<\/a>Janine Reep speaks during the Woman of Distinction 2019 Celebration Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Centennial Hall. During her speech she focused on the reality that the circumstances of one’s birth has a drastic impact on their life and the honor of being a “Woman of Disruption.” (Ben Hohenstatt | Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t
Much of her acceptance speech focused on the importance of social justice and acknowledging that while the sentiment “All men are created equal,” is beautiful it does not reflect the reality of being born poor or to a family of color or a marginalized population.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
[Opinion: Let art help us build bridges by Janine Reep<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I was born into a very fortunate world,” Reep said. “My problems were never going to be big problems, and I knew it.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Reep, who retired from state service in 2012 but is an active board member of Facing Foster Care in Alaska — a nonprofit group run by current and former foster youth — advocated for others living with more empathy and making a positive impact in the lives of others.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “You don’t have to fix everything to improve someone’s life,” Reep said. “The smallest acts of caring are sometimes enough to turn a life around.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Nigro, who has worked with Juneau Youth Services, SAIL, Zach Gordon Youth Center, also spoke to the importance of focusing on shared humanity as well as consistently showing up for causes in which you believe.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t [Nigro named Afterschool Superhero<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “Show up, be seen, see others, feel each other’s pain, feel each other’s joy, repeat,” Nigro said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Nigro, who is on the board for the Glory Hall, Juneau’s homeless shelter, also took her time at the lectern to reflect on feeling besieged by self-doubts upon learning she had been selected to be a Woman of Distinction.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I’ll spare you the list,” Nigro said. “It’s kind of depressing.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Instead, Nigro focused on gratitude and the daunting task of crafting a speech.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I thought about the words, and I thought about this life, and I settled on a dress,” Nigro said dryly drawing laughs.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t She thanked her family for their support when she is racked by anxiety and for their love and support.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Jones, who has served as the Director of the Tribal Family and Youth Services Department for 22 years and is dedicated to embracing and implementing the spirit and tenets of the Indian Child Welfare Act in Alaska to better serve Alaska Native families, also heaped effusive praise on her family.<\/p>\n Francine Eddy Jones speaks during the Woman of Distinction 2019 Celebration Saturday, March 9, 2019 at Centennial Hall. During her speech she spoke about the important roles her parents, family and colleagues have played in her life. Jones also spoke about the impact Alaska Native value had on her life. (Ben Hohenstatt | Capital City Weekly)<\/p><\/div>\t\t\t\t “First, I’d like to honor the honor of my parents,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Jones, who is part Tlingit and part Scotch-Irish, said she grew up in Sitka in a time when she was considered a “half breed” without being fully accepted by some Alaska Natives or white people.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “However, we grew up knowing the Alaska Native Sisterhood and the Alaska Native Brotherhood and were raised with a strong foundational values,” Jones said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t She became emotional when thanking her husband of 36 years, Laird, for being “always by her side and providing endless love,” and her other immediate family members.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Macaulay, the night’s fourth Woman of Distinction, now lives in Montana and was unable to attend in person. She did record remarks for the event, but technical issues prevented them from being heard.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t It was announced the video would be shared on AWARE’s website.<\/p>\n<\/a>