealed to Jessica's love of animals because it involved working with the parks' Alaskan Huskies. Jessica said, "they paid for me to have a cabin just up the road and it's pretty cool to stay here from April to September with the animals which I love!"
Jessica's favorite kind of animals are dogs. This job is her kind of thing because she admires wolves and dogs a lot. Huskies remind her greatly of the wolves she loves. Jessica volunteered to walk the dogs and her first assignment was an eight-month-old male husky mix puppy named Lacor. Since Lacor was Jessica's first assigned dog she became very attached to this loving affectionate pup! Lacor is now ten months old and used as a wheel dog. Wheel dogs are the dogs closest to the sled and the most powerful canines whose job is to get the sled moving. Lacor is also used as a swing dog. Working as a swing dog helps train him for the position as lead dog, which he is not yet ready for.
Jessica likes all the dogs and really enjoys leading the sled, but this is only a temporary job. In September, Jessica will leave to go back to her job at Pet Smart in Maryland. She hopes to come back to Denali National Park again next summer and continue working with the huskies.
Tierra and Megan
Tierra and Megan are two very close friends who spend most of their time together. The two friends now live in Alaska and when they have time they camp in tents and hike up mountains. They are both college educated and love their jobs as a dental secretary (Tierra) and pediatric nurse (Megan).
Tierra was inspired to live in Alaska by her father when he stopped in Alaska on his way home from Vietnam. Tierra's father was originally from Washington and worked as the airport manager. Her mother however was from Minnesota. When Tierra was young, she lived in Galena. She claims it to be like "camping all the time in a big backyard!" She really liked this lifestyle and went to a boarding school. Tierra used to live in Arizona and moved to Alaska 28 years ago with her four dogs. She is a dog lover and also a "clean freak". She really enjoys the view and hiking too, but most of all she likes working at the dental office! "I originally wanted to work as a dental assistant but when I actually got to do it I was instantly disgusted," Tierra said. She also commented, "I enjoy working behind the desk more than in people's mouths. Besides I'm good with people and they like talking to me too!"
Inspired by going to work with her mom for "take your kid to work day", Megan became a pediatric nurse following four years of college. She likes her job a lot mostly because she loves seeing people newborn through 18 years of age heal and get over illnesses with her assistance. "I just love to see people the next day feeling better than the day before and I like knowing I helped someone that day!" Megan said. She really likes her job and would never leave even if she had the chance. To have time to camp and hike with her close friend, Tierra, Megan works twelve hour shifts three nights a week. She enjoys seeing people get better and having her own time with her current schedule.
When the girls go camping Tierra sometimes brings her four dogs. She greatly enjoys their company as well as just having some down time with her close friend! Megan said, "Camping is very relaxing, and hiking is too!" Tierra loves the lifestyle of her childhood so camping is a fun hobby for her as well. The two friends enjoy camping and spending time with each other a lot, and mostly they love their jobs, which their parents inspired them to pursue!
Ryjil Christianson
Born in Homer Alaska and still here, Ryjil Christianson grew up commercial fishing for a living across the Kachemak Bay. Ryjil grew up in a small town called Bear Cove in a cabin. Ryjil’Äôs mother was a stay at home mom while her father and the kids did commercial fishing for a living. She said, "After catching crab and halibut we would sell to local restaurants!"
After graduating from high school Ryjil attended the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She graduated with a degree in history and a focus in Alaskan history. During her college years and for a few after, Ryjil worked in a coffee shop, hotel, and dorms. Ryjil came to the Pratt Museum as a child and had a passion for history so she began volunteering at the museum. Later, she finished college and began working full time at the museum where she educates people about her home, the Kachemak Bay.
Ryjil explained that, "The most important thing to me in Alaska is my fish diet." She loves fish, especially red salmon. In the warm summers when the fish population is at its highest Ryjil said, "I catch my own salmon and halibut and fill my freezer, so in the winter I have enough to last me!" She really likes the "subsistence" lifestyle. Along with fishing she picks berries to eat. Sometimes she even trades berries with friends and family for salmon in return. Ryjil digs for clams to supplement her diet of fish.
A terrible life changing disaster came into Ryjil’Äôs life in 1989. The Valdez Oil spill happened 22 years ago. Her family moved into town and had to give up commercial fishing. Since Ryjil was a little girl her family had been living off of the money her father made commercial fishing. After the oil spill the toxins in the water killed much of the fish population, making it nearly impossible to continue to make a living through commercial fishing. Instead, her father began construction work, building houses for locals.
Ryjil is still a full time employee of the Pratt Museum in Homer. There she shares her personal experience with the oil spill as well as the nature in and around the Kachemak Bay with visitors. It is easy to see from her excitement that Ryjil loves her job.
Robin
As a 26 year old, Robin found herself searching for a summer job. Looking on Craig’Äôs List, Robin found a job in Seward, Alaska. She discovered an opening for a bartender at a military base last year. This is Robin’Äôs second year working at the military base.
Robin is originally from Oregon. She heard that many jobs in Alaska pay well so she decided to take the job bartending. When she is not working Robin enjoys hiking, camping and just viewing the beautiful mountains and wildlife. Robin’Äôs favorite thing about the Alaskan summers is that it never gets dark.
Robin lived in a small town in Oregon when she was growing up, so she likes working in Seward because it is a small town with a beautiful view. Hiking lots of mountains in her free time, Robin loves to camp too. She loves her job as a bartender and the people she works with.
Isaac Chambers
Like science? This 19 year old loves it! He is going to college to be a botanist, someone who studies plants. Isaac Chambers attends college in California during the school year and comes back home to Alaska for the summer to work then back to school again. He lives in Fairbanks, Alaska where he was raised and grew up. Isaac works in the military base for the summer in a gift shop. Isaac enjoys his job because he likes to hear the stories of the military visitor. He said, "I really enjoy working here because the people have such great, interesting stories to share and I always have my ears open!"
Isaac loves living in Alaska mostly because of the summer daylight but he also loves the view, animals, hikes and the halibut! He owns a dog that he has had for 12 years and a gecko that he has had for the past 7 years. He loves his animals so when he comes home from school he is always looking forward to seeing them! In his free time when he is not playing with his Gecko or dog he loves to camp, hike, hunt and fish. He loves the "new discovery" of hiking and enjoys studying the plants along the way. "The animals are outstanding and just seeing them is a gift!" he said.
Isaac is looking forward to becoming a botanist and hopes to live in Alaska and study all the plants that live there. He would also like to continue having fun adventures with his friend for life, his gecko. His gecko is very important to him and he enjoys having his gecko and his dog a lot. He is proud to live in Alaska and loves the food, especially the Halibut. In five years Isaac hopes to be a botanist in Alaska studying all of the plants that he has had so much fun discovering!