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Faga’itua High School — “Igniting the Flame” for 116 graduates

Some of the 116 Faga'itua High School 2021 grads
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At the 53rd Faga’itua High School Commencement Exercise, 116 seniors for the Class of 2021 received their high school diplomas during the graduation ceremony at the school’s gym, yesterday morning. The graduates are seen in this photo standing at the start of the ceremony, under the theme “Igniting the Flame to Empower Leaders for Tomorrow”.

Fagaitua High School is one of the most recognized government high schools in the territory, as well as off-island, through its highly energized alma matar that has played a huge role in keeping the school on the mark not only through its strong support of the school’s powerhouse football team but also its academic standards. Igniting the flame to empower its student body and graduates is a given at the home of the Vikings.

This year’s class has three Co-Valedictorians - Jayden Alefosio, Luisa Kisa Luafa and Faaeseinaletotolua Webster-Yandall — each with a 4.0 GPA. 

Faga’itua High School Class of 2021, Co-Valedictorians, [l-r] Jayden Alefosio, Luisa Kisa Luafa and Faaeseinaletotolua Webster Yandall. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

The class has two Co-Salutatorians — Sharon Jeannie Lavea and Toalei Sigafili Toelupe — each with a 3.99 GPA.

Faga’itua High School Class of 2021 Co-Salutatorian, Sharon Jeannie Lavea. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

Faga’itua High School Class of 2021 Co-Salutatorian, Toalei Sigafili Toelupe [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga delivered special remarks and he was the only main speaker, with remarks also offered by high school principal Suaese ‘Pooch’ Ta’ase.  (Excerpts from governor’s remarks elsewhere in today’s website.

Yesterday’s heavy rain, which prompted the National Weather Service in Tafuna to issue a flash-flood warning around 7:15a.m — didn’t deter the graduates or their family members and friends showing up for the commencement ceremony.

Some of the female graduates of Faga’itua High School Class of 2021, during their graduation commencement ceremony yesterday at the school’s gym. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

116 FANAU FA’AU’U MAI MA TIPILOMA MAI FAGAITUA - LAUMUA O LE TOA O LE VASA

Tusia: Leua Aiono Frost

E ui ina louloua le tau, sa iloga e le fa’atalatu’u le Toa o le Vasa i tau louloua, e alafa’i ma tapena ma iloa lelei le mea e ao ina i ai. O le taeao fesilafa’i o le taeao ua lau i ula ae pou i Toa, o le taeao fa’amoemoeina lea mo le Laumua i Fagaitua, ua la’asia ai e i latou le isi la’asaga fou o le olaga aoa’oina.

O le avanoa muamua fo’i ina ua mae’a le lauga fa’alaei’au a le susuga le Pulea’oga Suaese ‘Pooch’ Ta’ase, na tuuina lea i le susuga le Fa’afeagaiga tofia mo le upu tima’i ma le tatalo amata o le aso.

Some of the male graduates of Faga’itua High School Class of 2021, during their graduation commencement ceremony yesterday at the school’s gym. [photo: Leua Aiono Frost]

“Ua uma ona timaia outou i apoapoa’iga lelei uma i le sauniga o le Pakaloli i le aso Sa, lea la ua tatou oo mai i le aso, o le toe fautuaga lava lenei mo outou uma, “Ia e fa’atuatua i le Atua ma lou loto atoa, ma lou malosi atoa, ae aua e te fa’alagolago i lou lava atamai.” Roma 3:5.”

“E toatele na’ua alo ua atamamai o le tatou atunuu, ae ua i’u ane le atamai o lo ua nofosala i le falepuipui, o le fesili, aisea? Ioe ua maua le atamai, ae ua fa’agalo le Atua, ua fa’alagolago i lona atamai e na te mafaia ai so’o se mea.”

“Aua nei ‘ai ulu tuana’i ta’isi. Aua ne’i maua ula futifuti! Ia iloa le mea lenei ou te fa’ailoa atu ia te outou i le aso lenei, E le taitai ona lelei se mea e maua e le tagata e na te maua le atamai fa’agalo le Atua.”

“Ia e maua mea, manatua ou matua, lou aiga ma nisi o mana’omia le fesaosoani, ia fa’asilisili ai, ia e ola mata’u i le Atua, o lou manatua lava lea o lou  Ali’i i mea uma. E te maua loa lena tulaga, e le vale lau taumafaiga, e te ola manuia, e maua mea lelei.”

Ina ua mae’a lana tatalo e amatalia ai le sauniga mamalu sa tuuina loa le avanoa mo se lauga tima’i a le afioga le Kovana Sili Lemanu Peleti Mauga, o le tama mai sasa’e.

Mai lona soifua a’e sa fanau mai i Nuuuli, sa amata a’oa’oga i Matafao Elementary Faga’alu, sa ulufale i le a’oga maualuga i Hawaii ma fa’au’u ai, peita’i na toe taliu mai ma amata i le Kolisi Tuufa’atasi ma taua’ao ai lona fa’ailoga AA Liberal Arts. Siitia a’oa’oga mo se fa’ailoga i le Political Science i le UH Manoa, na fa’aauau sailiga ma maua fa’ailoga Master in Public Administration, fa’au’u o ia o se Tiakono i Sa’ilele EFKAS ma ua fa’aipoipo atu o ia i le tamaitai o se fitafita sa tiute a le US Army Ella Naea Pelefoti Failautusi - Mauga. Ia Nevema 3, 2020 ua fa’amanuiaina ai le la’ua taumafaiga ma le tofa Talauega Eleasalo Ale ina ia avea ma Kovana ma le Sui Kovana o le Malo o Amerika Samoa. Ia Ianuari 03, 2021 ua fa’au’uina ai i la’ua e avea ma Kovana Sili o le malo fa’ateritori o Amerika Samoa.

“O lana fe’au sa fa’amamafa i le fanau, o le latou manulauti sa filifili e ‘auga i ai le latou taumafaiga nei ma le aga’i atu i le lumana’i. “Fa’amumu pea le Malamalama - Ae a ta’ita’i fai mai o le Atunuu!” O le taumafaiga ina ia susulu pea le malamalama, i so’o se mea ia fa’amumu pea le lamepa o le malamalama, ia iloa lelei le ala, ia le tausulusulu le mamalu lautele o le atunuu, ae ia tuu i luga le lamepa ma ia susulu atu lea malamalama i tagata uma.”

“O le uiga o le Toa ole Vasa poo le Vikings, timuga pe afa, aupouli pe susulu malosi le la, e iloa e le Toa o le Vasa le fa’amoemoe, ma e le fa’atuai fo’i ona oo i ai! E ala usu e le fa’atuai, e oso i le pasi usu e le tuu i le pasi e o atu ai e faigaluega, aisea? Ua masani i le olaga saili manuia, le olaga tauasa i fita aua ua masani i le sailimalo.”

“Ua masani i aga ma ala o le tautua, e usupo ma e le fa’atalitali masele se’i lelei le tau, so’o se taimi e sofa’i lava le fa’amoemoe, ia le tuai. Lea ua tatou i ai i lenei taeao e patipatia lo outou fa’amoemoe ua maua, o se ‘ai mo talosaga a matua ma aiga, matua fa’aleagaga sa tuuina atu ina ia manuia outou le tupulaga o lo’o saili atamai mo le laumana’i o le atunuu ma ekalesia, aiga ma matua.”

“A’o le’i fa’ae’e au foe, muamua ona e faliu ma avatu le fa’afetai tele i le tapua’iga mau, ma le nofo tatalo a matua ma aiga, i latou sa nono manu mo le manuia o outou i aoaoga ma galuega, Matua fa’aleagaga, ae maise le Matagaluega o A’oga ma le Malo i a latou taupulega ma le Laumua nei sa outou utuvai ai mo le 4 tausaga ua mavae nei, fa’afetai le fa’afailele fanau, fa’afetai le onosa’i ma le tou aoao, ua tino mai a outou galuega, faafetai mo nei manuia, ua malie o i manu ua ulu, faafetai.”

Sa faatepa e Lemanu le vasega i le nofoaga o tuugamau ua lagomau ai sui na maliliu i le taua, o fitafita uma mai tafa o taua, Arlington, lea e i ai le moli e mumu pea i taimi uma, e le mate. O lena sulu ua fai ma va’aiga i le tautua e le o mate, pe fa’aluafesasi ona fa’atino. O le sulu e mumu pea e le gata i le va’aiga a’o le agaga.

“Ia susulu pea le malamalama e ta’iala ia te outou, e 365 aso o mumu pea, i le olaga atoa o le malo tele o Amerika, ia fa’apena lo outou fa’amoemoe, ia le fesiligia lou lumana’i, ae galue e fa’amumu pea le sulu ia e ola ai ma taumafai.”

“O lea o le a e savali na’o o oe, ua le toe i ai le fesoasoani a nai ou matua, ua mae’a tapena oe mo le faigamalaga. Ia iloa lelei, aua e te toe fesili mai mo se sao o le tatou Malo, matua ma aiga mo oe, ae amata ona e savali punoua’i i le lumana’i ma e taumafai, ia fai sou sao mo nai ou matua, aiga ma lou malo.”

“O Peresetene Kennedy lava sa ia fa’afesili mai i tagata uma, “Aua e te fesiligia e se mea e faia e lou malo mo oe, ae fesili ana poo le a sou sao mo lou malo?” Ia e alu ma le toto’a aua ua mae’a tapena oe fa’aleaoaoga, ua mae’a tapena oe i au gagana e lua, ma ua mae’a tapena fo’i oe i lou silafia o lou Atua, e te gafatia ai mea uma i lou lumana’i i fafo atu o le tatou atunuu. Fa’aaoga au auupega ua mae’a ia te oe i lau folauga. O maia ina o, ia outou manuia.”

O le vaega na soso’o ai sa fa’amauina ai e le Fa’atonu o a’oga Talauega Dr Samasoni Asaeli le to’a 116 o le fanau fa’au’u mai Fagaitua High i lenei tausaga.

O e na lautogia mo le togisilia i le vasega fa’aiuaso 2021 i le Laumua o le Toa o le Vasa, sa fa’alauiloa mai ai e to’atolu tamaitai ua latou maua le tulaga muamua i lenei tausaga:

Jaedyn M. Alefosio; Luisa Kisa Luafa ma Fa’aeseinaletotolua Webster-Yandall. O i latou nei e maua e i latou GPA 4.0 mai le tolu tausaga atoa talu ona a’o’oga mai Fagaitua High.

O le tulaga Lua ua maua lea e le to’alua o sui: Sharon Jeannie Lavea ma Toalei Sigafili Toelupe, o le taule’ale’a mata’alia ma na la’ua mauaina le GPA 3.99.

O avanoa fa’asikolasipi na taua’aoina ma sa tolaulauina lea e le sui taitaifono o le Komiti o Sikolasipi a le tatou malo mo fanau ua agava’a ai, ua mauaina avanoa mo a’oa’oga i fafo e Fa’aeseinaletotolua Webster-Yandall, mo le sailiga o lona fa’ailoga maualuga i le Criminal Justice.

O Toalei Toelupe ua mauaina le sikolasipi ina ia sailia ai lona fa’ailoga Information Technology, ma Olyann Te’eva Ta’ase ua ia mauaina le sikolasipi e fa’aauau ai ana a’oa’oga i le tatou Kolisi Tuufa’atasi.

O le fa’ailoga a le Rotary Club ua mae’a filifilia ai e le fanau a’oga o le vasega faaiuaso le tamaitai o Makerita Unutoa e  na te umia lea fa’ailoga fa’apitoa mai le tatou Kalapu lea, e tusa o lana tautua mo le lautele.

O le faasologa o isi fanau ua maua togi maualuluga i le vasega, ua fa’asolo mai ai le tulaga tolu i le vasega fa’au’u o le tamaitai o Hannah Papa Fiaui ma Kandielynn Noelani Ueligitone.

Tulaga 4 o Eirene Ta’ase, tulaga lima o Vanessa Peleiupu Faiivae ma Makerita T. Unutoa. Tulaga ono e toalua foi: Agafili Nitaleen Ale ma Dorothy Latana Viliamu. Tulaga fitu o Olyann Silika Teeva Taase. Tulaga valu o Siaana Uopele McFarland. Tulaga iva o Jackbill Simati Alailesulu. Tulaga 10 o Jessica Pulemau Siuta.

O le faailoga fa’apitoa mo le tamaititi e lelei lana Igilisi ua mauaina lea e Fa’aeseinaletotolua Webster, O le tamaititi e sili le amio lelei ua mauaina lea e Tauati Vaiula. Tama ta’alo lelei ua maua lea e Acott Pese, ma le tamaitai ta’alo lelei ma le tausa’afia o Olyann Ta’ase.

O togi silia i le SAT na maua lea e Toalei S. Toelupe e 1,200 ma lana ACT 25. O le togi na soso’o ai a le ACT o Fa’aeseina e 22 ACT. Sharon T. Lavea na maua le ACT 20 fa’apena ai ma kandielynn Ueligitone ma Olyann Ta’ase.

Ua tofusia atoa le fanau atoa e 116 i latou ma le tusi fa’amalo ma taualoa ai le latou taumafaiga mai le afioga le Faipule o Amerika Samoa i le Konekeresi a le malo tele, Uifaatali Aumua Amata Radewagen.