“I discovered that I had a desire to learn more about what I can do in order to support the Special Education system of my island and country.”

Hometown

Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), municipality of Nett

Department

Special Education

As the recipient of a Project Equal Access stipend, how has the funding helped you along your educational journey?
The Project Equal Access stipend has helped significantly in terms of paying for tuition and other such academic necessities. Recently, one of the scholarships I was receiving was cut down in half due to funding issues, so this stipend pretty much saved the day for me in terms of filling in that gap. I am extremely grateful to have been considered and offered the stipend!

How did you become interested in the field of Special Education?
Growing up, I was always fond of the idea of working in the education system. However, what really pushed me into wanting to work in education, more specifically Special Education, was the experience my family went through when my younger brother was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. The FSM does not have a lot of resources for Special Education, so my brother wasn’t able to have the education and professional help that he needed. Having gone through that struggle as a family member, I discovered that I had a desire to learn more about what I can do in order to support the Special Education system of my island and country.

Do you work or participate in any clubs or organizations in or outside of school?
Aside from school, I occasionally work at a daycare for the University Baptist Church. It’s not on a regular basis, but I do enjoy the work when they need me to help out. As for school clubs/organizations, I am quite active in numerous Pacific Island clubs, including Pan Pacific Association (PPA), Pasifika Allies Association (PA’A), Fealofani O Sāmoa (FOS), and Micronesian Connections Association (MCA). I was actually the president of MCA for the recent school year ’24-’25. I am also a part of UHM’s local sorority, Beta Beta Gamma (BBG), as well as the Mortar Board Honor Society. All of these extracurricular activities have really made my time in school fulfilling as I was able to network and build social skills across various settings and communities.

How is the COE program impacting or benefitting your career path?
The COE program has taught me so much over the past couple of years. I feel like I have grown professionally both through coursework and field work experiences. My field work especially pushed me to improve myself in areas that I needed to in order to fulfill my future career goals!

Is there anyone in particular who inspired you to pursue a career in special?
As mentioned before, my younger brother is my inspiration. Additionally, recently, there have been quite a number of young children diagnosed with autism in Pohnpei, as well as the rest of the FSM. There exists a need to improve the Special Education system, and this program is bringing me a step closer to that goal. Aside from my younger brother, my maternal grandmother – who also has a degree in Special Education – continues to act as a role model for me. She is actually an education professor at the College of Micronesia-Federated States of Micronesia (COM-FSM). She has worked with faculty at UH Mānoa’s COE in the past, so that helped to solidify my decision to join the COE program in the first place.

What are your future plans with your degree?
I aspire to work for the National Department of Education (DOE) for the FSM after finishing my time at UH Mānoa. Initially, I had Special Education as a major and Political Science as a minor; however, I found out that I only had four courses left before I would be able to receive another Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. Having said that, I turned into a double major. I have already fulfilled my Bachelor of Education requirements and will finish the last of my Bachelor of Arts requirements this coming fall semester before returning home to work.

Eventually, after gaining some experience in the workforce back home, I want to pursue my master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on Education and NGO work.

Anything else you would like to include?
Thank you so much for this opportunity to share my story! I am truly honored and forever grateful for all that the university’s COE program has done for me!