What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (2024)

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (1)

By Gina Vaynshteyn

Mar. 11 2021, Updated 3:55 p.m. ET

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (2)

We're on Season 10 of Alaska: The Last Frontier, and it's been a bumpy ride. At first, the Kilchers had to deal with a massive wildfire in the spring, and then they faced a lockdown thanks to the pandemic, and then there was a flood. When you live in Alaska, you probably expect to deal with wild and unprecedented elements, but it's safe to say that the Kilchers had a lot on their hands this past spring.

Amid the natural disasters, they also welcomed guest star Katie Rigelman to the show.

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What to know about Katie from 'Alaska: The Last Frontier.'

Katie Rigelman is an RN nursing student in a rural-focused nursing program. She not only met Jane Kilcher, but she toured parts of the state, learning about Alaska's publics schools, health clinics, and hospitals. According to to Katie's blog, Alaska's "healthcare system is leagues behind what we have here in the domestic [United States]." She added, "This is mostly [due] to lack of resources."

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (3)

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However, Katie was inspired by how the community supports one another. She even got to work with Jane, who is a nurse at the K-12 Nikolaevsk school.

Jane told Katie about the Old Believer culture in Alaska (which is a community who follow old Russian traditions, including following the Russian Orthodox faith). Katie noticed many of the Old Believer students wore old-fashioned clothing like floor-length dresses and braids (a Russian style for girls that was popular pre-Soviet Russia).

Additionally, Jane told Katie that she was "very lucky" working at this school since the kids were healthy. Many other schools in Alaska are underfunded and impoverished. The school Jane works at has a nice, functioning gym, entertainment for families, and a successful basketball team.

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (4)

For those who didn't know Jane is also a nurse, it's true! She posted this fact to Facebook back in April:

"One of the last interview questions I had before the crew went home to their families 'what is something the fans don’t know about you?' And I said I am a registered nurse ! I hope all is well out there - crazy times"

What can't this woman do?

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After Katie's stay in Homer, she and her crew of nursing students visited Soldotna for several days and toured the Ninilchik school. Katie was shocked to learn that many Alaskan teen girls have unwanted pregnancies due to a combination of the stigma of sexual education and, sadly, sexual abuse.

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Katie wrote in her blog, "Many of these girls are removed from the public school and are enrolled into an alternative school where there are services for the teen mother and the baby while she is in school."

She also learned that a lot of people in Alaska were unvaccinated. "We learned about the high number of unvaccinated pupils due to family/cultural/religious beliefs. He showed us the computer tracking system that they are converting to and talked about how they still have a long way to go but that they are making "baby steps" in the right direction," she wrote.

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What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (5)

Seeing what Alaska is like through Katie's eye is a reminder that, although Alaska is incredibly beautiful, it still has a long way to go in regard to its healthcare system. When we watch Alaska: The Last Frontier, we see a stunning state, but we do also get glimpses of a part of the U.S. that is largely neglected due to how remote it is.

Watch Alaska: The Last Frontier every Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on the Discovery Channel.

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman (2024)

FAQs

What to Know About 'Alaska: The Last Frontier's' Visitor, Katie Rigelman? ›

What to know about Katie from 'Alaska: The Last Frontier. ' Katie Rigelman is an RN nursing student in a rural-focused nursing program. She not only met Jane Kilcher, but she toured parts of the state, learning about Alaska's publics schools, health clinics, and hospitals.

Who is Katie on Alaska: The Last Frontier? ›

Hello, my name is Katie Rigelman and I was one of the fortunate 9 students who was able to experience the very rural culture in Alaska. As an RN nursing student with a rural focused nursing program, I feel that this trip has opened my eyes to the dynamics in a more broader spectrum.

What happened to Alaska in the last Frontier show? ›

Summary. Alaska: The Last Frontier season 12 has not been officially announced yet, leaving viewers speculating about its return and potential new cast members. Based on the release pattern of previous seasons, fans can expect season 12 to air in mid-October 2023.

Is Alaska: The Last Frontier real or fake? ›

Unfortunately, while an unscripted documentary-style series seems interesting, the fact of the matter is that Alaska: The Last Frontier is pretty fake. It's not like a standard scripted show; the producers don't necessarily feed them dialogue. It's more about establishing a situation that needs to play out.

What is the meaning of the last frontier in Alaska? ›

Covered in impenetrable forests and lined with craggy coastlines, Alaska has achieved almost a mythic status as the Last Frontier – a land of hardy explorers and off-the-grid adventurers, raw wilderness and crevasse-cut glaciers.

Which Kilcher passed away? ›

Yule Kilcher died in Homer on December 8, 1998.

Does Finley have Down syndrome? ›

For those unfamiliar with Finley's story, he was born with Down Syndrome.

What town is Alaska: The Last Frontier filmed in? ›

Alaska the Last Frontier TV Show location - Review of Kilcher Homestead Living Museum, Homer, AK - Tripadvisor.

Who is Jane married to on Alaska: The Last Frontier? ›

Do the Kilchers actually live on the homestead? ›

If you want to realize how unreal reality tv is-visit the Kilcher Living Museum. They do not live out in the "bush"! The museum is located 3 miles outside of Homer. Go to the Homer Safeway and you might run into one of the Kilcher families there.

Is Alaska: The Last Frontier coming back in 2024? ›

Alaska: The Last Frontier Season 12: Everything We Know - IMDb. Alaska: The Last Frontier season 12 has not been officially announced yet, leaving viewers speculating about its return and potential new cast members. Based on the release pattern of previous seasons, fans can expect season 12 to air in mid-October 2023.

What happened to August on Alaska: The Last Frontier? ›

The only child of Otto and Charlotte, August left the homestead after high school and enrolled in college down in the lower 48. Upon realizing he wasn't cut out for a more conventional lifestyle, he recently returned to the homestead — the only way of life he has ever known.

How much do the Kilchers make per episode? ›

According to reports, the show pays: $7,000 to $10,000 per episode to the main family members featured, including patriarch Atz Kilcher and his children. Given that a typical season has around 10 episodes, this puts their annual salary in the range of $70,000 to $100,000.

Where is the homestead on Alaska the last frontier? ›

For Alaska: The Last Frontier Reality Show Fans out there you won't want to miss the Kilcher Homestead Museum Tour here in Homer, Alaska.

How much of Alaska is uninhabited? ›

Alaska is the last great wilderness in the United States Civilization has only encroached on about 160,000 acres of its 365 million acres. This is less than 1/20th of 1 percent of the State, the rest is still untouched wilderness. Alaska is home to North America's tallest peak, Mt.

What were the two nicknames for Alaska? ›

Alaska is called the Last Frontier. The beauty of the red sunsets over the Sangre de Christo Mountains of New Mexico, earned this state the nickname: “The Land of Enchantment”.

Did one of the Kilchers get divorced? ›

Discovery fans are obsessed with Jane Kilcher, especially now. Over the summer, Jane blindsided Alaska: The Last Frontier fans by announcing that she and Atz Lee were divorced. She revealed that he wanted a divorce, but she didn't. Worst of all, she lost her best friend.

What happened to Atz Kilcher's first wife? ›

Lenedra and Atz initially married in the late '60s before ultimately divorcing two decades later. The mother of singer/songwriter Jewel used to be a musician herself. She previously released two albums with then-husband Atz and then released two solo albums in 2007 (Beyond Words) and 2009 (Daybreak Song).

Who is the daughter of Alaska: The Last Frontier? ›

Jewel is the daughter of Atz Kilcher, who stars in the Discovery Channel show Alaska: The Last Frontier.

Who is Otto Kilcher married to now? ›

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