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.