BSNC is pleased to announce Kastyn Lie of Nome as the 2022 awardee of the Beringia Settlement Trust (BST) Tim Towarak Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is a $10,000 merit-based competitive scholarship awarded annually to one high-performing student enrolled in an accredited college or university. The scholarship honors the late Tim Towarak, who worked tirelessly to advocate for Alaska Native people.
Lie is a senior at Stanford University where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Education. She plans to return to Nome to teach middle school English. Lie says tutoring in the school district has allowed her to see how much of an impact education can play in a child’s life and she wants to provide the students of Nome with all that she has learned. Lie also believes in the importance of having Alaska Native teachers in the classroom.
At Stanford, Lie is a fellow for the Ravenwood Reads tutoring program and a member of the club volleyball team. She also volunteers her time tutoring middle schoolers in the East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring program. She has served as an assistant coach to the Nome Beltz high school volleyball team and during the summer, Lie opened a home bakery where she provided freshly baked goods to the community of Nome. Lie is the daughter of Crystal and Erik Lie.
Candidates for the Tim Towarak Memorial Scholarship are professional career-track shareholder or descendant students with a passion for advocating for, or serving, Alaska Native people. Students do not apply separately for the scholarship. Preference for the scholarship award will be given to students who are Alaska residents. For more information, go to www.beringstraits.com/scholarship.