Scholarships
Announcing the 2026 Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarships!
We’re proud to share that the 2026 Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship winners have been selected!
This year, 28 Alaska Native and American Indian students from communities across Southeast Alaska were selected to receive scholarships totaling $53,000 in support of their educational journeys in healthcare fields.
Together, these students represent 10 Southeast Alaska communities and a wide range of degree pathways, from high school graduates beginning college to students pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D., and medical degrees. More than half of this year’s recipients are returning scholarship awardees continuing their education in healthcare.
The scholarship honors the legacy of Ethel Aanwoogeex’ Lund, a visionary leader, advocate, and founding force behind both SEARHC and the Healing Hand Foundation. Her work helped expand access to healthcare across the region, and her belief in culturally grounded, community-centered care remains deeply woven into our work and the work of many other organizations.
This year’s scholarship recipients are:
- Nevaeh Alexander
- Miley Andrews
- Riley Bernhardt
- Carlynn Casperson
- Chloe Casperson
- Michael Cesar
- Mamie Crookes
- Isabella Davidson
- Richard Didrickson, Jr
- Evangelina Estes
- Gloria Eyon
- Asha Foruria
- Tellisha Frankhouser
- Jillian Jackson
- Jean-Luc Lewis
- Ainsley Mallott
- Reonna Maloney
- Marina Marley
- Dannan Mills
- Nilsen Nelson
- Noah Pawuk
- Faith Ramey
- Stefano Rivera
- Erin Seagren
- Olivia Skan
- Delainey Steffes
- Aubrey Wynne
About the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarships
The Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare Scholarship program awards competitive scholarships to Alaska Native and American Indian students from Southeast Alaska interested in pursuing healthcare fields. Awarded scholarships can be used to pay for tuition, travel, books, living expenses, or other education related fees. In 2026, the program will award $25,000 in scholarships.
This scholarship honors the legacy of Ethel Aanwoogeex’ Lund, who was known by many as the Godmother of Tribal Health. Growing up in Wrangell, Alaska, she saw how poor health care affected Alaska Native people throughout Southeast Alaska. She helped to form the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC); and in 2001, she was also one of the founding members of the Healing Hand Foundation. Ethel Lund believed that building healthy families requires the integration of cultural practices, traditional medicines, and foods. Ms. Lund was the President Emeritus of SEARHC and The Healing Hand Foundation.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements to apply:
- Alaska Native and/or American Indian
- Permanent Alaska resident with ties to Southeast Alaska
- Pursuing a health care-related career
- Current enrollment or acceptance in an institute of higher learning
- In pursuit of an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D., or M.D. degree
How to Apply
Applications for the 2026 scholarship awards closed on April 6th. Please check back for future updates.
To be considered, applicants must submit as part of their application:
- Contact information for two non-familial references,
- Most recent high school or college transcript,
- Letter of acceptance or proof of current enrollment, and
To learn more about the HHF scholarship program, please review the Ethel Lund Visionaries in Healthcare scholarship guidelines.
For questions about scholarships or the application process, please contact the Healing Hand Foundation at HealingHand@searhc.org