Seawolf Voices

According to a report from Handshake, 57% of college students are pessimistic about their career prospects, citing high competition, job security and unideal compensation and benefits. Similarly, a study by the Pew Research Center states that 52% of current workers are worried about AI's impact on the workplace.

Helping us navigate the job market and hiring process is Alexis Rasley. Alexis is the employer relations and workforce development manager at UAA Career Services, where she helps connect students and alumni to employers via workforce development, job shadowing and internship opportunities. She is also a graduate herself, having earned her bachelor's in hospitality and restaurant management in 2016.

In this episode, Alexis talks about how to stand out from other applicants, describes the biggest mistake people make during the hiring process, and explains the value of going wherever the journey takes you.

According to WalletHub, 47% of United States adults grade their financial literacy a C or below, while 46% of college students feel that school has not adequately prepared them for financial independence.

Offering a crash course on personal finance and financial literacy is Dave Valdez. Dave is the chief strategy officer at Alaska Wealth Advisors, which recently surpassed $1 billion in managed assets. Dave has a bachelor's degree in finance from Seattle University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from UAA. In addition, Dave holds the Chartered Financial Consultant and Certified Wealth Strategist designations, as well as a Series 66.

In this episode, Dave talks about ways to save money that anyone can do, stresses the power of compound interest, and explains how much that monthly subscription you forgot about but still pay for is really costing you.

This material reflects the author's opinion, is not intended to be investment, tax or legal advice, and is provided for illustrative purposes only. Alaska Wealth Advisors is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Alaska Wealth Advisors' investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2 and/or Form CRS, which is available upon request.

Finish high school, go to college, get a job. That used to be the pathway to professional success, but there may be an added fourth step: attending graduate school.

According to a report by Encoura, 94% of graduate students are pursuing their degrees for reasons related to career advancement. Additionally, a paper by the Economic Journal found that employers view workers with graduate degrees to be 30% more qualified than those without.

Sharing her experience and expertise on the subject is Tiffany Creed. Born and raised in Alaska, Tiffany earned her Bachelor of Arts in film from Portland State University in 2013, followed by her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and literary arts from UAA in 2018. Today, Tiffany is the communications specialist for the UAA Graduate School where she manages outreach to those thinking about pursuing a graduate education.

In this episode, Tiffany talks about the many outcomes of a graduate degree, the real-world applicability of an interdisciplinary studies curriculum, and why you should never disqualify yourself from an opportunity.

When you ask someone to picture Alaska, one of the most iconic images that is sure to pop up is dog mushing, which is a topic Robert Forto knows all about.

Robert currently teaches a course on dog mushing at UAA, has trained hundreds of sled dogs professionally since 1994, and has since built a podcasting and speaking business focused on dog mushing and its relationship to strategic leadership.

He is also a UAA alum, graduating with his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. Afterward, he earned his Master of Science in Sports Management and a Doctorate of Strategic Leadership from Liberty University.

In this episode, Robert talks about why everyone should try dog mushing at least once, what training sled dogs can teach us about managing people and businesses and shares his own aspirations for racing in the Iditarod.

Anyone can put on a coat, hat and beard and call themselves Santa Claus. But few embody the spirit of Father Christmas as perfectly as professional piloting alumnus Dan Bale. An Alaska bush pilot who has logged more than 20,000 flight hours over the course of his 50-year career, during the winter, he is more affectionately known as Santa Dan.

Now in his 17th year, Santa Dan is available for photos with kids (and even dogs) at the Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

In this episode, Dan talks about his childhood watching planes take off from the New Orleans airport runway, why you need a strong poker face when playing with children, and recounts a lovely Christmas story that perfectly encapsulates his roles as a pilot and as Santa.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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November is American Indian Alaska Native Heritage Month, and in a bit of serendipitous timing, this month is also when business alumnus Jason Hotch, a first-generation university graduate from the Southeast Alaska village of Klukwan, stepped into his new position as director of Native Student Services at UAA.

In this episode, Jason talks about transitioning from working in business to education, resisting the need to rush things unless you absolutely want to, and making education more equitable for everyone.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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Mana in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, translates to inheritance. It is also the title of an exhibit on display in the Anchorage Museum from October 2023, in time for Filipino American History Month, until January 2024. The collection serves as an archive of portraits and stories of Filipino immigrant elders from communities across Alaska.

In this episode, journalism and public communications alumni Shayne Nuesca, Mana cofounder, and Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, Mana cowriter, talk about the origins of the project, the surprising benefits of talking to strangers, and the importance of preserving our histories.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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After a record-breaking season for Seawolf volleyball, English alumna, former student-athlete and longtime assistant coach Stacie Meisner closed the year with a promotion to head coach. The seventh head coach in program history, Stacie took the reins over from Chris Green, who she played for as early as high school in Nebraska.

In this episode, Stacie talks about stepping into the shoes of her mentor, some of her favorite matches as an athlete and as a coach, and how her coaching philosophy builds better people out of players.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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Every year, millions of people crowd movie theaters around the world to watch the latest blockbusters starring beloved characters from Marvel and DC Comics. But journalism and public communications alumnus D.K. Johnston is one of the lucky few who get to watch them from behind the camera as they're being made.

After picking up a camcorder at 9 years old, D.K. has racked up dozens of production credits across Alaska, California and Georgia. He's worked on everything from low-budget independent films, to Netflix reality shows, and multimillion-dollar Marvel content like Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Most recently, he served as additional second assistant director on the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods for DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.

In this episode, D.K. talks about his move to Hollywood, his advice for breaking into the movie industry, and the early days of Anchorage's underground independent filmmaking scene.

Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.

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Marsha Schirack-Olson and Solveig Pedersen love love. In fact, that statement is one of the first things you'll see on the website for P.S. Consulting, their dating and relationship consulting business.

When they're not helping people navigate the dating and relationship landscape, they're helping students navigate the higher education landscape as communications professors at UAA.

In this episode, Marsha and Solveig talk about their favorite relationship advice to give, what makes for an effective online dating profile, and how everything in life boils down to solid communication.

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