Jessica Uyanguaq Glore, Leader From the Region

Shareholder Attaining Her Degree While Supporting the Region

Storyknife, January/February 2024 edition

Jessica Uyanguaq Glore, Calista Shareholder

Jessica Uyanguaq (Friend) Glore, a Calista Shareholder originally from Kwigillingok, is advancing her education while supporting Alaska students as they achieve their own goals.

Glore is the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Kuskokwim Campus Student Services Manager in Bethel. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Rural Development from UAF.

The Kuskokwim Campus is located in Bethel, but its outreach and support covers six school districts and 53 schools. Glore’s goal is to help students reach their goals and to bring knowledge back to their own communities.

“Some students go to school for a certain degree, then they go home and don’t have a job,” Glore says. “My main goal is to help them understand the opportunities they have in their communities for a career.”

In addition to gaining your education—whether it’s training or college—Glore says it’s important to uphold your culture. Glore’s favorite subsistence activity is berry-picking. “Having cultural balance in your life helps you stay connected and be successful in life,” Glore says.

Additionally, Glore says it’s easy for people from outside the Y-K Region to be immersed in the culture and find a connection to the Y-K Region.

“A lot of Yup’ik and Cup’ik people are open to sharing their culture through food, beading, yuraq [dancing], or even while volunteering in the community,” Glore says.

Glore also appreciates her family for providing support while going for her degree and says it’s an important factor in attaining your education goals. Glore says her kids, husband and family all play a part in making everything work.

“Although I work full-time, the Calista scholarship is still important. It helps cover tuition, books and fees. I can use my income on the things that come with the costs of living.”

Jessica Uyanguaq Glore, Calista Shareholder

“Some students may feel like they can’t do everything—school, work and a home life,” Glore says. “There has to be a wellbalanced support system in place, and that’s what I have.”

Glore looks back at her first part of her educational journey while attaining her bachelor’s degree. Being a full-time student didn’t leave much time to work, and the scholarship helped fill some of the gaps, she says.

Glore worked during the summers and for a small part of the school year, but it would have been more of a burden if she didn’t have scholarships like the one provided to Calista Shareholders and Descendants through Calista Education and Culture, Inc. (CECI).

Not only does the CECI scholarship cover traditional full-time college, it also covers qualified students in part-time and fulltime vocational, undergraduate and post-graduate programs.

“Having support from my corporation through the [CECI] scholarship definitely helped,” Glore says. “Although I work full-time, the Calista scholarship is still important. It helps cover tuition, books and fees. I can use my income on the things that come with the costs of living.”

The mission of Calista Education & Culture, Inc. (CECI) is to celebrate and promote Yuuyaraq, the traditional/cultural way of being in the Calista Region which inspires and encourages our people to achieve their dreams through education.

The CECI scholarship program awards scholarships two times each year. The application deadline for the Fall 2024 Term scholarship is June 30, and the Spring Term scholarship application is due December 1 each year. Apply today!