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.

Dr. Leolani Ah Quin encourages Indigenous youth to seek out new worlds and opportunities through higher education. Leolani shares her story of resilience, her untraditional path to a doctoral degree, and her advice to students pursuing higher education. She is currently the Clinical Director for a Tribal Nation in Arizona.

After graduating from Fa’asao Marist High School in American Samoa, Joseph V. Langkilde (JV) attended Salt Lake Community College before transferring to BYU where he majored in finance. Now a Harvard law student, JV talks about the graduate application process, provides tips for prospective law students, and discusses his grad school essay topic inspired by his family and tautua. He believes Pacific scholars should reflect on their cultural identity and how it has shaped them when applying to colleges and grad schools.

Andrew Ah Young shares tips on strategically applying to biomedical graduate programs and challenges Pacific scholars to embrace the unknown and pursue higher education abroad. He is currently a Research Scientist in the Bay Area, where he investigates the underlying causes of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and develops new treatments. He hopes to see more Pacific scholars pursuing graduate degrees and careers in STEM.

Kalolaine “Kalo” Uechtritz Fainu, an avid advocate for Pacific representation in film, shares her motivations for creating the Pasifika Film Fest and offers tips for aspiring Pacific filmmakers. Born and raised in Australia, Kalo has family roots in Tonga, Papua New Guinea, and Samoa. She received a BVA Photography with a Photojournalist major from Griffith University and a Masters of Media Arts & Production from the University of Technology Sydney. She recently started a Masters in Asian and Pacific Studies from The Australian National University to learn more about Pacific cultures and communities.

Vehia Wheeler, co-founder of the 100% women-led Sustainable OCEANIA Solutions consulting firm, shares her/their educational experience in Hawaii and path to joining the first cohort of Asia-Pacific Obama Foundation Leaders.

Kapono Faitau shares his experience as a first-generation college graduate navigating college resources and finding sources of educational and career motivation. After graduating from Brigham Young University - Hawaii with a Bachelors of Science for Business Management, he worked in the hospitality industry for nearly a decade — starting in high school — before making a career switch into finance. He now works as a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley and provides wealth management solutions to families, individuals and businesses. Kapono hopes to see more Pacific Islanders work in finance as well as empower Pacific Islander families to get educated on financial planning.

Saeni Lele’a, a UC Davis graduate, shares her story as a Samoan biomedical engineer working at Fresenius Medical Care.

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. 

Born and raised on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, Gabrielle Langkilde is now a 3rd year student at Harvard College majoring in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Sociology. Gabrielle shares her transition from island to mainland, her experience with culture shock, and the importance of creating spaces for Pacific Islanders to be empowered and represented across college campuses. 

“I remind myself that my presence in tech is empowerment on it’s own. If you are a Pacific Islander in the tech industry, remember that visibility and representation sometimes is the best thing we can do for our community.”

Alina Fa’aola, born and raised in Los Angeles and of Samoan and Mexican descent, talks about her academic journey and her passion for cultivating leaders in a new program, Oakland Pacific Islander Network. Through this initiative, she hopes to help young Pacific Islander students in Oakland develop their leadership skills.

Jon Lautaha talks about his experience at Stanford, his professional growth in the Utah tech industry and the importance of embracing failure in order to grow as an individual. In fall 2019, Jon will start grad school, pursuing an MBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Samoan MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) at the University of Otago, Mosana Evagelia, shares her experience pursuing a medical degree and her insight on the health disparities for Māori and Pasifika communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. She hopes to educate health professionals on the importance of cultural competency and raise Pasifika health awareness in her community.

Dr. Afa Palu shares some highlights of his educational and scientific work: his leading research on Pacific Islander U.S. high school dropouts, the creation of an education radio talk show and his extensive research on the health benefits of the noni (Morinda citrifolia L.), a plant native to the Pacific and elsewhere. He hopes to see more Pacific Islander students embracing the academic challenge of pursuing college and recognizing the multitude of pathways to higher education.

Raised in Aotearoa New Zealand and currently living in British Columbia to finish her PhD, Sereana Naepi talks about her journey through academia, her research findings on the experiences of Pasifika women in academia in the face of sexism and racism, and her thoughts on the designation “Asian Pacific Islander.” Soon returning to Aotearoa to work with young Pacific academics, she hopes to inspire more Pasifika scholars to pursue leadership positions in order to enable meaningful community-oriented change in higher education.

First-generation law student, Jullian Sekona, shares her experience as the only Tongan at UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Currently employed at Barulich Dugoni and Suttmann Law Group, Inc. in San Mateo, she hopes to see more Pacific scholars pursuing law degrees in order to provide more resources and representation for their community.

Teyonna Jarman talks about her multicultural identity and her experience as a first-generation college student. Now a Stanford alumna with a B.S. in Product Design, she plans on pursuing opportunities at the intersection of tech, entertainment and education. She hopes to see more students embracing and feeling empowered by their multicultural identities.

First-generation Native Hawaiian Stanford student, Jaysha Kuuipoaloha Alonz-Estrada, talks about changing majors, following her path and utilizing community resources in high school and in college (4-H, College Horizons, Leland Scholars Program, Muwekma Tah-Ruk) to empower her throughout her academic career.

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.