Baniika Alaaq Slats, Leader from the Region
Shareholder Aims to Continue Education and Work in the Business Field
Storyknife, July/August 2024 edition
Baniika Alaaq Slats is a Shareholder from Chevak who recently graduated with goals to continue her education. She was the Administrative Assistant Intern at in Fairbanks this summer. This was Slats’ third year in Calista Corporation’s annual Summer Internship Program and she previously interned at Calista Brice in Human Resources and at Yulista Integrated Services as a Project Assistant.
Slats was also a scholarship recipient through Calista Education and Culture, Inc. (CECI), an Alaska Native nonprofit. She says the scholarship reminded her to apply for the internship, and combined they have helped with her professional and educational growth.
“The scholarship allowed me to focus more on my classes and not have to worry about payments,” Slats says. “The scholarship gave me more motivation to pass and graduate. It’s a source of motivation in itself.”
Slats graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in May. She wants to apply the skills and knowledge from her degree and prior internships to work for an Alaska Native corporation after this summer, and to pursue graduate school. Her parents were her inspiration to go for a business degree.
“My parents were a big influence on my education. I grew up watching them start and operate their business, and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world,” Slats says.
“The scholarship gave me more motivation to pass and graduate. It’s a source of motivation in itself.”
Baniika Alaaq Slats, Calista intern and scholarship recipient
Slats’ parents are Brenda and Gregory Slats Jr., and her grandparents are Elizabeth Noratak and Monica and Gregory Slats Sr.
Slats enjoys fishing and cutting fish. Although she’s been away from home, she still tries to do it as much as she could. She also enjoys berry picking.
“As you grow older, you’re going to notice a lot of issues within your community,” Slats says. “Getting an education and understanding the topic can allow you to make the changes you want to see in your community.”
(CECI) is an Alaska Native 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. CECI’s mission is to celebrate and promote Yuuyaraq, the traditional/cultural way of being in the Calista Region which inspires and encourages our people to achieve their dreams through education. CECI provides scholarships, conducts and publishes cultural preservation research, provides burial assistance, and holds culture camps that facilitate the sharing of traditional knowledge between our Elders and our youth.