The Alaska Microgrid Group is pleased to announce our new partnership with the Alaska Fellows Program. AFP is a residential fellowship program,
"nurturing the next generation of Alaska-based leaders by pairing talented young people with strong communities and professional mentors."
This year, AMG was selected as one host organization for the program site in Fairbanks, Alaska and we are excited to host one fellow from September 2022 through May 2023.
The Alaska Fellows Program is focused on reversing the "brain drain" of young, educated minds out of Alaska and into the Lower 48. The program does this by recruiting both born-and-raised Alaskans and those out-of-state, connecting them with high-impact opportunities within four sites: Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, and Anchorage. Each fellow is placed with a non-profit or public-sector organization for the program, and they work closely with mentors and the local community.
The impact of the program is clear: 46% of AFP alumni stay in Alaska for at least a year after the program is over. Bringing in this new talent can be a boost for Alaska's workforce and its many challenges. Reciprocally, the fellows learn from their host organizations and communities to further their own careers and build hands-on skillsets.
Sarah Burch was selected by AMG as this year's Energy Fellow. Sarah hails from Long Island, New York and got her B.A. in International Affairs, with a concentration in Environmental Studies, from The George Washington University in D.C.. After graduating in the spring of 2022 she was looking forward to a new adventure, and the Alaska Fellows Program provided just what she was looking for.
Previously, Sarah was a research assistant at GWU studying cruise tourism in the Arctic. She is interested in combining what she has learned about Alaskan communities' views on tourism and applying them to her position here at AMG. She also wants to expand her knowledge on the energy world beyond what she learned in undergrad. She is hoping to incorporate her knowledge on human geography and the sociopolitical side of energy into her work this year. AMG looks forward to having Sarah on the team!
AMG's fellowship is made possible by funding from the Office of Naval Research.