Faatuai and Fatilua Memorial Scholarship

“Fai le mea ou te le mafaia” - A saying that my grandmother used to live by. “Do what I cannot” is the pinnacle of my educational goals; words of wisdom passed on orally by my ancestors before me. Throughout my entire educational journey, I was typically one of only a handful of Samoans on campus. Being Pacific Islander in college means finding a balance between full time work, full time schooling, and full time feaus. Being a Pacific Islander in college means not having any peers in my classes and lectures that ethnically can relate to me, feeling very alone but hyper fixated with a spotlight on me at all times. For lack of better terms, being Pacific Islander in college more often than not means you're the only one there, voyaging alone. However, in the back of my mind I always hear “fai le mea ou te le mafaia,” and continue sailing to open seas. My cultural heritage has always been a huge part of my existence. Not only because I was representing such a small percentage of students around me, but I was also brought up in an aiga with so many mixed backgrounds where our Samoan identity was always superimposed by our grandparents; insisting we grew up knowing fa’asamoa, and instilling it into our everyday lives, one of the most important settings being our education. I carry my family's name and legacy on my back as I continue to make achievements– the first in my family to get a bachelor's degree, the first to get accepted into my masters program, and the first to be moving overseas onto territories I've never fully immersed myself in before. When I first got accepted into the University of Auckland, it was a whirlwind of juxtaposed emotions; I was joyful, but worrisome of leaving my family. Excited, but fearful of moving overseas by myself. The overwhelming feeling of not belonging in a place that seemed so culturally sophisticated and prevalent, something I never really experienced here in California, weighed heavy on my mind. These anguished feelings made me hesitant to accept my offer, but in the back of my head I heard once again, “fai le mea ou te le mafaia.” The lack of fully comprehending my Samoan culture is what motivated me to pursue my college degrees in anthropology, with my sights set on becoming a professor of Pacific Studies/Anthropology; pushing forward with the eagerness to teach students here in California about the beautiful culture and islands I come from. I also believe Pasifika kids in the states deserve to have teachers and professors that look like them, and my hope is to use this opportunity to influence Pasifika youth to pursue higher education. I believe that I am deserving of this scholarship because of my dedication to academic growth in a new environment. Though the move to another country is daunting, I’m determined to grow as an individual and part of that is adapting to a space that is unfamiliar to me. As an international student, this scholarship would also help alleviate some of the financial pressures, allowing me to fully focus on my studies. As a proud Pacific Islander, I am passionate about cultural heritage and Pacific success and my dedication to anthropology is shaped by my eagerness to uplift Pacific stories and traditions, especially for the diaspora in America. I’m truly convinced that my grandparents’ sacrifices and resilience paved the way for me, and I am living up to their highest wishes: “fai le mea ou te le mafaia,” – doing things they could not.