As a mother nothing is as important to me as providing a loving home and helping create a future for her to grow up in. It has become such a mission that I quit my career of 9 years to be the first generation to go to college and educate myself on how I can influence change for the better. A difference that might seem small to a handful of people but holds an extraordinarily strong impact. When I was born, I got the luck of the draw where my childhood background was nothing but abuse, dark memories and was a complete roller coaster growing up. While these memories might have been a terror in those moments, I find myself with more compassion and understanding because of my upbringing. I took those dark memories and allowed them to make me stronger rather than weaker as I became a teenager and into my early adult years. As I allowed passion to fuel a better life for myself, I completed high school a year early and immediately stepped into a comfortable career to build off. I started my career in Juneau, Alaska and worked for the State of Alaska in administration. An important job but was never a career that felt I was helping make a change in society. In 2021 my husband got offered a promotion in another city with higher pay, I took my chance and quit my job. Knowing our family’s income would drop dramatically due to leaving my state job, we set a budget and got rid of services we did not need. We knew this would be a temporary thing, but I still beamed with excitement that I could restart my life and chase my dream career as an early childhood educator. I knew such a risk was going to come at a great price, but my husband and I saw this as an opportunity and adapted to the situation. I took a job as a preschool teacher knowing I needed to gain experience while in school. I then enrolled at the University of Anchorage Alaska and started my associate and bachelor’s degree in early childhood development and education. Two years into my degrees I have learned so much about children and have become a better parent and person. Because of my experience, I have made it my goal to change and inspire the next generation to become cultivated leaders with an understanding of moral autonomy. This is how I found the best way to create a better future for my daughter, was to help create future educators and leaders. When I am not busy with college or working, I am working with a program called Munartet and building my skills and knowledge about teaching through arts and culture which is a personal goal of mine. Teaching through the arts and culture is a method to promote self-expression, social skills, and values. Most importantly, it keeps local culture alive. Through my experiences in life and my continuing education, my goal is to provide a safe space for children in the early years of childhood. I plan to become a director where I can make the most change in an early childhood development center at the local Coast Guard base in Kodiak. This scholarship will assist in my journey toward my dream career. The first in my family to reach that next level of education and invest in the next generation.

As a mother nothing is as important to me as providing a loving home and helping create a future for her to grow up in. It has become such a mission that I quit my career of 9 years to be the first generation to go to college and educate myself on how I can influence change for the better. A difference that might seem small to a handful of people but holds an extraordinarily strong impact. When I was born, I got the luck of the draw where my childhood background was nothing but abuse, dark memories and was a complete roller coaster growing up. While these memories might have been a terror in those moments, I find myself with more compassion and understanding because of my upbringing. I took those dark memories and allowed them to make me stronger rather than weaker as I became a teenager and into my early adult years. As I allowed passion to fuel a better life for myself, I completed high school a year early and immediately stepped into a comfortable career to build off. I started my career in Juneau, Alaska and worked for the State of Alaska in administration. An important job but was never a career that felt I was helping make a change in society. In 2021 my husband got offered a promotion in another city with higher pay, I took my chance and quit my job. Knowing our family’s income would drop dramatically due to leaving my state job, we set a budget and got rid of services we did not need. We knew this would be a temporary thing, but I still beamed with excitement that I could restart my life and chase my dream career as an early childhood educator. I knew such a risk was going to come at a great price, but my husband and I saw this as an opportunity and adapted to the situation. I took a job as a preschool teacher knowing I needed to gain experience while in school. I then enrolled at the University of Anchorage Alaska and started my associate and bachelor’s degree in early childhood development and education. Two years into my degrees I have learned so much about children and have become a better parent and person. Because of my experience, I have made it my goal to change and inspire the next generation to become cultivated leaders with an understanding of moral autonomy. This is how I found the best way to create a better future for my daughter, was to help create future educators and leaders. When I am not busy with college or working, I am working with a program called Munartet and building my skills and knowledge about teaching through arts and culture which is a personal goal of mine. Teaching through the arts and culture is a method to promote self-expression, social skills, and values. Most importantly, it keeps local culture alive. Through my experiences in life and my continuing education, my goal is to provide a safe space for children in the early years of childhood. I plan to become a director where I can make the most change in an early childhood development center at the local Coast Guard base in Kodiak. This scholarship will assist in my journey toward my dream career. The first in my family to reach that next level of education and invest in the next generation.

Living off the land through subsistence harvesting in Alaska with my husband changed my life. Having such a rich opportunity to live more off the land allowed my family to regain stability during our turbulent time in life. When our household income dropped dramatically due to leaving my State of Alaska job of eight years, it was then that I could restart my life and chase my lifelong dream as an early childcare development educator. I knew such a risk was going to come at a great price, but my husband and I saw this and adapted to the situation, using this as an opportunity. This was the opportunity to learn the ways of Alutiiq harvesting and the different plants. This ability to be able to provide food all year long has cut down the cost of stress. Having a life that’s been a rollercoaster from the beginning is an understatement. From dark memories of family to an unstable mother having us sleep on playground equipment, my name is Saphfire Untalasco, and this is my story. Born in California, my mother jumped from one living situation to another. At one point, she couldn’t put her stubbornness aside for her four kids’ well-being. This situation escalated to the point where we needed to sleep outside on a playground. We took a ferry to Alaska and ended up in Juneau when I was seven years old. My mother never changed her habits to the point where I had to watch my three other siblings around the clock. She even enrolled me into homeschooling, as a more convenient way to be able to watch my brother and sisters. This pattern continued until I was able to move back to California and lived with my aunt before my sophomore year. I graduated from high school a year early and eventually reconnected with a boy I had a crush on in high school, now my husband of 10 years. While Kodiak is my current home, Juneau Alaska was where I spent most of my life growing up. Kodiak has been my home for the past 3 years, where I’ve been able to share memories created through my love for photography and my husband. The memories enhanced with my daughter of eight years, berry picking, camping, nature walks, and hiking. The sense of community since I moved here has been such a comforting experience to watch my daughter grow up in. That feeling where it's a slower pace and people stop for several long minutes to talk with one another in the grocery store. It was an odd feeling at first, walking down the street and random people in cars waving, something that I didn’t think about when I was living in California or even in Juneau. To better oneself is to be self-aware that something could be improved, and nothing is ever perfect. Through my experiences in life, my goal is to change and inspire the next generation to cultivate leaders. This scholarship will assist in my journey towards becoming the first in my family to reach that next level, investing in the next generation.