Samoan STEM student, Elzira Noga's Path to Civil Engineering at University of Southern California

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHERE YOU GREW UP.

Hello, my name is Elzira Noga, and I’m Samoan:)

I was born and raised in Seattle, WA, but my family relocated to American Samoa the summer before my 7th grade. From then on, I spent the rest of my primary education in American Samoa.

I am the oldest of three, and my younger siblings are my world and my why. Having grown up on both the mainland and on my native land, I had an interesting childhood.

I was able to experience firsthand and truly appreciate what being Samoan really meant. I was raised by a village that supported me and people who encouraged me.

Tell us about your educational experience.

My household was always very STEM-forward. From as young as second grade, I remember my parents encouraging me to participate in extracurricular competitions and such. They pushed me in school to do all that I could.

I remember math being my favorite subject—at least, until college, that is. But more than this, they always encouraged me to pursue the arts as well.

My mother always said that it is better to be a well-rounded person than a student with one good attribute.

Painting and making music were my favorite artistic pass times. All of this played in to how I was in high school—participating in all sorts of things, academic and artistic.

I was lucky to have graduated top of my class and to have been accepted into USC on a merit scholarship.

I am studying civil engineering/building science under the Viterbi School of Engineering.

How have you navigated college so far?

I was very fortunate to have grown up in a household with a strong woman-in-STEM figure.

My mother is an electrical engineer, and my whole life, she always encouraged me to pursue something in the STEM field.

My father, on the other hand, is a pianist. As such, the arts were also very important in my home.

When it came time to select my major, I chose civil engineering/building science because it was the intersection between architecture—art and design—and STEM—the math and science aspect.

What are your thoughts on Pasifika Representation?

While there is not much representation in the mainland, there are a lot of Polynesian engineers on the island.

Many of my mom’s coworkers were very encouraging when I informed them of what degree I wanted to pursue in college. Having those role models was a large part of why I chose to be an engineer.

That is not the case, however, in the mainland. A lot of Polynesian kids do not see their people in their desired profession, and it can be discouraging.

I hope to be one of the role models that give other Pasefika kids an idea of who they can become and of who they can surpass.

ANY TIPS FOR students applying to college?

Keep God in your life. It is easy to get caught up in school and work that you forget the importance of your spiritual life. Trust me.

Listen to your family, but remember that YOU are the one doing the work.

Have fun, but remember: balance is essential to success.

It’s okay to fail. Don’t get too hung up on one bad grade. Accept it. Learn from it. Move on.

Any last words to students?

Fa’afetai, Mom and Dad. Fa’afetai, Zoe and Zion. Fa’afetai to my village. Fa’afetai to everyone that helped me become who I am today.

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Samoan STEM student, Elzira Noga's Path to Civil Engineering at University of Southern California