Eleven Navigators graduate at Pacific Horizon’s 17th Commencement

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Paramount Builders is proud to sponsor coverage of all of the 2022 American Samoa High School Graduations, and wishes all graduates a successful journey into the future.

Eleven students from Pacific Horizon High School — “Home of the Navigators” — graduated last week, May 21, 2022, during its’ 17th Annual Commencement ceremony held at the Tony Solaita field, in keeping with the COVID Code RED restrictions to which all local high school graduations are abiding. Graduates sat at least 6 feet apart, and mask wearing was a typical sight among not only the graduates but also those who attended, including the KVZK-TV crew.

COVID restrictions called for an outdoor 2022 17th Annual Commencement Ceremony of Pacific Horizons School at the Tony Solaita Field, with graduates practicing social distancing and wearing facial masks, as well as most guests, and families & friends. There were 11 Navigators that graduated. [Courtesy photo]

It was a beautiful day for the graduation. Invocation was offered by Sianalei Kolone, while Caroline Tuiolosega, Director of Education for Pacific Horizons School, welcomed special guests, as well as family and friends of the graduating class of 2022.

The 17th Commencement Ceremony was attended by special guests Lt. Governor Talauega Ale, DOE Deputy Director Teresa Atuatasi, Pulu Ae Ae Jr. and Keynote Speaker, Lydia Faleafine-Nomura, American Samoa Field Representative for the United States Department of the Interior.

The Salutatorian, Anne Kim, will be attending the University of San Francisco in the Fall to study Design. She is the recipient of the university's Presidential Scholarship Award and a 4-year ASG Scholarship. During her speech, she acknowledged and welcomed everyone gathered at the ceremony.

For her teachers and their hard work, Kim pointed out, “I understand that you certainly meant well when you often advised us that we needed to finish school. Consider, if you will, a few of the country’s most successful businessmen who never even earned a high school diploma.

“Walt Disney, the man behind the mouse. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and later became one of the best-known movie producers in the world. Likewise, Milton Hershey, founder of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, only achieved a fourth grade education.

“In all seriousness, I’m not saying for future graduates and students to drop out and try to become successful. While college education may not be essential to a successful career, it certainly can’t hurt.

“I’d like to sincerely appreciate our teachers and principal for your dedication. I know we haven’t been the easiest group to handle, but you somehow got us all this far.”

Kim also thanked her family for their strong support and noted that she wouldn’t have gotten this far without them. 

To the graduating class, Kim said they all accomplished one of the major milestones of our lives: a high school graduation.

“We all worked hard to get to this day and our work did not go to waste. Getting our high school diploma is not the end. It is a tool to help us open many opportunities in the future. … It is the start of a new chapter in our lives. Our graduation should serve as a starting point, projecting us to wherever our futures are meant to take us …”

Valedictorian Angela Chen, top honors recipient of the PHS Class of 2022, spoke of graduating perhaps too soon, too fast.

She will be attending Yale University in the fall where she is planning to pursue a degree in Political Science. She is the recipient of the ASG Off-island Scholarship and Yale’s Institutional Grant, which will cover a 100% of her financial needs.

Chen acknowledged everyone who played a role in her education.

“…I would like to begin by thanking all of those who have taught, inspired, and guided us to become the young adults we are today.

“What makes Pacific Horizons School so special is our teachers and staff. Like fertilizer for plants, our teachers feed us with homework, assignments and deadlines, but in the end, they helped us grow.

“Our teachers teach us the basic fundamentals like math, English, history or science. But they also teach us important life skills. I remember having a personal hygiene class that was an interesting class. We also learned how to open checking accounts, how to cook and military drills during JROTC.”

She said their class wasn’t the easiest bunch and despite this their teachers were patient and persevered and never gave up on them. 

“During Code Red, our faculty and administration made preparations for a smooth transition to online lessons.

I have attended Pacific Horizons my entire life. Entering as a K3 student up until now, I have witnessed the growth and development of the school. Our once small school now has more students, more teachers, new classrooms, clubs and honor societies and better resources. We now have online classes, an advanced robotics course and I hope PHS continues to improve. I am proud to say that this year, PHS had our very first high school varsity girls soccer team. Go navigators!”

To her classmates, the graduates, Chen said from strangers in freshman year, they have come to be a very close group of friends and she’s grateful to be a part of this class.

She concluded with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt as well as Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that is why they call it the present”.

“While this quote is a play on words, it is an important mindset to possess every day. Do not bury yourself in regret of what has happened and do not spend too much time stressing out about what will happen. If you spend all of your time thinking about the past and the future, you will leave no time to enjoy the present.

“Fellow graduates, I congratulate you on all of your great achievements. It is time to write our next chapters, to take new steps and to charter and navigate our own paths.”