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KMXT Weekly Wrap

Weekly Wrap: Mabuhay sa Alaska

By Brian Venua

Published May 23, 2025 at 6:42 PM AKDT

Serjoe Gutierrez sits at a piano to work with his first violinists to focus on intonation.

This week we have a special edition of the show. KMXT presents: Mabuhay sa Alaska, a five part feature series exploring Alaska schools recruiting teachers from the Philippines.

We look at what recruiting is like, meet teachers looking to come here, learn how some already in Kodiak are navigating their new lives, learn some history about Filipino immigration, and question if hiring teachers from the Philippines leads to a brain drain.

KMXT Weekly Wrap

Brian Venua

Born and raised in Dillingham, Brian Venua graduated from Gonzaga University before ultimately returning to Alaska. He moved to Kodiak and joined KMXT in 2022. Venua has since won awards for the newsroom as both a writer and photojournalist, with work focused on strengthening community, breaking down complex topics, and sharing stories of and for the people of the Kodiak Archipelago.

See stories by Brian Venua

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