31 Jan NYO Games Alaska Scholarship Now Open to Applications
2023 recipient Lydia Alverts shares how she used her scholarship—and encouraged other students to learn about the Games
The NYO Games Alaska Scholarship is now open for application! Two high school senior athletes—one male, one female—will be chosen to receive this year’s NYO Scholarships, which provide financial support to athletes pursuing higher education.
Last year’s female recipient, Lydia Alverts of Palmer, Alaska, used the her scholarship to attend the University of Montana, where she shared her love of NYO with fellow students who had never heard of traditional Alaska Native games.
During a field trip to an experimental forest, Lydia brought along an NYO sealskin ball. She demonstrated how to do events like the One- and Two-Foot High Kick, then delighted at seeing other students give it a try.
“It was really cool seeing people willing to not succeed immediately, but still be excited about it,” Lydia shared.
After attending school in Montana for a semester, Lydia moved back to her home state, transferring to the University of Alaska Anchorage, so she “could start being more involved in NYO, volunteering at the invitationals,” and be part of a college team like the one recently started at UAA.
“NYO is just a cool community of people and really encouraging,” she elaborated. “I value everyone’s time and I appreciate all the time they’ve put in; I want to put in that time [as a volunteer], too.”
While in Montana, Lydia shared an update with the NYO Scholarship committee via postcard, writing, “Thank you for making this possible for me, as I also pursue an education!”
Regarding the scholarship, she added, “I applied because I knew I was going out of state for college, and so that’s a lot more expensive. But the NYO Scholarship was also kind of a new thing, and I was excited about it. It’s a cool opportunity.”
You can apply for this cool opportunity, too: Any high school senior who actively participates with an NYO Games team and who plans to attend college or vocational school can apply for this scholarship. Applicants must submit a video or written statement on the theme “How NYO has impacted my life.”
The application deadline is April 12. Click here to learn more and to download the scholarship application.
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