ssociated General Contractors, or AGC, of Alaska awarded scholarships to twenty recipients this year, disbursing more than $40,000 to degree-seeking students and to students learning a trade. Congratulations to the recipients, and thank you to all who donated to the scholarship fund to make it possible.

I am in the class of 2025 and attend Colony High School. I play baseball and have been the captain of the varsity team since my sophomore year. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and love being outdoors. Growing up, I loved helping my parents and friends with projects that involved building and critical thinking. The more I realized how much I enjoyed building something from nothing, the more I wanted to become an engineer. Seeing the end result of a project has always satisfied me. My future goal is to go to college to obtain a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, while also playing baseball. My career goal is to contribute to the construction of infrastructure projects that will make an impact and a difference in my community. I want to say thank you and I appreciate AGC of Alaska for believing in me. I will not let you guys down, thank you!

I am a senior at Dimond High School graduating with honors. I was born and raised in Alaska playing hockey and will continue my athletic career to play women’s D3 college hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College, where I plan to study interior design and business. My dad and grandmother both worked in the construction industry and have inspired me to chase my dreams and become an interior designer and hopefully one day run my own company. I have learned so much already from my experiences while interning at [interior design firm] SALT last summer. The company is the most amazing group to be a part of, and I feel so lucky to have been taught by their intelligent staff. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for SALT and, of course, myself. The journey is just beginning.

I’m incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the AGC of Alaska’s 2025 Scholarship. I come from multiple generations of carpenters, so building has always been a part of my life. My interest in architecture started as a kid playing Minecraft and Roblox, designing structures, cities, and worlds in a digital playground. I didn’t see it as a career option until I started working construction with my uncle when I was 14. Building homes was exciting, but I was more drawn to the design process. This hands-on experience inspired me to pursue a degree in architecture. This fall, I will attend the College of Southern Idaho to pursue that dream.

Living in a remote island community in southeast Alaska and the challenges I faced growing up have taught me resilience, independence, and how to work hard with limited resources. I’m a stronger and more determined person because of it. I’ll be the first in my family to graduate high school and attend college, and my goal is to return to Alaska to design buildings and structures that serve rural and coastal communities.

The AGC of Alaska Scholarship has opened the door for me and is making it possible for me to attend college without financial stress. I’m genuinely thankful to AGC of Alaska for investing in students like me, helping create opportunities for Alaska’s future builders and developing our state’s infrastructure.

Lastly, I thank my Uncle Joe Brown for being my load-bearing beam—holding me up, reinforcing my foundation, and guiding me as I draft the blueprint of the future I’m building.

I recently completed my freshman year UAF, where I also played on the women’s basketball team. I graduated from Houston High School as valedictorian, a team captain, and an all-conference athlete in three sports. I am pursuing a degree in civil engineering with plans to specialize in environmental engineering. My goal is to return to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough after graduation and build a career that allows me to contribute meaningfully to my home community. I love to spend time outdoors. That connection to the environment has deeply influenced my academic and career goals. Growing up in the Mat-Su has taught me to be grateful for the people and opportunities around me, as well as the beauty I get to experience every day. I am very thankful to AGC for helping me achieve my goals by aiding my college tuition.

Growing up in Juneau, I learned the value of hard work and adaptability early on—skills that have served me well in both school and construction. Thanks to the support of the AGC scholarship, I am able to gain hands-on experience of craftsmanship, with a goal of returning to my hometown to renovate and build homes that serve the needs of small, rural communities. Working alongside my father, restoring old homes and understanding the value of infrastructure, has taught me the importance of precision, planning, and pride in every project. I’m grateful for the opportunities this industry has given me and excited to contribute to Alaska’s future.

I recently graduated high school from Mat-Su Middle College with an Associates of General Sciences degree. My parents served in the US Air Force, and my family lived in the Lower 48 until we moved to Eagle River in 2010. By 2019, both of my parents were retired from the Air Force, and we moved to Wasilla and established Sandhill Farms LLC, a hay and turnip farm, where I work during the summer. On the farm, I have obtained some basic hands-on construction experience in the form of large projects: construction of a wooden fence surrounding our approximately one-acre garden and building a root cellar to store root crops. Both of these projects included basic excavation with a tractor, harvesting and processing of spruce wood on our own land, careful measurements, the use of powered and non-powered tools, and long hours of hard work. The knowledge and experience I have gained on the farm was worth every minute of toil in the summer sun.

I will be attending the UAF College of Engineering and School of Mines. It is important to note that I would not be able to fully and passionately pursue an education and career in construction and engineering without this generous award that I have been extremely privileged and fortunate to receive from the Alaska AGC. This award will allow me to take full advantage of the amazing internship, work-experience, and travel opportunities offered at UAF to broaden and further my education in engineering and construction without the added distractions of financial burden. I want to develop the knowledge and hands-on skills to become an effective and knowledgeable employee in our state’s construction industry in order to meaningfully contribute to the economic future of our majestic state, and I am extraordinarily grateful and honored that the AGC chose to help me fulfill this quest.

I’m so grateful to AGC of Alaska for this scholarship to help me attend Oregon State University in Corvallis. I’ll be majoring in civil engineering this fall. I’m also part of the Honors College at OSU so I can help integrate my other interests such as finance, law, and psychology into my education. Money flows, laws and regulations influenced by emotion help shape the social world, and engineers shape the physical one. I want to be someone who makes things that fascinate people and solve problems. I plan to return to my home community to help solve engineering challenges I see here in Juneau such as the glacial outburst flooding of the Mendenhall Valley, landslides downtown, a second bridge across Gastineau Channel, and new roads around Douglas Island. This scholarship will help me activate these goals and make a difference in my community.

I was born in Sitka but have been raised in Juneau from a young age. I have lived here for all of my life and have come to love the beauty of the state and the outdoor opportunities that it offers. I will be attending the University of Idaho to study civil engineering, but I plan to return to Alaska once I have my degree. Alaska has been an amazing place to grow up, and I am excited to serve Alaska through the knowledge that I will accrue at university. Thank you to AGC for making my career path more affordable through this scholarship.

I am a second-year student at the University of San Diego, or USD, pursuing a dual-degree bachelor of science/bachelor of arts in mechanical engineering. I am a dean’s list scholar in the university’s honors program and hold multiple executive board positions within the Society of Women Engineers, or SWE, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or ASME, and the USD Rocketry Club. Recently, I was elected to serve as the 2025–2026 president for both SWE and ASME at USD. I have served as a teacher’s assistant, scholastic assistant, and will be joining University Ministry as a resident assistant next year. Growing up in Anchorage shaped me deeply, instilling values of hard work, community, and perseverance. Last summer, I interned at Alcan Electrical & Engineering, which helped me secure my upcoming internship with GE Vernova in their Gas Power engineering division. The AGC scholarship eases the financial pressure of student loans, allowing me to fully focus on academics, leadership, and professional development. I am using my time in college to explore the variety of fields within mechanical engineering and grow holistically. Long term, I hope to return to Anchorage where I will work as an engineer and give back to the community that raised me.

My goal is to become a skilled, licensed electrician and build a stable life in Alaska. I became interested in electrical work while helping my grandfather with small jobs, and that experience inspired me to pursue this career. I plan to start as an apprentice with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers or a private company and continue developing my skills through hands-on experience. I’ve been accepted into the two-year Construction Technology program at UAS, which I’ll begin in the fall. Studying in-state helps me save money, and after earning my associate’s degree, I may pursue further training or a bachelor’s in construction management. I’m motivated, detail-oriented, and ready to work hard to reach my goals and contribute to my community.

I am a senior in high school in Kenai. I will be attending University of Idaho in Moscow for a degree in civil engineering in the fall. Growing up on the Peninsula, I have had a lot of opportunities to get outside. I fish out of Homer and on the Kenai River during the summer, along with hiking and camping throughout the Peninsula, and play softball. I have long had an interest in engineering, as my aunt and uncle were both civil engineers in Anchorage. When I was younger, I loved to visit their office when I was in town and was fascinated by the projects they told me about, projects like the Whittier tunnel or even my aunt showing me collapsed culverts she set out to fix.

My junior year, I was given a great opportunity to work as an intern to civil engineers at McLane Consulting, Inc. During my internship, I got to learn and see a lot about the field. This job helped to solidify my decisions for the future, and I owe a lot to them for the support and opportunities they have given me. During college I intend to work hard to get my degree and more field experience along the way. After college I want to move back to Alaska and work in the great state doing what I can to improve the infrastructure we use in our everyday lives. I am ever grateful to AGC that I am one of the recipients of their scholarship. This money helps to give me opportunities to receive a higher education. I also want to thank them for the continued support of Alaska’s youth.

As I work toward my degree in business administration with concentrations in communications and accounting, my career goals center on pursuing leadership roles in administration within the construction industry. My experience in construction so far has taught me the impact of teamwork when building and shaping the future of Alaska. It’s shown me how rewarding it is to contribute to something greater than myself. As I receive the AGC scholarship award it will not only help with covering tuition costs but support and fuel my determination to keep growing, learning, and giving back.

I am a fourth generation Alaskan. I have loved growing up in Ketchikan and appreciate the beauty of Alaska. My grandfather has been a builder in Ketchikan for more than sixty years. He has built hundreds of homes in Ketchikan. We were lucky enough to have had him build our home. I was only two years old when our house was built, but being able to grow up in a home my grandfather built has been amazing, and I appreciate the love and care that went into building it for our family. I plan to attend college in Oregon but plan on returning to Alaska after I complete my studies. Receiving this scholarship will help me achieve my goals. I appreciate this opportunity.

I am so grateful to be a recipient of a 2025 AGC scholarship. This scholarship will help me attend AVTEC for their industrial electricity program. I was born and raised in Alaska, and with the aid of the AGC scholarship, I will be able to pursue my career goal to become an electrician and give back to the community I love. I truly appreciate the opportunities and support AGC has provided me.

Growing up in Alaska shaped my work ethic and career goals. The harsh environment taught me to be resourceful, dependable, and tough. I aspire to become a skilled welder and contribute to Alaska’s growing infrastructure needs. Welding is a lifelong trade that demands discipline, precision, and pride. Receiving the AGC scholarship provides a financial advantage, allowing me to focus on mastering my craft, earning certifications, and becoming a reliable tradesperson in my community. With the support of AGC and my determination, I am confident in my ability to succeed in my trade and contribute to my home state.

I am a born and raised Alaskan who has been around construction and hard work my whole life. My future career goals are to own a civil construction company that tackles the roughest terrain Alaska has to offer while providing quality work, not quantity. This scholarship fund will allow me to obtain my CDL and continue my journey as a heavy equipment operator. I have spent many years commercial fishing in Bristol Bay along with climbing towers throughout Alaska. The thing that it’s taught me the most is, you have to be willing to adapt and overcome anything that’s thrown at you. If you want to make a difference, you have to be different.

It is such an honor to have been chosen as a recipient of the AGC Scholarship. Born in the Southeast Panhandle, my journey in life started in the small village of Kake, where my father was a log truck driver and my mother worked on log ships. They never shied away from hard work and passed that grit and determination on to me.

I obtained my Class A commercial driver’s license in 2024 while I was six months pregnant; a goal I had set and revisited many times in my life. Something about the whistling sounds of the turbo while shifting gears sparked my interest in the working mechanics of the truck, incidentally setting my trajectory on a new path.

I’ve always had a passion and admiration for big rigs along with their drivers and the mechanics who keep them on the road. With the help of AGC, I will be embarking on a new endeavor to pursue diesel/heavy equipment technologies at Alaska Vocational Technical Center, or AVTEC, in Seward. Thank you so much to AGC for this scholarship opportunity to build upon my commercial driving career and educational goals.

I have lived in Alaska my whole life and I’ve been around this type of work for as long as I can remember. I’ve helped my dad with working on various vehicles, watched him work on our cabin, and now working on my own projects. I want to pursue a career in carpentry; I have found it to be the most fulfilling compared to anything else. I have also been working with Cadence General Contractors for a little over a year, and they have shown me what it’s like to work in a job site environment to really get a feel for what I want to do with my life.

My family has lived in Alaska for twenty-six years. My parents came from Montana to teach in the Lower Kuskokwim School District. Growing up, I spent the first three years in Toksook Bay and the rest in Bethel. I have been very active in sports, having a part-time job, and spending time with my family. I am interested in a career that combines pipe and structural welding. I was fortunate to take a summer welding session with Alaska EXCEL in 2024. I spent a month on the Kenai Peninsula campus learning basic welding skills. Instructor Rob said I was a quick learner and that my welds were good enough to start welding on the seawall they were making in Soldotna. I helped finish a welded sign for the shop on campus. I enjoyed this session so much I changed my career goals from carpentry, which I love, to getting certified in welding. I am currently taking Welding I and II electives this year in school and am ready to pursue a welding certification in college. I will be attending UAA to earn both the welding and advanced welding certifications. I am so thankful for this AGC scholarship opportunity. It will help me purchase all the welding equipment I need to start classes in the fall. I can’t wait to see what welding jobs will be available after earning my certification.

I was born and raised in Anchorage and moved to the Glennallen area about five years ago. I joined the wood shop and auto shop freshman year and since have learned a lot. In freshman year I started to build a log cabin, and I am now building sound systems. In the auto shop, I swapped my first engine out during my sophomore year and have since grown to like the industrial side. This scholarship will help me get through diesel tech school in Seward. My plan afterwards is to gain experience for a couple of years, then work on the North Slope, where I one day plan to be running my own shop.