Fair Supports Future Leaders with Annual Scholarships
Six high school students awarded $8,000 in 2025
Palmer, Alaska – As a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate and entertain, the Alaska State Fair is deeply committed to supporting the people and places that make Alaska thrive. One of the ways the Fair gives back is through its annual scholarship program, which invests in the future of Alaska by helping students pursue higher education. This year, the Fair is proud to award $8,000 in scholarships to six outstanding high school students from across the state whose applications reflected creativity, leadership and a strong sense of purpose.
First place – $3,000 scholarship: Katherine Deering of Palmer
Katherine Deering, a senior at IDEA Homeschool in Palmer, will attend Thomas Aquinas College this fall and hopes to return to Alaska after graduation to serve her community. Deering’s scholarship essay reflected on how the Alaska State Fair helped her overcome intense shyness and grow into a confident community leader. In addition to pioneering yak, heritage turkey and heritage beef classes in the 4-H/FFA Junior Market Livestock Auction, Deering has mentored younger 4-H participants, judged showmanship competitions, and spoken at events across the state. “Whether I’m showing or judging, there is always present that internal struggle with shyness,” she wrote. “Thanks to the State Fair, I have learned to push past it, and continue forward with confidence.”
Second place – $2,000 scholarship: Grace Cook of Palmer
Grace Cook, a senior at Mat-Su Middle College School, will attend the University of Alaska Anchorage to pursue a nursing degree. Cook, who has earned 31 college credits through dual enrollment, hopes to use her medical training to serve her community. In her scholarship essay, Cook reflected on how the Fair can support the growing trend of young farmers and women in agriculture. “The Alaska State Fair plays an essential role in supporting and promoting
agriculture in our state,” she wrote. “By increasing outreach to schools and communities, especially through programs like 4-H, we can continue to nurture the next generation of farmers and agricultural professionals.”
Third place – $1,500 scholarship: Jordan Hartman of Seward
Jordan Hartman, a senior at Seward High School, will attend Montana State University this fall. A dedicated 4-H and FFA member, Hartman has competed at the state and national level in veterinary science, agricultural issues and horsemanship, and served in leadership roles including president. In her scholarship essay, Hartman reflected on how the Alaska State Fair became an anchor of joy and connection during a time of major change in her family. “Despite everything that has changed, some things will always remain the same,” she wrote. “Every time I walk through the admission doors for the Alaska State Fair, the feeling of nostalgia and enjoyment … will comfort me.”
4H/FFA/Vendor award – $500 scholarship: Liam Wade of North Pole
Liam Wade, a junior at North Pole High School, is the president of his school’s FFA chapter and a passionate advocate for food security and sustainable agriculture. He plans to study plant sciences or controlled environment agriculture after graduation. In his scholarship essay, Wade proposed a bold vision for how the Alaska State Fair could become a launchpad for new farmers—offering live demonstrations, youth showcases, mentorship networks, and a “New Farmer Marketplace” to support Alaska’s next generation of agricultural leaders. “The Fair has always been a celebration of Alaska’s agricultural spirit,” he wrote. “Now, it has the opportunity to be something even more.”
4H/FFA/Vendor award – $500 scholarship: Evangeline Newkirk of Eagle River
Evangeline Newkirk, a senior at Alaska Middle College School in Eagle River, will attend Montana State University this fall. Newkirk worked for two years at the HappyAK apparel booth at the Alaska State Fair. In her scholarship essay, she reflected on how those long vendor shifts—and even the awkward interactions—taught her confidence, composure and communication, influencing her decision to learn German. This summer, she will participate in a three-week German exchange program, bringing those skills abroad. “I was once intimidated to hold conversations with strangers in my first language; now I am applying everything I learned from my many Fair interactions to my second,” she wrote. “I will remember and carry (these skills) for the rest of my life.”
Honorable mention – $500 scholarship: Cagney Davis of Juneau
Cagney Davis, a senior at Juneau-Douglas High School, will attend the Savannah College of Art and Design to study animation. A dedicated artist and programmer, Davis has already completed a year of her animation degree through joint enrollment and has won multiple awards for her creative and technical talents. In her scholarship essay, she proposed an interactive State Fair booth that would offer fairgoers personalized animated mementos. “These drawings hold moments of the past in them, moments that are long gone,” she wrote, “but the glimpses remain in the art.”
About the Fair Scholarship Program
Each year, the Alaska State Fair awards scholarships to high school students as part of its longstanding mission to educate and entertain. Open to all Alaska juniors and seniors planning to attend college or vocational school, the program is designed to recognize and support students who demonstrate creativity, leadership and a commitment to their communities. The application window typically runs from January through March, with recipients announced each spring.
