FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fairbanks, Alaska - Alaskan high school students from Point Hope to Metlakatla will travel to the Golden Heart City on May 29 to attend this summer's Rural Alaska Honors Institute, a six-week intensive college preparatory program that bridges village life and academic careers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Fifty-one juniors and seniors from over 40 different villages and towns will enroll in university-level courses in English, mathematics, chemistry, business administration, Alaska Native studies as well as electives in computers, study skills, Alaska Native dance and swimming. The students, most of whom are Alaska Native, were chosen to attend RAHI from 90 applicants statewide. Students must have a 3.0 grade point average and must plan to pursue a college degree in order to participate.

Students receive full UAF credit for successfully completing classes, averaging eight or nine college credits earned during the summer program. While at UAF, students will live in residence halls as they get a headstart on their collegiate careers and begin the sometimes difficult transition from a village to city environment.

"The leap from the village to the university is very tough for most students who live in remote communities," said Jim Kowalsky, RAHI program director. "This is an early opportunity for students to make this difficult transition. Expectations are high but individual help and encouragement are everywhere."

Academic achievement is a major RAHI objective, but Kowalsky said that building a tight and mutually supportive community of peers is also extremely important to the program's overall goal of increasing the opportunity for college success.

"We work very hard on the academic and the community-building parts of what we do here," Kowalsky said. "Students are encouraged to value and to share the various Alaska Native cultural backgrounds that they represent here and also to be generous in helping each other make it through."

The RAHI program began in 1983 through the support of the Alaska Federation of Natives, and for the 17th year is being sponsored by UAF's College of Liberal Arts Alaska Native Studies Department.

For more information, contact Jim Kowalsky or Denise Wartes at

1-800-478-6886 or 907-474-6886, or on the internet at: http://www.uaf.edu/rahi

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Attached is the list of scholars selected for the RAHI program.

UAF NEWS RELEASES AVAILABLE ELECTRONICALLY AT:

http://www.uaf.edu/univrel/media/

JCS/5-13-99/99-075

1. Nathan Andrew– Pilot Station

2 Loretta Andy– Newtok

3. A'jaquedder Apatiki– Gambell

4. Yodean Armour– Klawock

5. Sonya Ash– Nanwalek

6. Carlye Ashby– Metlakatla

7. Candice Auliye– Unalakleet

8. Marganna Avugiak– Chefornak

9. Marcus Avugiak– Chefornak

10. Johanna Bauman– Fairbanks

11. Michelle Bavilla– Togiak

12. Deanna Beans– Mountain Village

13. Jeremiah Brower– Haines

14. Lolene Buck– White Mountain

15. Richard Busch– Sitka/Homer

16. Paul Crane II– Emmonak

17. Sheldon Dock– Kipnuk

18. Crystal Duncan– Sitka

19. Andrea Durny– Nulato

20. Rose Fitka– Marshall

21. Freeda Gibson– Minto

22. Theodore Golden– Stony River

23. Michael Gust– New Stuyahok

24. Jeremy Gustafson– Ruby

25. Eva Harvey – Noorvik

26. Tiffiney Hill– Metlakatla

27. Barbara Hlavacek– Haines

28. Jared James– Yakutat

29. Shelley Johnson– Unalakleet

30. Melanie Johnson– Bethel

31. Crystal Johnson– Unalakleet

32. Seralee Kairaiuak– Kwigillingok

33. Oscar Kapatak– Koliganek

34. Kristian Kasayulie– Akiachak

35. Ben Lane– Point Hope

36. Robert Lohse– Kenny Lake

37. Melinda Moto– Deering

38. Kendra Nanalook– Togiak

39. Elena Pleasant– Bethel

40. P. Paul Pletnikoff– Dillingham

41. Denise Riley– Napaskiak

42. Minerva Ryan– Metlakatla

43. Brandon Saito– Kotzebue

44. Melody Shangin– Anchorage

45. Blassie Shoogukwruk– White Mountain

46. Stacey Stasenko– Shishmaref

47. Angela Totemoff– Tatitlek

48. Jason Valley– Metlakatla

49. Tonya Vanderpool– McGrath/Northway

50. Herschel Warner Jr.– Yakutat

51. Randall Yates– Ketchikan

1. Norman George– Akiachak

2. Robert Wonhola– New Stuyahok