Scholarship Winner | Katherine Hostetler

Each semester, Jet sponsors the Future Business Leaders Scholarship in an effort to help one college student with some of their education cost. Congratulations to Katherine Hostetler, who has been selected as the recipient of the Spring 2024 award.

Katherine is attending Western Governors University for her Master's in Business Administration. She is expected to graduate in 2025.

Katherine was asked what advice she can give to current/future college students, and her response was as follows:

"Our world is changing- every second of every day. The future depends on the engagement and courage of the next generation- to see these transformations as opportunities and to lead the charge in positively navigating them.  As educated citizens, we are destined to take those reins- to be the pillars of our communities and creators of possibility. I would encourage each of you to see your environment as one of infinite potential and find courage in yourselves to lead. Find ways to move the needle in your sphere- however slightly- and you will find that the impact you leave behind is far greater than you could have imagined.  You have the power- the future is up to you!"

Prompt

Describe a specific project or initiative you would like to undertake in your early career to contribute positively to society or address a pressing issue.

Katherine's Essay

My home state of Alaska is currently ranked first in the nation for youth suicide. We also tout some of the highest rates of youth addiction- yet, we do not have mental health or substance recovery facilities available to our youth. Many families are driven to facilities in the contiguous United States to find help- sometimes thousands of miles away. This issue is only becoming more prevalent, as heroine, methamphetamine and especially fentanyl usage and exposure becomes more common- even in elementary age children. I am an active board member of VOA Alaska, a non-profit dedicated to ending suffering for Alaskan Youth through mental health and addiction programming. They are currently the only facility offering youth rehabilitation for addiction in our state. Since 2021, the organization has seen a 200% increase in demand for their services. They are simply unable to keep up with demand- powerless as they watch their waitlist grow. Following my graduation, I plan to leverage my business acumen toward solutions for youth mental health and recovery facilities in Alaska. Together with organizations like VOA Alaska, I hope to create long-standing solutions, including the development of a mental health campus, as well as outreach programming through partnerships with the Anchorage School District and the Alaska Association of School Boards. I am hopeful that a new facility will lead to more effective access to care for rural Alaskans, who currently are left nearly without resources at all. I believe that, together with health organizations like the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, our community has the opportunity to create an entirely new narrative around mental health and addiction- especially as it pertains to aiding and protecting our youth. I am confident that my continued education will aid in my efforts toward these goals. With a better understanding of business models, as well as some schooling in negotiation and finance, I feel as though I will be more prepared to tackle projects like the ones I’ve described. I am looking forward to making change in our Great Land.