Miss Miranda Galo of Matu'u (right), along with her mother, celebrates receiving the fall 2014 scholarship from the ASCC Alumni Association. (Photo: J. Kneubuhl)
Officers of the ASCC Alumni Association celebrate with the recipient of their fall 2014 scholarship, Miss Miranda Galo (front, center). (Photo: J. Kneubuhl)
Miss Miranda Galo of Matu'u (right), along with her mother, celebrates receiving the fall 2014 scholarship from the ASCC Alumni Association. (Photo: J. Kneubuhl)
ASCC Alumni Association Announces Fall 2014 Scholarship Recipient
December 23, 2014
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer
The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) Alumni Association offers one of several scholarships available to students who do not quality for the federal financial aid available to those born as US nationals or citizens. Students born in the US and its territories have access to resources such as the Pell Grant to help them meet the cost of college, but for those who do not qualify for this assistance pursuing a college education can be a formidable financial challenge. With this in mind, the ASCC Alumni Association raises funds each semester to provide assistance to one promising non-Pell student in the form of a $500 scholarship. At a ceremony earlier this month, the Association awarded its fall 2014 scholarship to Ms. Miranda Galo of Matu’u.
Born in the Independent State of Samoa, Ms. Galo has spent most of her life here in the Territory, and while at ASCC she has earned the commendation of her instructors for not only maintaining a highly respectable grade point average of 3.81, but for also taking the opportunity to work hard on behalf of others. A member of the ASCC chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, Ms. Galo also participates in the activities of the Business Ambassadors of ASCC, serving as a tutor for other Business majors. Ms. Galo said her long term goal is to become a successful accountant, and that she would gladly work at ASCC if the opportunity were to come. “I would like to come back to ASCC to offer other non-Pell students advice and motivation,” she explained, “because if I can make it they can too.”
Alumni Association President Mrs. Lefua Amio Mavaega-Luvu explained that the organization recognizes the situation faced by students born outside of the USA and its territories. “We see the financial need these students have,” she said. “In many cases they cannot pursue their education any further than high school because of limited funding. For those determined to not let the challenges stop them, our scholarship helps them and their parents meet the costs. We also hope to motivate other students in the same situation who show academic promise to continue with their education.”
Besides Mrs. Mavaega-Luvu, the Alumni Association officers include Mr. Evile Feleti (Vice President), Mrs. Mana’o Vaovasa (Secretary), Tina Tapua’i (Treasurer), and Mrs. Matesina Willis (Alumni Liaison). Membership is open to all ASCC alumni both on and off island. More information on the Association can be found on their Facebook page, or by emailing Mrs. Willis at m.willis@amsamoa.edu. On behalf of herself and the Association officers, Mrs. Mavaega-Luvu expressed her thanks to ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea’i, as well as all of the organization’s members, supporters and sponsors for their support.