Shareholder Spotlight: 2016 Doyon Summer Interns
Pictured back row, left to right: Johnny Stickman, external affairs intern, and Forrest Bauman, legal intern. Front row, left to right: Kayla Ridderbush, IT intern, Chanda Simon, finance intern, Krysten Walker, communications intern, Teresa Abbe, administrative and legal intern, and Chanel Simon, accounting intern.
Each year, the Doyon, Limited Family of Companies offers 12-week, paid internships to shareholders who are attending college and are in good standing. The Doyon internship program gives shareholders the opportunity to develop a better understanding of their Alaska Native corporation and build their resume and useful skills for future employment, all while aiding Doyon and the family of companies in their mission. Specifically, the program is designed to:
- Provide work experience pertaining to the students’ degrees
- Give an opportunity for future employment
- Open avenues for professional networking
- Build confidence and good work ethic
Successful interns were required to apply for their desired position through the Doyon Talent Bank and go through a job interview process. This year, seven interns were selected to work with Doyon, Limited in Fairbanks. Please welcome the following shareholders to their new summer positions at Doyon, Limited:
Forrest Bauman, Legal Intern
Forrest Bauman was raised in Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, and has ancestors from the Bering Straits region of Alaska. He is a recent graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a degree in petroleum engineering and will attend law school this fall at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Bauman hopes to work in a corporate legal department and felt that the Doyon internship would be a great place to gain relevant experience before heading off to law school.
Kayla Ridderbush, Information Technology Intern
Kayla Ridderbush, originally from Valdez, Alaska, is the daughter of Lucy Miller of Tanana, Alaska, and Randy Ridderbush of Kaiser, Oregon, and the granddaughter of Paul and Mary Starr of Tanana, Alaska, and Alfred Miller of Anvik, Alaska. She is currently pursuing an associate degree in information technology with a concentration in computer technology support and will graduate in the spring of 2017. Ridderbush plans to pursue a career in information technology and is excited to apply the skills she’s learned in the classroom to a new environment during her internship at Doyon.
Johnny Kaduck Stickman, Get Out the Native Vote Intern
Johnny Kaduck Stickman, from Nulato, Alaska, is the youngest son of Ellie Stickman and the grandson of the late Wally and Edna Stickman. He is a recent graduate of the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor’s degree in Alaska Native studies, and is working to become a freelance illustrator. Stickman has interned in the past with the National Science Foundation and First Alaskans Institute. During his Doyon internship this summer, Stickman is looking forward to combining his knowledge of Alaska Native corporations with his illustrating talent, while also learning more about the political process.
Krysten Walker, Communications Intern
Krysten Walker is the daughter of Robert and Dawn Walker, and the granddaughter of Virginia Sweetsir of Beaver/Fairbanks, Alaska, and the late David Sweetsir, Sr. of Ruby, Alaska. She is entering her senior year at Stanford University and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science, technology and society with a concentration in innovation, technology and organizations. Walker has interned previously at Alaska Airlines and holds a communications intern position at Stanford Law School during the academic year. She looks forward to learning more about Doyon, Limited and applying her skills in a new context.
Chanda Simon, Finance Intern
Chanda Simon, born in Bethel, Alaska, is the daughter of Christopher and Letha Simon, and the granddaughter of Lillian and the late Franklin Simon of Huslia, Alaska, and Sammy and Elsie Chimegalrea of Bethel, Alaska. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Alaska Anchorage and is also planning to pursue a Master of Business Administration. Simon is excited to learn more about Doyon, Limited and to gain more exposure to her field through this internship. She plans to pursue a career in finance and hopes to return to Doyon in the future.
Chanel Simon, Accounting Intern
Chanel Simon was born in Bethel, Alaska, and is the daughter of Letha Chimegalrea Simon of Bethel and Christopher Simon of Huslia, Alaska. She is the granddaughter of Elsie Chimegalrea of Napakiak, Alaska, and Sammy Chimegalrea of Qinaq, Alaska, and Lillian Simon of Allakaket, Alaska, and the late Franklin Simon of Huslia. She is entering her senior year at the University of Alaska Anchorage where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting and also plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration. Simon hopes to become an asset to her community by applying her academic knowledge and skills in her internship at Doyon, Limited and beyond.
Teresa Abbe, Administrative and Legal Intern
Teresa (Demientieff) Abbe, from Nenana, Alaska, is married to Ron Abbe, son of Janet Abbe of Fairbanks, Alaska. She is the daughter of Donna (Demientieff) Holleman and Joe Beck of Nenana, Alaska, and granddaughter of Mary C. Demientieff and Alphonse Demientieff of Nenana/Holy Cross, Alaska. After raising her six children, Abbe decided to make a change and is pursuing a degree in paralegal studies. This summer, she is pleased for the opportunity to get back into the workforce in an environment that makes her excited to go to work. She will spend the first part of the summer working on the Morris Thompson Memorial Golf Classic and will later move to the legal department.