Serving as Miss Alaska has given me a unique kind of access. I get to spend time in the places where Alaska’s future is being shaped every day: our public schools. Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of listening to educators, students, school leaders, and families across our state. The more I see, the more I’m convinced of something simple: Alaska has strong schools because we have strong people. But many schools are working hard to meet rising needs while navigating uncertainty in resources and planning.
My Community Service Initiative as Miss Alaska is ECHO: Equity, Curriculum, Hope & Opportunity. In rural Thailand, my parents grew up in poverty and had to leave school early to survive. My mom had to drop out in the third grade, and my dad left school in middle school, both to work on a farm so their families could make it. Education wasn’t an option: it was a luxury they couldn’t afford. They worked hard, but hard work alone doesn’t always create opportunity when basic resources are out of reach. Continue reading ‘ECHO in Action: Miss Alaska Advocates for Education’ by Suparat Prasannet
