I was fortunate to hear about the program thru a webinar held in Washington DC on AAPI issues. Alisi Tulua spoke about their community work to empower Pacific Islander communities and encouraged us to apply for their program. Aunty Sweetie Kuehu and I applied. I would not be in this program if Aunty Sweetie gave her spot to me and instead participated as an observer. I cannot thank her enough for giving her spot to me. This was an important reminder: never forget who lifted you. Mahalo a piha ia oe e Anake Sweetie no kou kakoo ana mai.
It has been a whirlwind of a August and September. I can't believe it is already October. I wanted to take a moment and reflect. I have traveled quite a bit. Here is part 1 of some reflections from my travels.
In early August, I had the chance to travel to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California to attend an indigenous leadership training with the group "EPIC" (Empowering Pacific Islander Communities). Follow them on twitter at @elevateyourvoice.
I was fortunate to hear about the program thru a webinar held in Washington DC on AAPI issues. Alisi Tulua spoke about their community work to empower Pacific Islander communities and encouraged us to apply for their program. Aunty Sweetie Kuehu and I applied. I would not be in this program if Aunty Sweetie gave her spot to me and instead participated as an observer. I cannot thank her enough for giving her spot to me. This was an important reminder: never forget who lifted you. Mahalo a piha ia oe e Anake Sweetie no kou kakoo ana mai.
Even though the program was 5 long days, we became ohana. We are all come from Oceania in Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia but are also US citizens. For some we grew up in the islands; meanwhile, for others they grew up in the continental United States. I was surprised to meet old friends too, like Danny Boy. And I appreciated the island touches that the EPIC team that elevated our narratives.
It was my first time to #USC and it is an amazing campus. This year I was privileged to travel to two institutions of "pedigree" (by USA standards). I still believe that it doesn't matter where you get your education, it's what you do with it. And I use "education" in the most de-colonized construct of a sense. Here are some of my reflections that I wrote on Instagram to give you insights of my emotions on my personal journal to become a Professor.
Day 1 reflection
Day 2 Reflection
Day 3 Reflection
Day 4 Reflection
Last Day 5: Reflection
From this experience, I learned that: I A M N O T A L O N E! The struggle is real. I no tell you because you live it--you know. I do, however, want to remind you that you are not alone this journey. I encourage you to find a group to connect with to support you as pursue higher education. Don't be afraid to reach out.
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Lelemia Irvine, Blog Author
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