Hey guys,

My name is Dallan and I live in Chugiak, AK. I am a social studies teacher. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in California but I have lived in Alaska for about 7 years total. My wife is from Eagle River, AK and we met while I was attending Brigham Young University in Provo. We moved to Eagle River after I finished my BA, left for graduate school and then moved back. We have lived in Eagle River or Chugiak the entire time but I have traveled around the state a bit. I have driven the haul road to Deadhorse and visited Nome, Fairbanks, the Kenai Peninsula and Valdez. I never imagined that I would live in Alaska. I actually really hate the cold but I have had a lot of amazing adventures here that I never would have experienced if I hadn’t moved here. I am excited to learn more about this beautiful state.

I currently live in North Pole.   I was born in the small town of Kozebue and my family moved to the Fairbanks North Pole area in 1994.   I have grown up in the Fairbanks North Pole area.   I have also lived in Kodiak and Anchorage.   Each different place in the state features different weather.   I have worked with many other people from other places like Nenana, Soldotna, Kenai, and many various small villages.   Quite a few more come from out of state too.   One thing remains constant for the people that I meet, many love fishing.   I don’t do as much fishing but I understand why many enjoy fishing.   Growing up with my dad I got to go fishing on the Kobuk river almost every summer.

Hi Everyone,

I have been in Alaska since August 3, 2019. I teach Geometry and Algebra 1 full time at Barrow High School, Barrow, Alaska. About 60 % of the students are Native Alaskans. There is no trees, no plants, no flowers, and everywhere is ice. The roads are not paved. It mostly dark 24 hours a day, but from 11 to 2, the sky is dark blue and you can see the sunlight in the horizon. The local people are friendly. There is four restaurants here but very expensive ($25 and up for a meal). The good news there is Subway and there charge $8 for the sandwich of the day. I go there everyday after work. There is 300 students at the high school.

I moved to Alaska from MIchigan, from the Ann Arbor area.

Until next time,

keep warm

Catharina Laan

Howdy class! My name is Mike, and I’m starting my third year here at UAF. I had never set foot in the state of Alaska until my first day of class my freshman year, when I flew up from the lower 48. I have lived in the dorms all my time in Alaska, but am thinking of getting an apartment or cabin off campus! I have lived in Westport, Connecticut, a cool costal committing city of New York. On other side of the U.S., I have lived in Los Gatos, California a mountainous suburb of Silicon Valley, as well as San Fransisco, which is great if you’re a walker! finally, I have lived is Curitiba, Brazil, a culturally rich city with one of the world’s finest public transportation systems!

In the future I hope to call many different places my home, in the same manner I have come to call Alaska a home.

Hello class,

I currently live outside Fairbanks. I have been here for going on 4 years and find it interesting how much environment is different here than down in Delta Junction. I think it is surprising how much of a change there is in a relatively short  distance. Those are the only two areas of Alaska which I have lived in and am looking forward to learn about more locations.

My name is Shannon and I’m an Arctic and Northern Studies major. This is my second semester at UAF, and I moved up here from San Francisco in August. I took GEOG 101 last semester as a prerequisite to Polar Geography, a required course for my major, and I took this as a major elective because I really like geography. When I was a kid I auditioned for Where In The World Is Carmen SanDiego? but ended up being too young to shoot in the timeframe they wanted–I was devastated.

As far as Alaska goes, I’ve only ever lived in Fairbanks, but I’ve also lived in San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Campbell, California, and Lawrence, Kansas. I do know a fair amount about Alaska geography thanks to A) being a nerd and B) the Iditarod Historical Trail and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Last year I led a fundraiser during the Iditraod called the “Igivearod” to help send kids from the village of Nikolai on a field trip to Anchorage, build a reading nook in a school in Nome, and fully fund all the active DonorsChoose.org campaigns in the state of Alaska. We try to focus on the needs of communities along the Iditarod Trail itself, and we’ve repeated it during the Kuskokwim 300 and coming soon, the Willow 300. through this work, I’ve come to know quite a bit about Alaska geography and the needs of rural communities. I also think of Nikolai as “my village” so whenever I see it on a map or hear someone talk about it, I say “That’s my village!!” and then have to explain that I’ve never been there, I just really like it and have a lot of little friends there.

Here’s a map showing the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race route, which alternates each year between the northern and southern routes:

Hi! I’m Jennie and I grew up in Alaska.   I was raised in Wasilla and currently live in Palmer.   I did spend a number of years “Outside,” – originally for college, but then my husband got a job in Ohio.   We moved back about 5 years ago when UAA hired him.   He’s an aviation professor, I’m at adjunct at Mat-Su College (in math) and I also teach online for a college in North Dakota.   We have two boys (9 and 11).   Actually if you are reading this after Friday, I have a 12 year old!

My entire family lives here (my husband says there are too many of them).   My great-grandparents were Colonists in 1935.   For those of you who know the Wasilla area, if you go towards Machetanz Elementary from the Trunk roundabout, that’s where they homesteaded. It is a gravel pit now (it was a dairy farm).   Those were my grandma’s parents.   My grandpa’s parents homesteaded in the 1940s out Fairview Loop.   There is an entire subdivision there now.   My grandparents (who are both still alive) are still on the same land they bought in 1955.   My parents have been on the same land since 1978 and I can’t see them ever moving.

My parents have a cabin in Talkeetna (Montana Creek) that is really only accessible in the winter via snowmachine.    I can personally attest that breaking your leg off the actual road system makes for a difficult trip to the doctor’s.   One of the other places we go to every year is Petersville.   We say we are going to gold mine…we are really going to play in the creek!   My kids spend the entire weekend in the water.   It takes kids raised in Alaska to appreciate mountain streams!   We also do several road trips every summer and I enjoy exploring Alaska.

One of my current big “want to do” items in Alaska is visit the Panhandle. I feel the fact that I was raised here and have never been there is an issue that I need to fix!   My husband bought a plane last summer (this is Alaska and he is a pilot…it was a foregone conclusion!), although he says that’s too far for his plane.    Right now I’m campaigning for him to fly me to Kodiak this summer.    Again just because I haven’t been!

Looking forward to meeting and working with everyone this semester!

My name is Morgan, my friends call me Morgs. This is my second year attending UAF as a full-time student, and for the first time I am genuinely excited about all of my classes! I was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, yet I moved to Fairbanks when I was young. I grew up living in a small cabin in Chatanika, located 30 miles north of Fairbanks. The cabin, where my dad still lives, sits  right on the Chatanika River. It made me appreciate living in nature much more. I’ve been living in town for several years now, which is much more convenient on gas. During the summer I love exploring throughout the state of Alaska. My dad and I take a fishing trip to Valdez yearly which feeds us for most of the year. I have friends and family that live in Homer, make sure to walk the spit if you ever get the chance to go it is so beautiful.

I wish you all a good semester and happy new year!

Hello! My name is Kaylee Larson and I am a math teacher in Nenana, Alaska. I was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska.   A few years ago, I graduated from UAF with a B.S. in Mathematics and Master’s in Secondary Education. I am taking this course in order to reapply for my teaching certificate over the summer and meet the requirements by the state. I think it will be interesting to learn more about my home state as well as integrate some of the concepts into the classroom! I have been to several places within the state such as Tok, Chicken, Delta, Anchorage, Valdez, Homer, Galena, and a few small communities along the Parks Highway.

Hi everyone! I’m Becca. I’m an exchange student from London, UK. I’ve never been abroad until now and Fairbanks is the only place I’ve lived in Alaska. I’ve been in Alaska since the start of Fall semester 2019. I don’t know a whole lot about Alaska but I’m eager to learn! Look forward to talking with you all 🙂