"The program is designed to help Alaska Natives and other rural Alaskans prepare for and succeed in college," said Glen Seaman of Homer. As a contractor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seaman's job includes encouraging more Alaska Natives to pursue careers in science. "ANSEP is a natural program for us to collaborate and partner with. My role is to help build a bridge between ANSEP and the Kenai Peninsula communities, rural and on the road system."

Reflecting on ANSEP's success, Seaman said 75 percent of the students entering the program graduate from college.

While here, Gransbury and Bourdukofsky, engineers who are graduates of the program, worked with the students on AutoCAD, a powerful three-dimensional computer program used in design and engineer work, and GIS, a geographic information system that works with location-specific data. The two ANSEP representatives also worked with the students to build computers, which the students took back to their schools or homes for keeps by agreeing to complete three college preparatory courses to include either biology, chemistry, physics or trigonometry.

"It's no mystery why they chose those classes. If you take those classes, you'll be much more successful in college," Seaman said.

The students were recommended for the three-day workshop by teachers who believe the students will complete the upper-division courses required, according to Rita Pfenninger, Project GRAD coach from Voznesenka. For Voz students, meeting that requirement is requiring some special planning.

"This is really groundbreaking because (Voznesenka) students haven't always had an opportunity to take these kinds of classes," Pfenninger said.

To make it happen, Voznesenka staff will consider combining science classes taught by John Szajkowski and distance-delivery opportunities.

"It turned out that it makes sense for the Voz students to go the science route because they are currently taking biology," Pfenninger said. "So, they'll take chemistry and physics and that will fulfill the requirement to keep the computers."

Another benefit of the workshop is the impact it has had on students' self-confidence.

"By overcoming some of their shyness and taking part in this wonderful activity that was so hands-on, I believe that their lives have been changed," Pfenninger said. "They sound very determined, to take upper division classes and muster confidence to go into science and engineering at the college level. Also, may I say, I have every confidence in them."

The end of the workshop isn't the end of ANSEP's involvement in the students' lives. The program sets up a mentoring-type relationship, with ongoing tutoring and encouragement offered.

"The ANSEP program is really cool. It creates a sense of family community that has a lot of support systems," Seaman said.

Pfenninger recognized the value of that ongoing support.

"Our students took a lot of comfort from that," she said.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibbenjackinsky.@homernews.com.