Published: September 2025
For many high school students in rural Alaska, college may seem like a faraway dream—quite literally. In the remote Lower Kuskokwim region of Western Alaska, students are lucky to have Brenda Carmichael in Bethel, guiding them as they explore life after high school and navigate their higher education goals.
Brenda comes from a proud family of educators—and union members—in rural Alaska, and she carries that legacy forward with passion. As the College and Career Readiness Coordinator, she is dedicated to showing her students from villages across the region the opportunities and experiences that exist in the “big city.”
Her students visit college campuses in Anchorage and Fairbanks, where they learn how to navigate the bus system, dorm life, and aspects of city living. Brenda works to ease the anxieties of students who may have never left their small, close-knit villages, playing an integral role in setting them up for success.
As a lifelong resident of Western Alaska growing up in Napaskiak, where she eventually became mayor before moving to Bethel, Brenda has seen firsthand the impacts of state underfunding of education in rural Alaska. Positions are being cut, schools are deferring critical maintenance, and students are feeling the consequences. As a rural educator, Brenda understands the power of union membership – whether it’s advocating for funding to protect her very own position or leaning on the union to ensure she knows her rights.
"The recent BSA increase is not going to be enough for the rural schools." - Brenda Carmichael
Brenda works diligently to ensure her students are given the tools and confidence they need to thrive beyond high school. Watching her students graduate and enroll in college is a source of deep pride, and she is eager to see the remarkable things they will accomplish!
