There are different ways to learn. You can do it by reading literature. You can also learn the value of hard work out on the open ocean like many Alaskans do. Autumn found a way to combine both of her passions on her family’s commercial fishing boat. There, in between scanning the water and trying to spot the daily catch, she studied the authors she loved. Being out on Bristol Bay is where she truly felt at home. So much so that she started to gear her life in a way that would let her continue fishing with her family every summer.

Free from technology and all the people onshore, fishing gave her a place to think. Staring out at the open waters, she felt like she had unlimited opportunities for what she wanted to do in life. The world felt like it was her educational oyster, and she was ready to see and learn as much as she could.

Even at a young age, Autumn liked to explore – both in the classroom and in her rugged backyard on a small island in Kasitsna Bay. Along with her brother and sister, she’d hunt down berries and together, they’d fish with their parents, growing closer in the process. She enjoyed the great Alaskan food that was on her table every night, but she also had an appetite for reading. This led to her meeting someone who would make a big impact on her life, her high school English teacher.

He made Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and AP Language approachable. Autumn took to it well, as did countless others. Given she grew up in a family of teachers, this seemed to be a great fit as she dreamt of taking the same approach with her own students one day. College would give her the chance to find her path, but as she would learn, it would veer around a bit.

She thankfully had a more direct route to help her get her start at the university: through a UA Scholars Award. Awarded to the top ten percent of students in every Alaska high school, she only needed to continue doing well academically to earn it and reduce her tuition costs through the University of Alaska system. She realized she had two choices. One, work on the family’s commercial fishing boat for a whole summer and barely pay for a semester at a university elsewhere. Or two, join her sister, who was already a UA Scholar at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), and get more for her hard-earned money. After learning more about the English and education departments there, she confidently chose the latter.

She started out in English because she realized it was a versatile major that gave her skills in logical reasoning and critical thinking. The deeper she got into it though, the more she learned it could branch out into a variety of fields like teaching, law, and writing. Given her love for exploring new things, this would be a solid foundation. Best of all, she felt the support of her professors by her side.

With her hard work ethic, and the support of her scholarship, Autumn completed the requirements for her major early. With some extra money left over, she entertained new things – of course. She tried woodblock printing and woodworking, and they fed her creative soul. Seeing her handmade prints come to life gave her great joy. Philosophy classes improved her reasoning abilities and helped her think on her feet. The more she exposed herself to, the more things she could see herself doing for a living.

Autumn has been preparing to take the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) so she can get her master’s degree in teaching. She’s been looking forward to inspiring young minds like her family of teachers have and joining them for fishing during the summer break. Yet recently, she took a practice Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) – for fun. Now she has thoughts of being a lawyer and serving the fishing industry in a legal capacity someday.

Her story continues to have many twists and turns. But we’re sure whichever direction she chooses, Alaska will always be her north star.