Nearly 30% of 2026 UA Scholars attending UAA this fall

Before summer break, the University of Alaska system announced the 1,076 recipients of the annual UA Scholars Awards , a $15,000 scholarship to any UA campus given to students in the top 10% of their Alaska high school class by the end of their junior year.

We are thrilled to welcome 314 of those scholars to UAA this fall - nearly 30% of this year's awardees and a 14% increase over last year's incoming freshmen, reflecting the growing number of Alaska's brightest students making UAA their first choice.

Please join us in celebrating our newest UA Scholars as we highlight just a few of the exceptional students starting their journeys with us.

Leilani Avery
Major: Bakery and pastry

What inspired you to apply to UAA?

I applied to UAA because I wanted to attend a school close to home that offers hands-on learning and opportunities to grow in my career. I believe UAA will help me build the skills and experience I need to achieve my goals.

What inspired you to pursue your major?

I've always enjoyed baking and making desserts for family and friends. Seeing how something I created could make people happy inspired me to pursue bakery and pastry. I want to turn my passion into a career and continue improving my skills.

What does the UA Scholars Award mean to you?

The UA Scholars Award means a lot to me because it recognizes my hard work and helps make college more affordable. It motivates me to keep working toward my goals and take full advantage of the opportunities at UAA.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

I'm looking forward to learning new baking and pastry techniques, gaining hands-on experience, meeting new people, and growing both personally and professionally. I'm excited to begin working toward a career doing something I truly enjoy.

Michael Davidson
Major: Chemistry

What inspired you to apply to UAA?

The phenomenal opportunities that were given to me to stay in-state. This lets me still get a quality education while being close to home.

What inspired you to pursue your major?

My advisor was a chemistry major and really nurtured my love for the sciences. He always welcomed conversation or debate and it made me love chemistry more and more.

What does the UA Scholars Award mean to you?

It means a lot and really culminates my four years of hard work in high school, not only in my academic results, but it reflects the countless hours sacrificed for success.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

I am looking forward to focusing on my studies while also having more freedom and the ability to live on my own.

Silver Antonette Gonzales
Major: Civil engineering

What inspired you to apply to UAA?

The many opportunities and chances to grow, as well as the close community, are what originally drew me into applying to UAA!

What inspired you to pursue your major?

My dad graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, so engineering was always an interest of mine. Civil, out of all the different types, happened to be the one I fell in love with!

What does the UA Scholars Award mean to you?

The UA Scholars Award is a rare opportunity for me to make my family proud as well as brightly build my future. Not every student is granted this award, so I am very grateful that I was able to have the chance to even receive this honor in the first place. Now, I'm entering my first year of college with excitement for the future, and I'm glad I can start this new chapter of my life with UAA.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

I'm most looking forward to what I will learn at UAA! I've always been curious; wanting to learn how things work, what to learn and how to apply it in my own life. I'm fully confident that I'll learn so many new things this semester, and I am super-duper excited!

Ra'ah Roady
Major: Speech language pathology

What inspired you to apply to UAA?

I wanted to stay in-state for my college studies and UAA was the top choice for me due to the fact that I can do a lot of classes online in the comfort of my home.

What inspired you to pursue your major?

My brother who is 10 years of age was diagnosed with autism and is nonverbal, and would continue to be so for the rest of his life. It has been my family's mission to do anything we can to help him speak. Over time he has become able to speak some sentences to us now and it has only gotten better with help from his speech pathologists. I want to help others like my brother find their own voice in a world where they feel that they are not heard.

What does the UA Scholars Award mean to you?

It means so much to me, I have been in Alaska for seven years and ever since I heard of the UA Scholars Award, I told my parents, "I will work as hard as I can to achieve that award." And I did. I did extra credit, made sure I always got an A+ on everything and put my heart into every class. Being an independent home schooler since a very very young age, I am so very proud of myself that I was able to accomplish something this huge. I am very privileged and honored to have the title of a UA Scholar.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

I am looking forward to beginning my career journey and learning everything to put it to use!

Ella Wheeles
Major: English

What inspired you to apply to UAA?

I've lived in Anchorage my whole life. So when it came to selecting a college, UAA was my top pick so I could remain at home but get a great college experience nonetheless.

What inspired you to pursue your major?

Since I was in 6th grade, I have loved to write. Writing and reading got me through the pandemic and after that I knew what I wanted to do with my future: inspire as many people as possible through literature.

What does the UA Scholars Award mean to you?

The UA Scholars Award made it much more realistic for me to be able to afford college. This scholarship encouraged me to stay connected to my hometown while giving me many options of career paths and opportunities.

What are you looking forward to most this semester?

This semester, I am most looking forward to trying out new activities and meeting new people. High school was such an immense part of my life and as much as I will miss it, I am ready to move on.