E to’a 15 fanau fa’au’u a le vasega 12 mai le a’oga maualuga a Iakina Adventist Academy ma sa faia lea latou sauniga o le fa’au’uga i le Gov. Rex Lee Auditorium i Utulei ia Iuni 4 ma sa fa’atumulia i le auai o aiga ma uo.

O lomiga a le Samoa News mo fa’au’uga a alo ma fanua o le atunu’u mai aoga maualuluga i lenei tausaga o lo’o lagolago malosi e le kamupani a le Paramount Builders Inc.

I le sauniga mamalu o le fa’auuga i le Lee Auditorium, sa aofia fa’atasi ai le vasega o sui tofia o le malo, i le afioga le Sui Kovana Sili Lemanu Peleti Mauga, le afioga le Faipule i le Konekeresi Aumua Amata ma le Fa’atonusili o A’oga, Dr Ruth Matagi-Tofiga, ma le Fa’atonu Soofa’atsi o A’oga a le Ekalesia Aso Fitu i le Pasefika, Mere Vaihola, fa’apea le susuga le Faife’au Pr. Uili Solofa o le Fa’atonu o A’oga a le Ekalesia Aso Fitu i lenei Itumalo e aofia fa’atasi ai Samoa ma Amerika Samoa.

Na tatala le aso taua i le tatalo sa si’itia e le susuga Pr. Solofa ma o le polokalama fa’asolo sa fofogaina lea e le tofa Pa’u Ausage, o se tasi o Totino o le Komiti Fa’afoe o A’oga a le Ekalesia Aso Fitu o le Toe Afio Mai i Amerika Samoa.

O le vasega atoa e sefulu ma le lima i latou sa fa’afofogaina se tima’iga mai lana auauna e tau ina taoso ai le latou sa a’o savalia ala o talavou ua aga’i atu mo a’oa’oga maualuluga iinei po’o fafo fo’i i kolisi ma iunivesite. “A’o oe, ia e fa’autauta i mea uma lava, ia e onosa’i i mea e tiga ai, ia e fai le galuega a le folafola le tala lelei, ia e matua fa’aiuina ou faiva.”

“E mautinoa ua mae’a faia le galuega a faia’oga ma matua i le latou lagolagosua i a’oa’oga ma le fa’atonu ia faia mea a’oga i aso ta’itasi, lea o le matu’u ese atu, ia e matua fa’amaoni lava oe i lau matati’a ua mae’a ona e naunau e fa’atino. Ia faia ma le loto i ai, ia matua e fa’ai’uina ou faiva ma le tausa’afia!”

O le lauga a le tama’ita’i Pule A’oga sa soso’o ai ma sa ia saunoa fa’afeiloai ae maise o le fa’afetai i le to’atele na auai, ae fa’apea fo’i le Laumua sa latou galulue fa’atasi mai, ma le PTA sa latou taumafai e fa’atino nisi o vaega o le galuega toe fa’aleleia o mea uma aua a’oga a le fanau, le Komiti fa’afoe o A’oga sa latou gapatia fa’atasi ina ia ausia le sini o mea uma i le galuega, ia ausia e le fanau togi e pasi ai ma taua’aoina latou tusi pasi e pei ona sauni i ai i lea sauniga mamalu. Na fa’alauiloa fo’i le ua ausia togisilia i le vasega fa’aiuaso.

O le tama’ita’i ua avea tulaga muamua o Lydia Cherylmoanleiah Faalogo Toloumu mai Futiga. Ua atoa le tolu o tausaga o avea o ia ma sui iloga o le National Honor Society. O nisi o ana galuega iloga a’o aoaoina i le Iakina Academy e aofia ai, le tulaga muamua i le Territorial History Day i le Vaega a le Behaviorial Health, Manumalo fo’i i le tauvaga Tusitala, Young Writers i lana vasega 10. Sue a lana suega a le ASVAB ma ua maua ai le togi 50 ua mafai ai ona ulufale i le Air Force. Ua fa’ailoa mai e se tasi o lona aiga o le GPA e 4.0. O se fa’amatalaga a lenei tama’ita’i talavou, o ana taumafaiga uma, ua ofoina atu lea e vi’ia ai le Atua ona o lona fa’amanuia mai i le taumafaiga.

O ia lea sa mauaina le SAT sili ona maualuga i le vasega fa’aiuaso. O ia fo’i sa la’ua mauaina fa’atasi le fa’ailoga fa’apitoa mo le ua sili ona amiolelei i le vasega fa’aiuaso, ua toalua i la’a ma le tama’ita’i o Mafi Latu.

O lana mau ua ofoina atu mo le vasega o talavou taumafai i a’oga fa’apea fo’i ma lona olaga taumafai i le lumana’i, ua tamau lea i le Salamo 121:8&9 - “Ona o ou uso ma au aumea mamae, ou te fa’apea atu ai lava, ‘Ia ia te oe le manuia. Ona o Ie fale o Ieova lo tatou Atua, ou te saili ai le manuia mo oe’.”

O le na ausia le tulaga lua i le vasega fa’aiuaso o le tama’ita’i o Linda Peleiupu Sefo ma o ia lea o le Peresetene o le Vasega Fa’aiuaso. O ia fo’i o le Peresetene o le National Honor Society a Iakina Adventist Academy. Ua atoa fo’i le 3 tausga talu ona avea o ia ma titino o le NHS. E tele ana galuega iloga i lona soifua a’oa’oina i le Iakina academy, ma ua faailoa fo’i i lana lauga o se tama’ita’i ua agava’a i le tulaga tau avea ma ta’ita’i. Sa ia mauaina le fa’ailoga fa’apitoa mo le Ta’ita’i mata’alia ma le tausa’afia.

I lana fautuaga i le vasega fa’aiuaso, “Aua ne’i e fefe, ua fa’aauupegaina oe, ua ia te oe Ieova, ia e tau ma ia e iloa e maua e le tagata mata’u ia Ieova mea uma!”

IAKINA GRADUATES 15 WHO WERE "FOUNDED FROM A FIRM BEGINNING"

by T. Gasu   

Iakina Adventist Academy hosted its commencement ceremony to bid farewell to 15 seniors Sunday afternoon, June 4, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium – before a packed house of families, relatives, and friends of the graduating class.

Bluesky Communications is a proud sponsor of this year’s graduation season and would like to congratulate all graduates and best wishes in your future endeavors.

Master of Ceremonies, Tofa Pa’u Ausage  welcomed Lt. Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who touched the hearts of the graduates during his special remarks when he said, “Achievements are not easy and blessings are not given easily – you have to fight for it, you have to strive for it, with all your might and strength - you compete for it.”

Lemanu continued, “You compete inside the classroom, you compete with a humble heart, with all the glory given back to the Almighty – you are ready! I don’t know if you are ready to leave the island or ready to take on the next level of your education, but I know you are ready for anything that’ll stand in your way.”

 Lemanu told the graduates, “Your theme today says ‘Founded From a Firm Beginning’ – I know and believe that the challenges coming your way in the future will be conquered. You know why? Because you were founded from a firm beginning.”

The keynote speaker of the day was Tualauta Representative Samuel Ioka Ale Meleisea, who not only livened the service by bringing a smile to everyone's face, but was able to connect with the graduates, being the youngest ever to win a faipule seat in the American Samoa Legislature.

In his address, Meleisea told the graduates to "always remember the firm foundation in your lives from the very beginning –  in your families, in your church, and in school”.

He added, "Regardless of the circumstances, be strong. Stand up and be firm and don’t ever let the circumstances determine your future. You determine your future. However, whenever you find yourselves in low spirits, always turn to the Lord – for He will give you the strength to continue on. I can tell you that there were numerous times when I found myself ready to give up; and there is no better example of someone who has never given up than Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen. Ask her how many times she’s ran and lost, but never gave up. She will tell you how hard it was. She was always able to find the inner strength to continue on. It is those moments that God gives you the inner strength within each of us.”

Meleisea's speech was followed by the acceptance of the 15 graduates by Director of Education Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga.

SPECIAL AWARDS:

Citizenship Award: Lydia Faalogo & Mafi Latu

1st Place in Bible Award: Lydia Faalogo

Leadership Award: Linda Sefo

Service Award: Mafi Latu

Sportsmanship Award: Jennade Ausage

Most Improved Award: Mafi Latu

Congratulations to the Iakina Adventist Academy Class of 2017

CLASS OF 2017:

Anarosa Nu'u

Cecilia Lei

Donovan Tagaloa

Hanna Taupaki

Jennade Ausage

Joyce Unasa

Kato Lasalo

Linda Sefo

Lydia Faalogo

Mafi Latu

Nelson Moala

Perelini Taga

Sarahliz Leota

Sierra Tiapu'e

Wame Natuwawa