My name is Samantha Mack. I am a Unangax Rhodes Scholar from King Cove. Since 2012, I have been a part of the University of Alaska Anchorage community as a student, an instructor, an employee and a student leader. UAA has changed my life in ways that a younger me would almost certainly refuse to believe.
In 2017, I had the immense privilege of being elected as the first Rhodes Scholar to ever come from the University of Alaska system. My success is the direct result of the efforts of UAA’s world-class educators and their devotion to student success -- these are talented and passionate educators that we are absolutely privileged to have access to.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s 41% reduction in our university’s state support would mean certain disaster for the UA system -- the loss of far too many professors, administrators, faculty, programs, scholarships, facilities and students alike would threaten the future of not just our students, but our entire state, for decades to come.
How can legislators who purport to serve Alaskans knowingly threaten the future of our state? Is this truly how they want to be remembered?We must protect our future. We must restore the funding cut by Gov. Dunleavy’s vetoes.
Samantha Mack
Anchorage
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