KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Two Kodiak residents will be honored tonight in Anchorage for their contributions to the Junior Achievement program, which works to develop financially literate youth. KMXT’s Jennifer Canfield has more.
Luke Fulp is the chief financial officer for the Kodiak Island Borough School District. He’s been named Junior Achievement of Alaska’s Volunteer of the Year. Fulp participated in the program as a student at Kodiak Middle School. He’s been an integral part of increasing the number of Junior Achievement programs in Kodiak from three to 40 and bringing it to all of the villages except for Karluk, in just two years. The course is usually taught over five days in the classroom. Fulp and a few other volunteers were able to get financial support to travel to the villages and teach the course in only one day. It was a lot of information for the students to take in all at once, but the effort was successful.
— (Junior 1 :27 "It was pretty exhausting for both the students and the volunteers but it was good information and it was a good experience for them and it’s definitely something we want to continue. Truthfully I think some of the recognition for Kodiak and myself with this award is that we did that here in Kodiak and that’s with the geographical disbursement of communities around the state, I think that’s the model that JA Alaska is trying to push."
Fulp says the program teaches students the value of hard work.
— (Junior 2 :32 "At the end of each program you hand them a certificate of achievement. It’s just building that whole success: you work hard, you achieve something. Through the program they put in a lot of effort and it’s a small token. When you hand that certificate of achievement to a student they get really excited. The whole process from start to finish is very rewarding. I think the kids love it and the volunteers have a lot of fun with it, too."
Fulp also wants to point out that the proliferation of Junior Achievement in Kodiak required more than just himself. He wants to share the honor with the program’s Kodiak Community Committee.
— (Junior 3 :16 "Moe Butler, Nicola Belisle, Frank Peterson, David Bradbury and Kathy Powers. It’s a group effort and there’s no way we could have achieved 40 programs with just one person doing it so I really want to thank them for going out, getting volunteers and making this program a success."
Koniag Incorporated President and CEO Will Anderson has been designated as Junior Achievement of Alaska’s Hall of Fame Laureate for 2012. He’s in good company. Past laureates have included Walter Hickel, Willie Hensley, Augie Hiebert and Senator Ted Stevens. Anderson says the program is especially valuable in Kodiak’s rural communities.
— (Junior 4 :25 "I think it’s particularly important for the young people in some of the more remote areas that it’s important to understand about business, how business works and the programs that junior achievement has do a great job of teaching that. It could potentially allow someone in a smaller community to go into business for themselves, I think those kind of skills are important."
Fulp and Anderson will be honored tonight in Anchorage at the Dena’ina Center.
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