Sitnasuak Native Corporation (SNC) Shareholders, SNC Trust scholarship recipients, and siblings, Sean, and Kaelyn Schenkenberger, are true examples of how SNC’s benefits can help our Shareholders plan, pursue, and accomplish their goals. 

A Senior attending California Maritime Academy, Sean studies Maritime Transportation. He plans to graduate in May 2023 with his 3rd Mates License and a bachelor’s degree in Maritime Transportation. Sean aspires to utilize his education to get a career working on the bridge aboard maritime vessels. He has spent several summers gaining hands-on experience on vessels like the Il de Sein in the Bering Sea and Shell Oil’s Polar Pioneer Platform, where he worked for Global Precision Systems, a subsidiary of Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC), Fairweather LLC and Owl Ridge Natural Resource Consultants. Sean’s most recent experience was this summer on an Edison Choues vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. 

His sister Kaelyn is an Archaeologist and alum of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoā where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, double majoring in Anthropology and German. Kaelyn has worked on Archeology and cultural projects in Hawaiʻi, Alaska and Guam throughout her bachelors and post-undergraduate degree. Prior to pursuing her Masters of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), Kaelyn worked for International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc. While attending UAA, Kaelyn worked seasonal jobs in archaeology for the National Park Service, where she assisted with cultural resource and collections management. Her graduate focus and area of interest is community archaeology, bioarchaeology, and Alaska Native agency in research processes. Kaelyn strives to advocate for tribal and indigenous leadership and sovereignty in research projects, studies, and work. 

Sean and Kaelyn’s mother, Doreen Schenkenberger contributes their success in school to the support of Sitnasuak, BSNC, Nome Eskimo Community and other scholarship programs. “We’re very lucky in Alaska to have such great support for our kids to pursue their higher educations, we feel very fortunate,” said Doreen.