Nathaniel Betz
Hometown and high school: Bethel Regional High School (I graduated from high school at Joann A. Alexie Memorial School in Atmautluak. However, I have lived all over the place and would not say that I have a hometown.)
My Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Government and a Master’s degree in City & Regional Planning; College: Colby College, in central Maine and Ohio State University.
Personal Biography:
I was fortunate to have parents and other family members that helped expose me to a wide range of post-secondary options. In addition, they provided a lot of support when I began to extensively research college options in my sophomore year of high school. It wasn’t until I took a college visit during the first semester of my senior year though, that I decided where I wanted to go.
The college I attended had a wonderful program for incoming freshmen that sent us off into the Maine wilderness to trek around and get to know each other before starting school. Because of that, I was able to start college with a pre-established set of social connections that made the transition from Alaska to Maine a lot easier. As I settled into the campus, I increased my involvement by joining clubs, attending guest lectures, talking with professors outside of class, and going out of my way to meet new people.
I love Alaska. Especially the communities on the Lower Kuskokwim River Delta and the Bering Sea Coast. There are countless things to like about this area: so much so that I’d have trouble listing them all. But what I like the most is the tundra and the life it supports.