Mr. Mackie’s 6th period senior English class at West Anchorage High School wrote & recorded an original song (Rise Above the Storm) & created this music video in collaboration with local musician Kat Moore, Megan McBride of See Stories, & filmmaker Alex Troutman of Channel Films as part of a Alaska State Council on the Arts Youth Cultural Heritage Grant. They wrote thoughtful poetry expressing themselves and then worked together to create song lyrics. Throughout the project, they showed impressive collaborative skills, incredible musicianship, and vulnerability in sharing musically. Student quotes reflecting on the project: "What I liked most about this project is how we shaped difficult topics like oppression & social injustice. We made it into a teenage perspective, & we were able to talk about these difficult subjects that not a lot of people are able to talk about comfortably, & put them in our verses." "Through the songwriting process & reading what everyone wrote, I learned a lot about my classmates. I learned how much we all go through as individuals, & those things brought us all together as classmates." "I noticed how we're all very different but alike. Having done this project I feel a lot more comfortable with writing and singing. I feel like we developed a conscience, & seeing how we came together was a beautiful point of view perspective wise." “The song, in my opinion, reaches towards the belief that triumph of will can conquer bad times, no matter the issue at hand, [and] time will eventually heal you…” "It showed our struggles, our relief, our fears, & even parts of our lives & how we grew up. Like what one of my classmates said, “It’s like a stew. I know how to cut the carrots, celery, & onions, but the stew is different.” “As long as injustice exists, so does the need for those who will speak out, stand up, & demand a fairer, more equal world for everyone.” “Each of the lyrics hold a personal connection to someone in our class, as we all had a hand in writing it together. We wrote a song about struggle, while also struggling a bit while creating it.” #ASDShineBright #SongWriters #Alaska (fb)

As we continue celebrating our 2025 ASD graduates, here’s a full-circle moment worth sharing! Bartlett High School - Home of the Golden Bears graduate Landon Morton first met Corey Allen Young 13 years ago when he was a kindergartner at Scenic Park Elementary and Corey was a journalist with KTUU. Landon sat down for an interview back then, sharing his dreams as a bright-eyed 5-year-old. Fast forward to last week, and Landon reunited with Corey, now with Team ASD, as a proud member of the Class of 2025. From kindergarten curiosity to high school graduate, it’s moments like these that show just how far our students can go. Congratulations, Landon — you’ve come full circle, and the journey’s just beginning! #ASDShineBright #2025Grad #Alaska (fb)