Scholarships

2022 Scholarship Recipients

The Healing Hand Foundation recently awarded the following scholarship recipients with the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship:

Michael David Del Cesar: $2,500.00 Scholarship

Michael is a 2018 graduate from Juneau-Douglas High School and was recently back in Juneau for Celebration 2022, where he participated in the canoe ride across the channel. He is pursuing Orthopedic Surgery and attending Columbia University, and now applying for med school. He wants to be an orthopedic surgeon.

Michael played varsity baseball in high school and served as the captain of the baseball team. In 2018, Michael was recognized as the Gatorade Player of the Year. Most importantly he learned many teamwork and work ethic skills that he still applies his everyday life and his work in the medical field. He also participated in the National Honor Society and helped to run programs such as a local blood drive, Read Across America, and peer tutoring. He graduated at the top of his class and earned many AP Scholar Awards.

Michael Cesar in the canoe during Celebration 2022.

He attended Pacific Lutheran University and as COVID spread, Michael decided that he wanted an academic change and that the medical career path was not only important to him, but something that he could bring back to his community in SE Alaska. During this time, he maintained his 4.0 GPA and then transferred to Columbia University to continue his pre-medical requirements and complete his degree in Biology.

At Columbia, Michael has had access to many resources that were able to challenge him in his academic pursuits. He has taken classes from Nobel Prize laureates and made global connections. He is currently preparing his applications for medical school and building his resume while continuing genetics research and volunteering with ALS patients. He is excited to continue his path and see what he can bring back to his community once he receives his white coat.

Upon receiving the notification of his scholarship award, Michael replied, “Thank you so much! It is an honor to the recipient of the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship. I look forward to continuing on the path that Ethel paved for many.”

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Delainey Steffes: $2,500.00 Scholarship

Delainey is from Sitka, Alaska. She plans to continue working on her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Washington State University in the Fall of 2022. She also plans to attend graduate school and become a neuropsychologist. Delainey shared that she wants to help our communities heal from issues such as generational trauma and addiction.

In high school, Delainey was a member of the National Honor Society, a member of the Sitka Youth Leadership Committee, and was on the Mt. Edgecumbe High School Honor Roll from 2018-2020. In college, she was on the University of Alaska Southeast Dean’s List and the Fort Lewis College Dean’s List.

This past year, Delainey became a member of the Indigenous Society of Psychologists. They host events and bring awareness to issues such as MMIW and residential boarding schools. They also provide healing support for Indigenous people. Delainey is also a member of the Noow Tlein dance group and volunteers for Rotary and the Sitka Music Festival.

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Gabrielle George-Frank: $1,000.00 Scholarship

Gabrielle George-Frank is pursuing Psychology with Native American Studies and hopes to attend Dartmouth College.

Gabrielle has an extensive community activities background in Angoon, Hoonah, and Juneau. She has served as the Big Events Co-Chair, participated in Varsity basketball and volleyball at Angoon High School and was elected as the school board representative. She has worked as a camp counselor, at Sealaska Heritage Institute, “Voices on the Land” over the summer in 2020, and tutored students in writing, Tlingit language, and digital arts. In Angoon she worked as a group leader and Tlingit weaving teaching assistant at Little’s Culture Camp and Raven’s Tail Weaving, and Haa Leeku Has Aaní summer culture camps. She has also worked at Hoonah City Schools, at Haa Kusteeyí áyá summer camp as a Tlingit teaching assistant. In Juneau, she has worked as a teaching assistant at the Culture Camp at Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, assisting students with the Tlingit cultural arts of beadwork, cedar weaving, and traditional song and dance.

In addition, Gabrielle volunteers at Harborview School tutoring elementary students with reading, writing, and math. She was a guest speaker in 2021 for NAMI speaking about her experiences with mental illness to people impacted by mental illness. She is a Goldbelt Youth Ambassador and has been engaging in cultural community events since 2016; both as a leader and performer in many dance groups and as a drum leader.

Gabrielle has shared that she would like to give back to the indigenous community by serving in the field of mental health. She feels that there is a lack of mental health specialists in Alaska. She also feels that Native American people are underrepresented in the medical fields and also have a disproportionate amount of citizens that battle addiction. She wants to work with those in our communities that struggle with substance abuse and addiction.

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Sierra Nelson: $1,000.00 Scholarship

Sierra Nelson is from Craig, AK and will be pursuing a career in Pediatric Nursing. In high school she participated in the Thanksgiving Elder Dinner and also volunteered to be part of a mass casualty simulation drill in which she portrayed a victim in a plane crash with the organization InSytu. Sierra also participated in a short term medical mission in which she organized daily activities for up to 300 students and packaged prescription medication for several hundred people daily. She received her EMT certification and was a part of the Rural Alaska Students in One-Health Research (RASOR) Program. Sierra is also active in her local community, volunteering at the Craig City Public Library and Craig Waverunners Swim Club.

Sierra plans to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Fall of 2022 and has been accepted into the Bachelor of Science Pre-Major Nursing Program. Her long term goal is to work in hospitals and clinics throughout Alaska as a traveling pediatric nurse.

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Chariety Moler: $1,000.00 Scholarship

Chariety is from Kake, Alaska, and is pursuing Biomedical Field/Mathematics/Science. She wants to work in the data science aspect of the biomedical field.

Her community work has included President of Student Council, President of the Youth Council, and she worked at Central Council Tlingit and Haida since 2020. She was the Student of the Year in 2019. She has been a work study teacher aide and worked as a volunteer at an after school program in Kake and at the AT&T Summer Learning Academy. She was awarded the UA Scholar and several other honors and awards including the Nick Begich Scholarship Intern Fund, the June Nelson Memorial and Ladd Macaulay Memorial Scholarships, and the Certificate of Academic Excellence.

Chariety is also an active subsister for cultural delicacies and participates in community classes that teach Tlingit arts and crafts.

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Trinity Jackson: $500.00 Scholarship

Trinity Jackson is planning to attend Skagit Valley College in Mt. Vernon Washington. She plans to study Dental Therapy, A.A.S program and play Women’s basketball for the Cardinals. Trinity is involved with the Woosh.ji.een and Has Du Eetíx’ X’aakeidíxh Haa Sitee dance groups. She is also a volunteer youth running coach and youth basketball coach and mentor. Her long term goal is to return to her community and work as a dental therapist and youth sports advocate and coach.

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Gloria Eyon: $500.00 Scholarship

Gloria and Ethel Lund while visiting in the Sitka Pioneer’s Home in 2020

Photo by Joanna Fairchild

Gloria is currently attending and plans to continue her graduate degree in Psychology at the University of Alaska Southeast. She explains that “it has been realized and the movement has begun for the Alaska Native Peoples to heal from the generational trauma. Achieving my educational goals will more directly support the Alaska Native people as we move towards healing and perpetuating our culture.”

Gloria is an active member of the Woosh.ji.een and Eagle Raven traditional dance groups in Juneau. She is also a member of the Shxat Kwaan dance group in Wrangell. Gloria is currently serving on the Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand Camp Finance Committee and Juneau Community Council for Tlingit and Haida. She serves on the Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand Camp Finance Committee and Juneau Community Council for Tlingit and Haida and is an Alaska Native Sisterhood member for Wrangell Camp 1.