It’s time for the next generation of Alaskans

It’s time for us.

The Aurora from my deck

Dear Friends,

I am 27 years old. Nearly all of those years were spent living here, in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

The last six have seen me ramp up my participation in the many swirling, formal or informal organizations that together make up our community: at first along the edges, and more recently near the very center.

This mess of groups set the norms, what few rules there are, and together they define our shared priorities.

I’ll tell you now what many of these groups lack: us. Younger people. They either don’t know how to reach or simply don’t want us.

I’m tired of talking with people who are old, bored, overwhelmingly white and wealthy, who mean well (or don’t), and are stuck in a world that’s no longer there. (Note: I respect and learn from many older leaders in my life. This is not about them). I’m tired of being the youngest person in the room, and of stretching across so many.

It’s time for the next generation of leaders in public service, in business, in organizations across our community to step up and step in.

Sometimes there are welcome mats. Often there aren’t. Sometimes we need to break down the door, or build our own house.

I look at Alaska and I see gaps and holes that we can fix. I see priorities that young people across our nation (like climate change, education, and mental health) hold dear being under-addressed.

Doesn’t it make you angry? Councils and clubs that don’t represent you, that make decisions that will impact you and your families for generations.

Please, participate. There are so many groups that can use your perspective. It is valuable. It can help shift our momentum towards a better future.

These groups don’t pay. Participation costs time, and it costs money. Young people, statistically especially those who aren’t heterosexual and white, struggle with finding either. I don’t have a solution for this… but we need to try.

I’m asking the many younger people I know who don’t participate yet: do. I’m not judging you. I know you to be resilient, intelligent, and capable. It’s time to stand up and take part.

If you’re looking for a starting place, Fireweed Collective (a statewide alliance of young Alaskans dedicated to building community, developing leaders, and activating our generation for a just and sustainable Alaska) is having a Fairbanks Young Alaskans Visioning Gathering tomorrow, Sunday, 27 November, 2022.

Lots of groups, Boards, councils, and other organizations are looking for leaders, too. If you’d like to be involved in just about anything going on in our community, just let me know. I’d be happy to help steer you towards a good fit.