“My Education Journey”
Story and Photo by: Janelle Feller (2017)
Hello, my name is Janelle Feller and I am an Athabascan Alaska Native, as well as a member of the Native Village of Ruby. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and plan to stay here as I have always loved this state. During the summer of 2014 I worked for The CIRI Foundation and learned about the educational support that they provide, while also meeting and creating lasting relationships with some of the nicest and most inspirational people I have ever met. I received a scholarship from The CIRI Foundation during all four years of my undergraduate degree program.
In May of 2017 I graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a minor in Psychology. After graduating, I decided that I wanted to continue my education, and have recently been accepted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Receiving funding from The CIRI Foundation has given me so many opportunities and helped me get to where I am today. Schooling can be stressful on its own, and having financial support helps to ease some of that stress. I am so thankful to The CIRI Foundation for helping me along my educational journey, and hope to continue being a scholar during my Doctor of Pharmacy Program.