TYPES OF COMPETITIVE Awards

Following is a list of some of the competitive awards offered by Doyon Foundation. Competitive awards are presented once per year, and awards are up to $12,500. Applications must be received by May 15; November 15 is the deadline for competitive recipients to reapply for spring semester funding. View our scholarship resource handbook for full details on scholarship eligibility and the application process.

These competitive awards are made possible by the generosity of many individual and corporate donors. We invite you to view a list of current donors or get involved by making an online donation.

AIT & DesignData Competitive Award
Information Technology

Arctic Information Technology (AIT), a subsidiary of Doyon Government Group, established this competitive award at Doyon Foundation in 2014. The AIT/designDATA competitive award will be awarded to a Doyon, Limited shareholder or descendent, who is and undergraduate student majoring in information technology or business.

Leona Sabin Veterinary Scholarship Fund
Veterinary

Upon her passing, Doyon shareholder Leona Sabin gifted her 100 Doyon Class B shares to the Doyon Foundation. According to her wishes, those funds are set aside for the educational support of veterinary students.

Marissa Flannery and Aaron Schutt Legal Scholarship Fund
Law/Juris Doctor degree

This competitive award for aspiring, young, Alaska Native lawyers was established through an endowment created by Doyon, Limited President and CEO Aaron Schutt and his wife, Marissa Flannery in 2017. Both graduates of Stanford Law School, the couple knows “very well the cost and benefits a legal degree can have for Native students. We’ve never regretted our choice, and we hope that other students will make that choice,” Flannery stated.

Mary Jane and Hugh Fate, Jr. Leadership Fund
Health care, mental health care, business or any profession that contributes to the greater Alaska Native business, cultural or social community

The Mary Jane and Hugh Fate, Jr. Leadership Fund was established by their daughter, Jennifer Fate, in 2017 to honor her parents’ accomplishments for the betterment of the Doyon people. Doyon shareholders studying health care, mental health care, business or any profession that contributes to the greater Alaska Native business, cultural or social community are eligible for the scholarship. Funds may be used for college, graduate school, post-secondary education, vocational or certificate programs. Preference will be given to students overcoming adversity or intending to enter a profession that contributes to the social or economic well-being of the Alaska Native community.

Morris Thompson Memorial Scholarship Fund
Open to students in all areas of study

The Morris Thompson Scholarship Fund was developed to honor the late Morris Thompson’s vision and dedication to youth and education. Morris was a Doyon, Limited shareholder who was born and raised in the Yukon River village of Tanana. Employed by Doyon, Limited since 1981, Thompson was initially hired as vice president and in October of 1985 was appointed its president and CEO, a position he held until his passing on January 31, 2000. These scholarships are given to Native students who exhibit the qualities admired in Morris: vision, leadership and integrity.

Sunnyboy Memorial Scholarship
Tourism, Business Management

The Sunnyboy Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of the late Terrence Sunnyboy, Jr., a Doyon Foundation student from Fairbanks who passed away on January 14, 2001. Jr., as he was known, was enthusiastic about pursuing his education and had plans to enter the tourism industry. Prior to his passing, he held several tourism-related positions, and dreamed of opening a site along the Tanana River, where visitors could learn about the importance of salmon in a subsistence lifestyle. The Sunnyboy family formed the scholarship to assist other young people with a passion for tourism/business management in their pursuit of an education and a solid future.

Tanana Chiefs Conference Health Competitive Award
Health Care

In 2011, Tanana Chiefs Conference was instrumental in the establishment of the health competitive award at Doyon Foundation, and donates annually to make the scholarship possible. Health care continues to be a fast-growing and very important industry in Alaska. This scholarship is intended to support students as they work to attain the education they need to serve Alaska’s health care needs.

Natural Resources Competitive Award

This scholarship was established by the Doyon, Limited lands department and is available to full-time students who are studying areas related to resource management. Fields of study could include forestry, mining, geology, resource economics, applied land management, engineering or natural resources management.

Other Competitive Awards

In addition to the awards above, we also offer competitive awards in education, language, Indigenous studies, liberal arts, vocational, committee choice, engineering and science.