Hard work, big goals drive former MSBSD student

A desire to give back to the community is motivation for 2021 Palmer High School grad Alexa McDonald.

McDonald graduated Dec. 13 from Montana State University with a degree in community health. She was able to parlay her 3.8 grade point average into a Mat-Su Health Foundation scholarship in April that will help fund her next chapter – an accelerated nursing program.

Once that is behind her, McDonald said she plans to return to Alaska, work as an inpatient nurse for a few years, then go back to school to become a nurse practitioner and fulfill her ultimate goal – opening a women’s health center in the Mat-Su.

“I want to use both my nursing and community health education to create a one-stop shop for women's health, from comprehensive sex education to mental health services,” she said. “I want to work toward strengthening and improving health-care quality and access for our community.”

McDonald’s road to higher education was not without obstacles, and school did not always come easy to her. She credits a PHS art teacher, Shelli Franckowiak, with smoothing her high school experience.

“I was inspired by her love for what she does and the effort she put into creating a safe place for her students,” McDonald said. “I spent almost every lunch in her classroom. I think that space was one of the only reasons I enjoyed school.”

Franckowiak, who teaches at Fronteras Charter School now, remembered McDonald as a bright and energetic student whose artwork consistently reflected themes of social justice, equality, and compassion for marginalized groups.

“Alexa’s deep care for others and her general curiosity to understand new things and experiences will serve her well in her chosen career,” she said. “I’m thrilled to hear she is the recipient of a scholarship from the Mat-Su Health Foundation.”

Personal experience was a big factor in McDonald’s pursuit of a career in health care. She said she knew from an early age that was the direction for her.

“My family has gone through some pretty significant losses and experienced first-hand how the quality of medical care depends on the provider,” McDonald said. “This knowledge inspired me to enter the field and become the health-care provider that I wish my family had.”

Perseverance paid off for her. McDonald had applied for a Health Foundation scholarship two years earlier, but was not awarded one. That changed after a few semesters of diligence and professional growth.

“The Health Foundation scholarship helped me not only financially but also it helped me recognize that my hard work was worth something,” she said. “It helped fuel me through the hard times of school, knowing that I am working toward the goal of providing care for a community that believes in and supports me.”

McDonald was one of 436 residents who shared in $2.6 million in Mat-Su Health Foundation scholarships in 2024. Since its inception in 2007, the Health Foundation has awarded more than $13.5 million to students pursuing careers in health and human services. Those scholarships are part of a larger mission of the Health Foundation to increase the health and human services workforce in the Mat-Su.

As part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, the Foundation has been investing its share of profits in community health and wellness through both its scholarship program and grants to area nonprofits. That investment totals more than $130 million to date.

The application period for 2025 scholarships opens on Jan. 15. Interested people can apply online at www.healthymatsu.org. “The health foundation needs to continue offering these scholarships because, unfortunately, being able to get a higher education is a privilege many people don’t have the finances for,” McDonald said. “This scholarship allows people the opportunity to enter a field that is so important and that should be filled by a diverse population of people.”