Rain or Shine-A High School Senior keeps it Pushin'

It’s the second semester, four months before graduation day. Class of 2007, its senior year in high school! Most seniors are on major “stress mode” from fulfilling graduation requirements, saving up for prom, making up credits for classes, to waiting on acceptance letters from colleges and universities. For Folauhola Maevaetangi Mei Loto Okalani Fiefia (aka Hola), she is on “chillaxin’ mode” waiting the day of her graduation, but anxious to get to the next level in her educational goals. In just one semester, Hola has made a drastic improvement in her grade point average (GPA). She went from a below average GPA student coming into her senior year at East Palo Alto High School in California to a whopping 3.5 GPA. With A’s and B report cards flowing in her senior year, she starts to plan out her educational goals after graduation. She is also a youth advocate, and the co-founder of the P.O.L.Y Program (Polys who Outreach for Leadership for Youth). We wanted Hola to write her story as she is living it right now, so here is her story in her own words:

“My name is Folauhola Maevaetangi Mei Loto Okalani Fiefia and I was born in Los Angeles, California, moved out to the Bay Area six years ago. Within all this moving around, I have encountered many types of discriminations and stereotypes, for example my family and I have faced racial, age, gender, and social economical discrimination where ever we resided. Discrimination leads to fear and fear leads to loneliness. I have overcome that fear of discrimination by pursuing to continue with my dream and go to school everyday and get my education. During my high school years, I have matured greatly because of the various obstacles I have endured everyday. For example, being a high school student is not the easiest thing to go through. Some teenagers worry about the people he/she socializes with both in school or out of school. This could be quite distracting and most of the time it will affect his/her education negatively.

Where I was raised, we had to be bad to be respected and if you had nothing, you would fight for anything. I came from a family, who struggled to make a dollar out of a penny. Many elders in my family moved to America from Tonga in the 70’s and 80’s for better opportunities. Starting off here in America, it was hard for them to get good jobs that paid a lot of money to provide for the family’s needs. However, they didn’t have any secured benefits or health insurance, so it was even more difficult for us to be financially secure. But regardless of our economical struggles and racial discrimination, my family was up for the challenge. Through my family’s struggles, it has taught me two words that are crucial to have in life, respect and patience.

So therefore everything that I have learned already, include but are not limited to 1) always respect elders, 2)keep pursuing my goals regardless of the obstacles in life, and 3) never forget my roots. I am determined to carry all these lessons with me as I am on my way to fulfilling my destiny.

I feel that my purpose in life is to create change, make things happen, keep things in progress and lead a path for my people, and to show my brothers and sisters in the struggle that anything is possible. I, Folauhola Maevaetangi Mei Loto Okalani Fiefia, has vowed to continue my education, receive my PhD and break the chain that says we are not capable of anything because we are all capable of everything and something in this world, so let’s be that change!”

Hola will be completing her senior year at East Palo Alto High School, and will be making her way to Foothill College to get her 2-year degree, transfer to a four-year university out of state, and work her way towards her goal of receiving her doctorate degree. It’s Hola now, but Dr. Fiefia in the future! All the best and support to this Scholar-in-the Making!

Ursula Siataga is a case manager, youth advocate, and an independent filmmaker. She graduated from UCLA in Asian American Studies.