“You gave me the stability, the love, and the belief that I could make it.” One senior reflects on his journey through foster care

Knik Charter School students, families, faculty, and community gathered in the Glenn Massay Theater on May 15 to celebrate the Class of 2025 graduating seniors. It is only the third graduation for the K-12 school that opened in 2022.

There may have been only four grads on the stage, but this graduation was a celebration brought about by the community as the kindergarten students recited the Knik Tribe values, and then were joined onstage with first grade students to perform “Morning Song.” The fourth grade class also took to the stage to perform “The Chore Song.”

“This year has been one of discoveries, challenges, and triumphs,” said Knik Charter School (KCS) principal Tyler Gilligan. “I am so proud of everything you have accomplished.” He told the graduates that he watched as they grew in confidence, developed skills, and explored new talents to shape futures that have yet to be written.

“These (graduates) are going to aim high,” said Richard Porter, Chief Executive Officer of the Knik Tribe, telling the audience that three of the graduates will be pursuing paths in engineering, while the fourth will be studying nursing. Porter then reflected on his own path that began with a desire to be a commercial fisherman before a series of decisions, one in particular to continue his education, led him to ultimately become the CEO of the tribe. “Don’t listen to anybody when it comes to deciding your future. You determine that yourself.”

“This is the first day of the next phase of your life. There will be many more to come,” said Alfred Tellman, President of the Knik Tribal Council, who also offered a bit of unconventional advice to the seniors if they find themselves at a crossroads, unsure of what to do. “Watch a bit of YouTube.” He said that they might be surprised at what they find, things they never of thought of that could make them laugh, shake things up, or just add something different. “Have some fun.”

When it came time for the Valedictorians to give their speeches, Savannah Kalis kicked things off, reminding the audience of everything they survived, including group projects where only one student did the work, forgotten quizzes, and wintertime fire drills. “If I can survive four years of high school without throwing my Chromebook out the window or setting my backpack on fire, I can get through anything,” she said with a laugh.

It was then time for Knik Correspondence School Valedictorian Timothy Dyer to deliver his speech. And as he took to the podium, he started his speech much like anyone else, thanking God for creating a way forward when perhaps there should not be one, the teachers who helped him and showed patience with him, especially his math teachers, and his older siblings for helping him in school, and perhaps more importantly, “for all the Red Bull. I wouldn’t be here without Red Bull.”

He also thanked his parents, David and Dahlia, as well as his mother Gabriella “You guys helped me through every high and every low. You guys helped me find out who I am and who I’m going to be. I love you guys beyond what words can say.”

Then the soft spoken young man opened up on his journey through the foster care system, one that began when he was six years old and has a happy ending.

He recalled excitedly preparing for his second grade field trip to the Seward Sealife Center to hang out with his friends and see the sea lions. “I was so excited. I had my permission slip signed, my coat ready,” he said. “But then right before the trip, I suddenly disappeared from that school. It wasn’t because I was on a vacation with the family. It wasn’t because I was sick. I was taken out of the school and placed in a new home with a new family, in a new town, in a new school. One where I didn’t know anyone. We definitely weren’t going to the Sealife Center.” He said he didn’t understand why he couldn’t go back to his school, see his friends, and couldn’t be with his parents.

He told the audience he spent the next four years moving from home to home, school to school, never knowing how long he’d be somewhere, living in a world of constant change. He recognized that his life was different from his peers, “Some of them had things I didn’t-a head start, a stable home, a safe place to sleep.”

Dyer said that when he was ten, he was adopted. “My parents, Dahlia and David, welcomed me into their home, and changed my life,” he said.

He also thanked his mother. “You never gave up trying. She fought for me, she made hard choices because she always wanted what was best for me,” he said, choking back emotions.

“The three of you helped redirect a life that was off course. You gave me the stability, the love, and the belief that I could make it.”

Dyer spoke of education as a gift, and that while it’s not always a fair or equal one, as some kids are born with a safety net, while others are simply trying to make it class while dealing with things no one sees.

He said that only about half the youth raised in foster care finish high school, then turned to address others in the room and beyond that were like him, also the foster care system, moving around frequently, or that may not have two parents at home, or parents at all. “I want to speak to the students who don’t have equal opportunities, who struggle to keep up, who feel like they can’t keep going, who are fighting a battle others can’t see…I’ve been there, I know what it’s like,” he said.

“But I want you to know something-you can do it too. You’re not alone. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep going. Point your eyes forward and don’t ever give up. Because no matter where you start, where you finish is up to you.”