"Amuia le masina e alu ma sau, ao lenei avanoa e seasea, lea e tatau ai ona tatou faapelepeleina." Pacific Islanders pursuing higher education is rare in the public's eye, as well as our community's. Our ancestors and our elders before us sacrificed what they had to see us pursue a life of prosperity and success. I came from an environment where college isn't taken as seriously as it should be. I've seen students throwing their potential away to maintain their popularity, but I applaud those who stuck through it all. If you ask every Pacific Islander immigrant what their backstory is, I assure you, all of these stories you'll hear follow a similar path. A pacific islander attending college and pursuing higher education is a goal I hope to see more of our people in the future. There are generational barriers that we need to break because my heart cries for the students following the path that was not instructed for them. Attending college is a huge dream come true for me as a first-generation student. Although my parents weren't able to attend college, that shouldn't be an excuse for me to finish what was supposed to start. I truly believe that by the Grace of God, the hope of seeing young Pacific Islanders in classrooms retrieving their degrees will one day come to say. There are so many opportunities out there for us to create the life we've dreamt of, but the laziness and the expectations from society continue to hold us back to a point where we start to give up. At one point in my life, I found it ridiculous that I, a Pacific Islander woman, would ever make it far. With so much doubt and less faith, I trapped myself in a cage where I thought I would never get out. I thought to myself, if other ethnicities can achieve their dreams and attend their dream colleges, why can't I? The more doubt I had, the longer the rope I was willing to pull that held me back from achieving what had been said and planned. But then I saw my parents and the sacrifices they made to get me to where I am today, which was one of the main reasons why I had to pick myself up once again and cut the ropes piece by piece to get to the finish line. I can proudly say I am almost at the finish line by the Grace of God and by the prayers of my parents and families. And to whoever receives this award, I hope you succeed in everything you do, and blessings to all who participate in this award. "Ia faamanuia tele Le Atua ia te outou uma, ma ia susulu pea le malamalama sili i lo tatou alo ma fanau Samoa, aua le tautua i aoaoaoga aemaise le tausiga o aiga ma o tatou tuaa. Manuia."

Just as the winds control the sail, that is how we control certain things in life. Not many of us grew up financially fortunate, but we see the sacrifices our parents tend to make to pave the way for us to succeed. Hello, my name is Charity and this is my story. My story is similar to all others, except with a deep sensation and gratitude, there is a unique feeling deep inside that helps me understand and cherish my upbringing and how it made me the person I am today. Growing up, I saw how my stubborn father worked as hard as he could to provide for our family of 6 at the time until his kidneys failed him. I saw my mom working 2 jobs to help with our necessary bills and my father's hospital bills since insurance didn't exist in American Samoa,. My sisters, Hope, Faith Dora and I would walk 3-4 miles every day to attend school, as we didn't have any transportation. But our faith remained in our Heavenly Father and our trust instilled in Him, for He will make a way. My parents never had the chance to pursue any form of higher education after high school. They both gave everything up to take care of their families, to later on take care of our own family. We question these things in life, and sometimes it discourages us to a point where we have no hope. But what is life if there is no Hope? Just like waiting for that acceptance letter from your dream college, there is hope that you'll get in. Or the moment when you're waiting for a doctor's results, there is hope in the midst of all, which makes me believe that having hope for this world gives us half of the peace we know we need. The sacrifices and the opportunities laid out for me is the reason why I want to pursue a higher education. Yes, it is a choice to pursue a higher education, but to me and my family, it is a must, for someone has to take the first step to open the doors of opportunity to break generational curses and to creak doors open for the generation behind you. As a first-generation student, involvement in your campus and school programs provides so many details and resources on how we can take that next step to pursue our higher education, and that's exactly what I did. Once I found out that the college campus provides transfer assistance, EOPS which is Educational planning assistance, and also student clubs that help you socialize and get involved for better opportunities, without any hesitation and second thinking, I took the opportunity and am now carrying that torch around. And a little encouragement to all of my incoming first-generational students for the upcoming years, knowledge is protection and when you understand that your knowledge is your shield from the world, you will be alright, and the joy you'll see on your families; faces when you achieve your dream will give hope to all and help them believe that there is still sunshine on the other side of the fence.

Just as the winds control the sail, that is how we control certain things in life. Not many of us grew up financially fortunate, but we see the sacrifices our parents tend to make to pave the way for us to succeed. Hello, my name is Charity and this is my story. My story is similar to all others, except with a deep sensation and gratitude, there is a unique feeling deep inside that helps me understand and cherish my upbringing and how it made me the person I am today. Growing up, I saw how my stubborn father worked as hard as he could to provide for our family of 6 at the time until his kidneys failed him. I saw my mom working 2 jobs to help with our necessary bills and my father's hospital bills since insurance didn't exist in American Samoa,. My sisters, Hope, Faith Dora and I would walk 3-4 miles every day to attend school, as we didn't have any transportation. But our faith remained in our Heavenly Father and our trust instilled in Him, for He will make a way. My parents never had the chance to pursue any form of higher education after high school. They both gave everything up to take care of their families, to later on take care of our own family. We question these things in life, and sometimes it discourages us to a point where we have no hope. But what is life if there is no Hope? Just like waiting for that acceptance letter from your dream college, there is hope that you'll get in. Or the moment when you're waiting for a doctor's results, there is hope in the midst of all, which makes me believe that having hope for this world gives us half of the peace we know we need. The sacrifices and the opportunities laid out for me is the reason why I want to pursue a higher education. Yes, it is a choice to pursue a higher education, but to me and my family, it is a must, for someone has to take the first step to open the doors of opportunity to break generational curses and to creak doors open for the generation behind you. As a first-generation student, involvement in your campus and school programs provides so many details and resources on how we can take that next step to pursue our higher education, and that's exactly what I did. Once I found out that the college campus provides transfer assistance, EOPS which is Educational planning assistance, and also student clubs that help you socialize and get involved for better opportunities, without any hesitation and second thinking, I took the opportunity and am now carrying that torch around. And a little encouragement to all of my incoming first-generational students for the upcoming years, knowledge is protection and when you understand that your knowledge is your shield from the world, you will be alright, and the joy you'll see on your families; faces when you achieve your dream will give hope to all and help them believe that there is still sunshine on the other side of the fence.