Kawerak is proud to congratulate our three newest VPSOs on graduating from the 9 week long Department of Public Safety training academy in Sitka in April of this year. Not only is training and the distance challenging in its own right, but it is a solid commitment to be away from home for such a long time. We appreciate the dedication of these young men to complete their training and serve their communities.

Meet Darrin Topkok of Teller, Nicholas Toolie of Savoonga and Harry Ivanoff of Unalakleet.

Darrin Kimulksuna Topkok, Inupiaq

I became a VPSO because wanted to help provide safety in the community I grew up in, especially for the kids. Training had its challenges, there were a lot of tests we had to take, and a lot of information to take in. I would do it again though! The most fun part was the workout sessions the instructor gave us. They made us get exhausted before a scenario where we were challenged to defend ourselves while we were tired.

Meeting all the people was definitely a highlight as well. There were people from all over Alaska, out of state like Pennsylvania and even from the Philippines…that was really cool. It’s also great to have more people from the region getting into the program.

You might know some of my family, my grandpa Chester Topkok was a well-known dog musher in his day. He competed in a few races and came out on top. My mom is secretary at school. In fact, before becoming a VPSO I was a substitute teacher for a couple years in Shishmaref and learned to work with kids. Outside of work you would probably find me hunting. I love hunting seals and reindeer. I learned to hunt from my dad Reuben Topkok and my uncles. I’m looking forward to teaching my little brother as he comes of age.

I’m looking forward to making a good impact in the community I grew up in and be a good influence for the youth. I’m here to help, here to work for the community. I will do the best I can and I hope it will be appreciated.

 

Nicholas Aghvighqughvik Toolie, Siberian Yupik

As a child I had but a few dreams – becoming a doctor, becoming a police officer and becoming an astronaut. I became a community health aide for awhile and that job made my life feel purposeful, like I was meant to help people. Helping the town was a great feeling but unfortunately I got overwhelmed with stress and moved on. As time went by and I still felt the urge to help, so I decided to become a VPO to help my community in a different way. I realized after a year of this position that I needed more to feel successful…I didn’t have the tools and training to do my job the way I’d like to. Now I have training and a skill set to do my job better than I ever did before thanks to Kawerak.  And even though I haven’t become an astronaut, Kawerak, my community and the loves of my life (Ashley Rookok and Aurora Toolie) make me feel like a star.

Getting to where I am today required dedication and training…and training was awesome! I’d say the highlight of all the training was the class bonding. Everyone I trained with were awesome people and I was happy to train along side them. My fellow VPSOs are really great guys who I’m proud to call my law enforcement family. Also the Academy had great trainers dedicated to making Alaska a better place for everyone. They really love teaching us everything we need to know about the job. I would have to say the toughest time at training was definitely the exercise. We pushed ourselves to the furthest we could go. It was all worth it though, and I earned my ‘Excellence in Fitness’ badge.

Now that I have earned my credentials, I can say I’m part of the Kawerak family. I feel proud of myself to be able to officially hold the title of being my own village of Savoonga’s Village Public Safety Officer. To Savoonga I would say, ‘I’m here to serve you, I’m here for your safety and hope that me being here gives you a sense of security.’ During my time off I’ll be watching my baby grow up. She’s growing too fast! I wish I was able to rewind sometimes. I love to hunt, to ride around, and go camp when I have extra time.

 

Harry Kootchuq Ivanoff

I have always been interested in law enforcement. Growing up as a kid, I remember seeing troopers drive around and I thought “Their hats are cool.” It was awesome to see them making sure people are committed to being safe.

I got my own start into public safety as a VPO.  I wasn’t trained, so that made the job difficult. I wanted to check out the VPSO program because I heard they were better trained…I remember seeing previous VPSOs that came through the school in high school and middle school. Now that I completed training, I am looking forward to public safety. With training I will be an even better officer and better able to help the community. I am planning to also take EMT and Firefighting training as well.

Training in Sitka was good, a bit stressful here and there. But getting all the information was awesome; knowing what to do, and how to do it. There were so many things I didn’t know before. Some weeks the testing was hard, with 9-12 tests per weekend. That was difficult, but not an impossible challenge. I really enjoyed being with Nicholas and Darrin, it was nice training with people who I had things in common with.

To the community of Unalakleet I would say, “Never give up doing good.” On my off time you might find me working out, fishing, or hanging out with my girlfriend and dog Buddy.

Photo 1 in Blue Right to left: Ivanoff, Toolie, Topkok

Photo 2 in Brown Right to left:  Topkok, Ivanoff, Toolie