Valasi Alailima

Hello and Talofa Lava, Valasi Alailima is a proud Samoan, having graduated with Honors from Helix Charter High School.  She will be attending Azusa Pacific University this Fall majoring in business management. Valasi enjoyed playing on the volleyball team, and at the club level. She was also a memberof the Poly Club and the Gridiron Ministry. Valasi volunteered at Alvarado Hospital and in her school’s medical pathway program for sports medicine. She helped her parents for many years during the Miss PIFA pageant and the PIFA festival with the Samoan cultural village, entertainment last year as well as The Samoa Association San Diego. Now that this chapter of her life is over, she is grateful for the scholarship opportunity from PIFA to pursue and further her education but will always remember and treasure this time of her life. Faafetai!

Alyssa Mehealani Gutierrez

Ahola Everyone!  Alyssa Mehealani Gutierrez is honored and blessed to be representing the beautiful islands of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Community.  She graduated from High Tech High School, Chula Vista, with a 4.27 GPA, and this is her first year receiving the PIFA scholarship.  Go Bruins!  Alyssa will be attending San Diego State University in the Fall majoring in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy.  She has volunteered for PIFA for the last three years when her brother Daniel was a scholarship recipient.  Alyssa would like to thank God for granting me this amazing opportunity, to PIFA for giving the chance to further my education, and to my family for always being there for me.  Mahalo!

Jaymee Marrero

Hafaadai!  I am Jaymee Marrero representing the Chamorro Community. I graduated from Morse High School and will be attending San Diego State University in the Fall. My major is pre-criminal justice and I hope to get a career dealing with forensics in the future. In high school, I did four years of cross country and two years of track. Outside of school, I danced with my local Guma ImahenTaotao Tano for seven years now. Our group performs at PIFA every year.  It has become a passion for me to preserve my Chamorro culture and I want to be able to spread awareness and teach others about Pacific Islanders.

Angelica Asoau

Angelica Asoau, daughter of Arlene and Pulemau Asoau, is representing the Samoan Community having graduated with honors from Monte Vista High School.She will be attending California State University, Fresno, in the Fall majoring in Psychology.  Angelica will be the first child in her household to graduate from High School and continue onto college.  Angelica played volleyball and softball for four years, which she was team captain for softball her senior year. She was a Youth Leader at her church where she taught Samoan dance, as well as worship songs, and was on the Worship team.  Angelica volunteered at the PIFA festival for the last three years, her first year and the soda booth, then her last two years and the T-shirt booth.  While attending college, she plans to continue volunteering for PIFA.  Angelica would like to thank the PIFA for the opportunity she has been given.

Adonijah Ma’a

Tafola Lava! Adonijah Ma’a, is the sixth child of Michelle and Amerika Ma’a, representing the Samoan Community.  He graduated with honors from Monte Vista High School and will be attending San Diego State University in the Fall pursuing a degree in Business.  Adonijah’s leadership skills come from being a Senior Class Officer, working on the Yearbook, and being in many different clubs such as the Polynesiandance club, step club, and two hip hop/urban dance club.  He played four years of volleyball and was on the varsity cheer squad.  Family is important to Adonijah;and religion also plays a very important part of their Samoan culture.  He is on the worship team and teaches dance to the youth.  The church gives them opportunity to stay connected with God and provides a means to give back to the community.  Adonijah has volunteered with PIFA for the last three years at the T-shirt booth.  He liked volunteering at PIFA because it excited him to see people from different cultures getting together and unite in one place.  Adonijah’s culture and family are the roots to his success. 

Victoria Cone

Victoria Cone, also known as “Tori”, represents the Hawaiian Community.  She is a second-year college student at California State University Long Beach.  Tori is currently studying as a dance major and aiming to pursue my Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Dance.  During her spare time, she does photography and likes to travel.  Tori has volunteered numerous years at the Taste of the Pacific and the Pacific Islander Festival that is held each year in September, her mother Jasmine served as Chairperson and Director.  Tori would like to thank her family and friends for all of their endless support in her aspirations. Mahalo Nui Loa!!!

Alana Godoy

Alana Godoy is a 22-year old senior at San Diego State University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in both Anthropology and Sociology. Alana started a Youtube channel and website called "Sincerely Alana" which focuses on addressing current social issues, preserving culture, and promoting confidence among young people in minority communities. This year she is a member of SDSU's Mortar Board and has recently completed her fellowship with Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy, and Leadership (APPEAL)'s SPARC program which works towards reducing tobacco-related health disparities among Pacific Islander and Asian American communities. Alana has also been the past Miss Pacific Islander of San Diego First Princess from 2016-2019.
Mahalo!

Malia Hueitt

Malia Hueitt represents the Hawaiian Community.  She is currently attending her second year at the University of California, San Diego, majoring in Biochemistry switching to Biology.  Malia has volunteered at PIFA for the last eight years since her brother Tyrone was a PIFA scholarship recipient.  She has worked at the Taste of the Pacific at the front lines as well as Entertainment.  At the festival, Malia has worked the Soda Booth, T-shirt Booth and Entertainment.  Malia wants to give back to PIFA by becoming a member and serve as a community leader and spokesperson for the youth of the Melanesian, Micronesian, and Polynesian communities.  She would like to one day serve as Board of Director and institute a program of mentorship for the scholarship recipients and the Pacific Islander youth.

Leiana Lepule

Leiana Lepule, from Chula Vista, California, represents the Samoan Community.  She is currently a fourth-year student at San Diego State University, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education and a focus in Mathematics.  Leiana served on the executive board on the SDSU’s Pacific Islander Student Association as Vice President (2018-2019) and President (2019-2020).  She has been volunteering for PIFA since she was little with the start of her father Tana being involved with PIFA and serving several years as the PIFA President.  Leiana has volunteered on her own as a scholarship recipient at the Cultural Village, Soda Booth and T-shirt Booth.  This will be her fifth year receiving a PIFA scholarship.  Leiana is grateful for the opportunity PIFA has given her and the encouragement she continues to receive in pursuing a higher education.

Jeweliana Silva

Jeweliana Mendiola Silva is the reigning 2020-2021 Miss PIFA. She is twenty years old and of Chamorro and Mexican decent. Jeweliana recently graduated from Southwestern College with an Associates degree in Allied Health and currently pursuing a degree of Bachelors in Nursing at National University. She aspires to become a nurse practitioner, specializing in pediatric oncology. Jeweliana currently works at Sharp Chula Vista as a certified nursing assistant, where her job varies from working in the ICU assisting with COVID-19 patients to checking temperatures of guests at the hospital entrance to ensure a healthy environment.  Jeweliana currently dances with Irensia dance troupe and has been with them for four years. Her most memorable time from dancing this far has been dancing on Guam and Saipan when Irensia visited the islands in the summer of 2018. Her goal is to inspire others to learn their culture and to continue the traditions of her ancestors. God, family and education are her priorities and plan to use them to bring health awareness to the Pacific Islander community

Our 2021 PIFA scholarship applications will be posted soon.
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