Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Among the 68 cadets now studying at the Hawaii National Guard’s Youth Challenge Academy at Kalaeloa on the island of Oahu in Hawaii is Tafuna High School’s Ailini Pone. She is one of 16 girls from American Samoa who are going through the six-month program.

She told Hawaii News Now, “Their recruiter came down to our school, Tafuna High School, and they had a presentation. I decided to sign up for it. And I got in,” she said.

She said she needed direction and discipline, but she had to convince her family to let her move far from home to finish her high school education through the academy program.

“I told them that they should let me go. They should trust me to come here because I wanted to join the military so bad,” she said. “They said if this is what I want they’ll do it for me.”

After she graduates, she hopes to enlist in the Navy to help support her family.

But her time here hasn’t been easy. In February, she lost her father. It felt like her world came crashing down.

“Ever since my dad passed away it’s been really hard for me to the point where I want to quit everything and go home.”

But during her sadness, fellow cadets became her second family. And she’s glad she stuck it out. It’s what her father would have wanted her to do.

“I just wish my dad could see me change, to see me do better. But it’s okay, he’s watching from heaven,” the 18-year-old said.

The academy is preparing her for the Armed Services aptitude test that can take her a step closer to making her dream a reality.

BACKGROUND

This is the program that the Dept. of Defense originally determined that U.S. Nationals were not eligible to attend and they ousted 24 students from American Samoa in February 2023.

After lobbying from Governor Lemanu P. S. Mauga, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, as well as Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata, the decision was reversed.

Hawaii state DOD Director of Public Affairs Jeff Hickman told news media at the time, “Our request to have the exemption to allow American Samoa youth who are U.S. Nationals, has been granted, they will now be accepted into the Hawaii Youth Challenge program.”

There were 11 students who were returned to American Samoa, after they were ousted from the program, and Hickman said after the waiver from DOD, they were working on a process to bring these 11 back, while the 13 students that were still in Hawaii awaiting return to American Samoa were taken back into the program.

Parents of the 11 students who returned home were contacted and sent electronic tickets for their flight back to Honolulu. It’s unknown if all 11 returned to continue the program.