Lorna-Lei Sua'ava, Samoan undergraduate scholar at Southern Virginia University, shares her transformative experience as a recipient of a National Science Foundation-funded Biochemistry internship at Brigham Young University, Provo. She hopes to see an improved American Samoan healthcare system empowering traditional medicinal practices.

Tiana Masaniai, born in Orange County, CA, then raised in American Samoa until primary school, shares the struggles of her college journey and how she turned one of her biggest fears into a dream career. An advocate for equitable representation in film, she hopes to see an emergence of Pacific storytellers, writers, and actors in Hollywood.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Native Hawaiian professional MMA fighter shares why it is important to find community away from home, encourage our youth to pursue higher education, and support our larger Indigenous community. 

On August 10-11, 2019, Pacific Islanders’ Cultural Association (PICA) hosted their 2019 Bay Area Aloha Festival — a celebration of Pacific dance, food and community resources — at the San Mateo County Event Center.

Finausina Tovo talks about her transition from student-athlete to scholar, the importance of giving Pacific Islanders a voice in higher education and the Mana program’s effect on Pacific scholars. Using her research in California Community Colleges, she hopes to empower more students to pursue all their educational options and demand community at their school.