Anchorage School District pairs high-school students with professional mentors; student produces radio feature

The Anchorage School District’s gifted mentorship program pairs high-school juniors and seniors with professionals in fields the students select, giving participants hands-on workplace experience and school credit, program coordinator Shannon Donley said on the ASD Shine Bright podcast.

“[W]e match them with a mentor in a field of their interest,” Shannon Donley, coordinator for the Anchorage School District gifted mentorship program, said, describing how admitted students shadow mentors, go to work with them and gain “real life experience.”

Annie Feight, an editor at Alaska Public Media who mentored student Sophia Downey this year, said she initially hesitated to volunteer but quickly found the placement rewarding. “I was like, this is the best thing ever,” Feight said, describing the satisfaction of working with a student in the newsroom and guiding edits and interviews.

Sophia Downey, a high-school senior who chose a journalism mentorship, described what she learned producing a radio feature: “I learned more in this mentorship than I have in some classes at school.” She told the podcast she found audio production—editing, gathering sound and using her own voice—both challenging and enjoyable.

Shannon Donley cited concrete outcomes for students: mentorships can lead to internships and job opportunities, students receive school credit, and mentors regularly open professional doors. She said one engineering mentorship led directly to a summer job, and after Sophia’s radio story aired, someone from the Anchorage Daily News contacted her about freelance work.

Feight said the internship structure at Alaska Public Media made it possible to bring a gifted-mentorship student into the newsroom; she and Sophia began with simpler assignments before tackling a full feature on the West High Orchestra. Feight described the mentor role as one of guidance—previewing questions, suggesting edits, and helping students find the best quotes—while leaving the reporting work to the student.

Program coordinator Shannon Donley said gifted mentorship covers many fields—engineering, medical, videography, dance and more—and that the district works to find mentors aligned with students’ interests. Students who participate receive school credit and are expected to submit assignments and meet regularly with mentors.

The podcast closed with a reminder that program details and application information are available at asdk12.org and a pledge to post links to Sophia’s stories and the Alaska Public Media coverage. Donley and Feight both encouraged other professionals to volunteer, noting mentors are usually unpaid and participate to give back and help students explore careers.

The program’s next steps were not discussed on the episode; interested students and mentors are directed to the district site for application deadlines and additional details.