Home of the Wildcats graduates 79 — “Mataituina le Matou Lumana’i”

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The 79 graduates of the Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School heard Monday's Commencement Speaker  Gov.Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga speak of their ‘vision, passion and future’ that now lies before them as they graduate from a high school that continues to grow with its student body focusing on learning the trades, despite difficulties with supplies and at times even lacking adequate bathroom facilities for students on campus. (See more excerpts from his speech in a companion story in this issue.)

This year's graduation theme: is "Our Vision, Our Passion & Our Future." There were two Valedictorians and one Salutatorian.

Co- Valedictorians are: Brianna Jemaima Itulauifi of Nu’uuli and Veronica Fa’auiga Muliipu of Falenui, Nu’uuli and Mulifanua in Samoa

Brianna’s favorite saying this year is, “Fai ma le Faku” — In 2019, she represented American Samoa in Orlando, Florida at the HOSA competition, in the category of Health Career Display.  This year, with her partner Leilani, she won the islandwide category of Health Career Display in the HOSA competition.

2021 Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School Co-Valedictorian is Brianna Jemaima Itulauifi of Nu’uuli. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

Veronica is the senior class vice president, Miss Trade 2021, President of the 4-H Club, TSA reporter, and member of the HOSA club. She is the recipient of the Female Tradesmen of the Year Award and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year Award.

2021 Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School’s Co-Valedictorian t is Veronica Fa’auiga Muliipu of Falenui, Nu’uuli and Mulifanua in Samoa.  [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

The Salutatorian is Rodney Faitauafe Atanoa of the village of Nua and Seetaga.

Rodney is born in Olympic, Washington in 2003.  He moved to American Samoa at six months old, He has been accepted to Missouri Southern State University and New Mexico Military Institute. He holds the chiefly title of Tuvaogaaletautootoo.

2021 Salutatorian for Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School is Rodney Faitauafe Atanoa of the village of Nua and Seetaga.  [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

79 LE AU FA’AIUASO NUUULI VOCTECH HIGH  - “MATAITUINA LE MATOU LUMANA’I”

Tusia: Lena Aiono Frost

“Matou te Mataituina lo matou Lumana’i ma le toto’a!” Peita’i ua saunoa le susuga le Fa’afeagaiga Rev. Fouvale Asiata, “O le Mata’u i le Atua o le amataga lea o le Poto!” O le tima’i fo’i a le Kovana Sili le fofoga fa’apitoa na filifili e le vasega fa’aiuaso, “Aua ia tou te tau matematea lo outou lumana’i, ua mae’a ona sailia i le Atua e tou matua, aiga, matua fa’aleagaga, i a latou tatalo, lo outou lumana’i, savali ma le toto’a ma ia outou tatalo ma saga tatalo i le Atua ina ia outou maua le atamai lea ua fa’ailoa mai, e aofia ai ma le fa’autauta, ina ia tou o ma le loto alofa i matua ma aiga.”

“O le taeao lenei o le taeao o le fiafia ma le agaga fa’afetai, o aiga ma matua fa’apea ma le vasega o matua faaleagaga ona, o ekalesia ma nuu ona o le taumafai a fanau, lea fo’i ua sauni e avea ma tagata matutua. Tama ma teina fa’au’u, o le aso lenei, e te le toe fa’amoemoe ai e fafagu oe i luga e lou matua, pe fa’atonu atu e ou matua au fe’au e fai i le taimi, ua tatau fo’i ona e mafaufau o le taimi lenei ua amata ai ona e avatua le mea tausami i luga o le laulau a ou matua, ma fa’afetai ia i la’ua mo le tausiga lelei sa e maua, ua e malosi ai, ua e poto ai, ma ua e olaola lelei ai.”

O le faasologa lea o le tautalaga matagofie a le afioga le Kovana Sili sa ia saunoa ai fa’apitoa i le fanua fa’ai’uaso.

Na muamua lava tima’ia i latou uma e le susuga le Fa’afeagaiga a’o le’i faia le tatalo amata, ma sa ia fa’ailoa atu i le fanau, le eseesega o le Poto e maua ona o le mata’u i le Atua ma le atamai e na’o na maua ai o le tusi pasi ma le agava’a, ae tele se misi o i ai.

“O le atamai mai le Atua poo le poto lea ua ta’ua e i tatou mai le amataga, o le atamai lea e i ai ma le fa’autauta, e iloa lelei ai filifiliga tatau, ma fa’aiuga lelei e faia e oe lava ia i lou olaga. Peita’i o le poto lea e na’o na maua o tusi pasi maualuluga ae aunoa ma se alofa atu i matua, toe fa’afo’i se tausiga a matua, ma ia iloa galuega lelei e ao ona e faia e lou talavou ua matua, o le poto lena o lo ua ta’atele i e e le matata’u i le Atua ma ua le poto i le silasila a le Silisili Ese.”

“Ia maua le poto mai le Atua, e te mafaia ai ona faia mea uma, ae ua fa’amanuia matua ma aiga, fa’amanuia fo’i le Atua i ou ala uma, aua ua e mata’u lava ia te ia.”

O le to’a 79 o e ua fa’au’u mai le A’oga Maualuga o Matata Eseese, o e ua agava’a e mafai loa ona galulue e afua atu i le aso lenei ua mae’a umia ai lou tusi pasi, aua ua aoaoina lelei i latou i matata eseese o lo’o mo’omia i totonu o le atunuu ma le Malo, ina ia fa’avae ai le fausaga mautu o le atunuu.

O matata eseese e aofia ai: Le Palama, Le fai Uila, Le Uela, :Le Kamuta, Le inisinia, Le Fai tino taavale, Le tusiata fale, Le kuka, Le suisui, Le Tausi tusi ma le Suetusi, le Ta Tusi e fa’aaoga ai Keyboard, Komipiuta ma Masini Ta Tusi. O le a’oga lenei, o i latou e papasi atu ai ma umia latou tipiloma ua mafai loa ona fa’amoemoe i ai le Malo e latou te amata galulue i nei matata, ina ia fa’afaigofie le fausaga o le tele o mea i totonu o le atunuu, i galuega o le fausia o se atunuu malosi ma le anagata e fa’afitauli fa’anatura e ono lutia ai.

Ua mafai fo’i ona fa’aauau atu a latou a’oa’oga mo fa’ailoga maualuluga atu, ma e mafai ona ulufale ma le toto’a i Iunivesite ma Kolisi aua o latou mataupu ua vave lava ona fa’avasega e tauavea mai i a’oga maualuluga, ma ua fa’afaigofie ai ona feso’ota’i latou aoaoga ma tomai mo’omia ona fa’aleleia atili mo tusi pasi maualuluga atu nai lo tipiloma ma AA poo AS lea e maua i le tatou Kolisi.

“O le soifuaga o fanau talavou ua i ai outou, ua outou iloa ona soifua tautua. E tou te o atu i fafo ma taumafai i galuega poo aoa’oga, ua iloa e le tagata ola mata’u i le Atua ona tautua aiga, tautua matua, tautua le ekalesia, tautua fo’i nuu ma afio’aga ma tagata lautele o le tatou Malo. O le tagata lena ua maua tonu le poto mai le Atua, ua fa’amanuia fo’i le Atua ia te ia”

“Va’ai sou taimi e te faafetai ai i ou matua, aua e te alu loa i lau malaga tausaili, ae ete lei iloa lava ona fa’afetaia ou matua sa tautiga mo oe, sa tatalo mo oe, sa tiga fa’atasi ma oe pe a oo ina lutaluta le tai o’oo’o ma ua saputu mai mea e fa’auilavea i lau folauga. Ia e manatua le fa’amanuia a matua e taua tele lea mo oe. Le fa’amanuia a lau Faife’au ma latou tatalo e fa’alauleleia ai nisi fa’aletonu o lau folauga.”

“Fa’afetai i lou malo ma ona ta’ita’i fa’apea le matagaluega o a’oga, le pulega o lau a’oga ma ou faia’oga uma, aua o lo latou tausaili ma le tautiga, ua latou aoao outou ma ua outou popoto ai. Ua sao i ama lau folauga ona o lo latou manatu, ia popoto outou ma ia manuia ai outou matua ma aiga, ma soloa’i mai ai lava i le malo ma tagata lautele.”

O lea fo’i se toe fa’amanatu a Kovana Lemanu ina ua tutula’i, “Ia outou fa’afetaia lou aiga ma nai ou matua, sa latou fai lava le faiva o le tu’i le mulipapaga ma tatalo ia outou oo mai i le aso. Lea ua sao mai i tatou ma ua oo i lo outou aso fa’amoemoeina, aua nei galo ia te outou i latou sa outou savavali fa’atasi mai ma tiga fa’atasi, taumafai fa’atasi, sa fa’apolopolo mea lelei mo lou taumafaiga ia au, alofa toe fa’afo’i le fa’afetai.”

O lea sa ia faafaliu ai le vasega fa’aiuaso ma ia fa’atonuina e pese le pese fa’afetai mo matua ma aiga o e pele ia i latou, ia iloa ua faia le faafetai mo matua ma aiga uma.

“Pe e faaauau lau a’oga pe ete faigaluega e amata ona tausia lou aiga, ia tumau lou loto taumafai ma le fa’amalosi i mea uma, ia e lototele e te mafaia so’o se mea ua e loto e fai. Saili pea ia maua le mea o e naunau iai. E leai lava se tasi o i tatou uma i lalo o lenei malu ma soifua a’e loa, ae fa’atu atu le ta’avale e feoa’i ai, pe avatu le steak e tausami, taumafai ma tausaili ma le loto i mea uma, e te maua lava ona o le fa’amalosi mai o Keriso ia te oe.”

“Aua nei galo le afai e le’i i ai se faitoto’a, fausia se faitoto’a, afai e le’i i ai lea ituaiga o matata ua e manatu e te galue ai, faatula’ia e oe lena tautua, afai e le matala mai se faitoto’a, tu’itu’i se’ia matala mai le faitotoa, ae ia faia nei gaoioiga uma ma le tatalo faatauanau i le Atua ia alofa mai. E maua lava le tali lelei ona o lou fa’atuatua e mafaia mea uma i le Atua.”

“Taofiofi mai le ita, o le natura lava lea o le Samoa o le vave o le ita, ita poto mai, ae aua lava nei ita fa’avalevalea mai outou. O le ita fa’avalevalea e i’u ai ina loka ona ua solitulafono, ae o le ita poto, e fai le loto i le mea na alu atu e saili, a maua loa, ona iloa lea e ita le tama ae sa poto lava.”

“A outou o, ia outou manatua ia o ma le tauleleia, ia outou toe fo’i mai ma le tauleleia. Sauni mo lu’iga i o outou ala, ia lava lo outou malosi fa’ale-agaga ma le tino fo’i, ia fiafia i le lelei, ae le o le leaga. Ia outou tauleleia aua lava ne’i tauleagaina se tasi. Ia outou manuia.”

O le polokalama sa tula’i ai le tamaitai Pulea’oga o Valasi Apulu na te fa’atautaia, ma o le afioga le Kovana Sili sa avea lava ma fofoga fa’apitoa mo le fanau fa’au’u i le latou aso fa’amoemoeina.

O le susuga le Faatonu sili o Aoga Talauega Dr. Samasoni Asaeli sa tula’i e talia le vasega fa’au’u e to’a 79 i latou ua papasi ma fa’ailoga Tipiloma e tusa ai ma le fa’atulagaga o agava’a e pasi ai le fanau mai vasega fa’aiuaso o a’oga maualuluga i le Matagaluega o A’oga a le malo o Amerika Samoa.

O le afioga le Senatoa mai Fofo, Fa’iivae Alexander Godinet sa tula’i mo le tolaulauina o le fanau ua agava’a mo Sikolasipi a le malo o Amerika Samoa, ma o ia fo’i o le ta’ita’ifono o lea lava Komiti.