Anchorage kindergartner wins $25,000 Alaska 529 Scholarship Account Giveaway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2026

Five-year-old Ava Ross celebrated during halftime of a UAA women's basketball game.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska —  Five-year-old Ava Ross of Anchorage loves unicorns, rainbows and animals. When she grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian and "help animals, all the animals!"

Now, Ava, a kindergartner at Bayshore Elementary School, has a $25,000 head start on her future education as this year's recipient of the Alaska 529 Scholarship Account, an annual award for an eligible Alaskan who elects to contribute a portion of their Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) to an Alaska 529 education savings account.

Ava and her mother, Nikki Ross, were presented with a ceremonial $25,000 check by Lael Oldmixon, executive director of Alaska 529, during halftime of the University of Alaska Anchorage women's basketball game on Saturday, November 7, at the Alaska Airlines Center. Ava's classmates, teacher, principal and family members attended the celebration.

For Nikki, the award came as an emotional surprise following the loss of her husband earlier this year. He had made saving for their three daughters' education a priority, electing each year to contribute half of their PFDs to Alaska 529.

"I was shocked and overcome with emotion," Nikki said. "My late husband always filed for the PFD and would check the box for each of our children to be entered to win. I knew he had done that this year as well but never thought one of our children would actually win."

The award provides reassurance as Nikki looks toward Ava's future.

"It provides peace of mind for me," Nikki said. "My late husband and I know the importance of education (and the expense associated with it), so knowing she has this additional money is very comforting for me, especially now."

"Ava's story is a wonderful reminder of why we encourage Alaska families to start saving early," Oldmixon said. "Her family made a simple decision to invest a portion of their PFDs in education savings, and now Ava has an additional $25,000 to help pursue her dreams. We hope her story inspires other Alaskans to take that same first step."

Nikki encourages other Alaska families to consider contributing to Alaska 529 through the 2027 PFD application.

"It's a great opportunity to save for your child's future education before the money goes into your bank account so you don't even miss it!" she said.

For more information about Alaska 529, the Scholarship Account Giveaway, and saving through the PFD, visit Alaska529plan.com.

About Alaska 529

Alaska 529 is Alaska's official 529 education savings plan, offering families a tax-advantaged way to save for future education expenses, including college, career and technical training, and registered apprenticeships. Alaska 529 and the scholarship account are offered by the Education Trust of Alaska.

Media Contact:
Lael Oldmixon
Executive Director
Alaska529outreach@alaska.edu
(907) 474-5671

Photography

 

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