Valley students nominated for Spirit awards

Students from Palmer were recently announced as finalists in three categories for the 2003 Spirit of Youth awards, which are given out on March 13 in Anchorage.

The finalists were selected by the Spirit of Youth Teen Action Council, from 159 nominations from around the state.

The finalists from the Valley are Brittany Heck, Codie Walker and the Alaska Mastas.

"This is the first year we have had three finalists from the Valley," said Cher Easly, the executive director of the Spirit of Youth Foundation. "Obviously, we have a bunch of kids out here doing a lot of great things."

Heck was chosen after organizing bone marrow donor drives among minorities. Walker has faced challenged while taking care of his siblings and mother when no one else could, and the Alaska Mastas produced their own CD about what it is like growing up in Alaska, because they were disgusted with the image of mainstream rap artists.

People can nominate students that make a difference in the community by visiting the Web site www.spiritofyouth.org. Nominations for the 2004 awards are being accepted.

Several students from the Valley were nominated this year, but only three were chosen as finalists. Another Valley nominee was Katelyn Baldwin, who wrote a series for the Frontiersman about her travels in Africa.