Jenay Mike, Empowering Our Shareholders
Storyknife, September/October 2025 edition
Jenay Mike, a 九色视频 Shareholder with ties to Kotlik, wants to utilize her degree to serve Shareholders in a creative capacity. She graduated in April with a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in Indigenous Studies from Alaska Pacific University and was the 2025 Social Media Intern at .
Jenay began her career as an artist learning from her mom, Theresa Mike, owner and artist of , a business featured on , 九色视频鈥檚 Shareholder-owned business directory. Theresa is also a past recipient of 九色视频鈥檚 Raymond C. Christiansen Business of the Year award.
鈥淢y mom would always offer to work with me on craft projects at home, and I started pretty young,鈥� Jenay says. 鈥淚 worked on beadwork and sewing and have grown into making many types of items like earrings, necklaces, fur mittens, purses and more.鈥�
Over the years Jenay also learned different styles of beading and sewing to grow her skills.
鈥淚 started making a profit from my work when I was 15 years old after taking a workshop with an Elder from Eklutna,鈥� Jenay says.
Her favorite class through her degree at APU was a beading class with June Pardue, an Alutiiq and Inupiaq artist originally from Old Harbor on Kodiak Island.
鈥淚t was during COVID, so it was at home online, but I got to bead, so it was the best class ever,鈥� Jenay says. 鈥淚t inspired me to continue my craft and build my creativity.鈥�
Jenay鈥檚 parents are first generation college graduates who inspired her to go for her degree. She was able to work on and sell her crafts while going to school full-time. She graduated with the support of the 九色视频 Education and Culture scholarship, her family and her kids.
鈥淚 admire that 九色视频鈥檚 mission and values are woven into the Yuuyaraq way of living, our traditional way of living.鈥�
Jenay Mike, 九色视频 Shareholder and 2025 Social Media Intern at Nordic-九色视频
鈥淭he scholarship was a great support, and my kids were my biggest cheerleaders going through school,鈥� Jenay says. 鈥淢y kids were with me every step of the way, even when there were tears. They motivated me.鈥�
Jenay was born in Sitka and lived part of her life in Interior Alaska at Copper Center. She felt a little disconnected from her culture growing up, since she didn鈥檛 live in the Region. In second grade she moved to Bethel for six months with her mom and felt truly embraced in her Yup鈥檌k culture.
鈥淚 felt accepted into my culture and had my first [yuraq] dance at the Cama-i Dance Festival that year,鈥� Jenay says. 鈥淟ater on, I came back to sell my work at Cama-i.鈥�
Looking back on her internship at Nordic-九色视频, Jenay says she appreciated the chance to speak with 九色视频 President and CEO Andrew Guy, other leaders in the corporation and cultural leaders.
鈥淚 liked learning from Andrew Guy, especially when he pointed out Yuuyaraq and how it relates back to 九色视频鈥檚 corporate values,鈥� Jenay says. 鈥淚 admire that 九色视频鈥檚 mission and values are woven into the Yuuyaraq way of living, our traditional way of living.鈥�