BSNC is proud to announce Aapiaq Cheryl Ongtowasruk as the 2026 recipient of the Beringia Settlement Trust Tim Towarak Memorial Scholarship. The $10,000 competitive, merit-based scholarship is awarded annually to one high-achieving student enrolled at an accredited college or university. It honors the late Tim Towarak and his tireless advocacy for Alaska Native people.
Aapiaq is the daughter of Gerri and the late Ron Ongtowasruk. Her maternal grandparents are the late Vivien (Oxereok) and James Olin, and her paternal grandparents are Arlene Soxie and the late Patrick Ongtowasruk. She grew up in Wales before moving to Nome at age 12. Aapiaq credits her parents’ encouragement with giving her the confidence to pursue new opportunities and continue forward in academic spaces where she sometimes questioned whether she belonged.
After attending Mt. Edgecumbe High School, Aapiaq earned a bachelor’s degree in K–12 art education and a master’s degree in education with an emphasis in teacher leadership from Fort Lewis College. She is now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership for social justice at Loyola Marymount University and expects to graduate in May 2027.
Aapiaq works as a curriculum specialist for the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, developing educational materials grounded in community, culture, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Her doctoral research examines the knowledge and skills shared through traditional practices and arts and the role of intergenerational learning in supporting Indigenous youth.
Aapiaq lives in Anchorage with her husband, Kenneth “PhrAustie” Hughes IV, and stepdaughter, Nova. Watching Nova grow has deepened Aapiaq’s commitment to understanding how knowledge shared across generations can strengthen Indigenous youth, families, and communities.
For more information about BSNC’s scholarships, go to: beringstraits.com/scholarship