Jared Bowden grew up in Valdez. As a UA Scholar, he was awarded a $12,000 scholarship that he is using towards the cost of his education. The UA Scholar Award is given to students designated in the top 10% of their Alaska high school class at the end of their junior year. Jared decided PWSC was the best choice for him, stating, “…I'm looking at the financial aspects of it. I feel this was a good choice because I didn't really know what degree I wanted to get right out of high school. And I feel it was a good choice to go to a smaller school to get an idea of how college worked, without instantly dealing with a lot of financial pressure…”