{"id":215526,"date":"2025-05-07T16:37:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T02:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=215526"},"modified":"2025-05-17T22:29:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-18T08:29:32","slug":"strength-service-samoan-pride-tanya-pio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/07\/strength-service-samoan-pride-tanya-pio\/","title":{"rendered":"Strength, service, Samoan pride: Tanya Pio\u2019s journey to commencement"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Tanya
Tanya Patricia Tanuvasa Pio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Tanya Patricia Tanuvasa Pio walks across the stage as a student speaker at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>–West Oʻahu<\/span>\u2019s 2025 commencement on May 10, she won\u2019t be alone—she will be thinking of her loved ones who are no longer here.<\/p>\n

\"Tanya<\/p>\n

“A majority of the people who raised me, who made me who I am today, they\u2019re ‘upstairs,’” said Pio, 29, who is from Mulivai, Safata, Western Samoa. “So for me to be at that podium and (the reason) why I don\u02bbt feel this sense of nervousness is because when I speak, it\u2019s like I\u2019ll get to deliver their message.”<\/p>\n

She paused, wiping away tears. “The way that they impacted my life, the things that they\u2019ve done for me, I get to say that I did it in honor of you. So it means the world.”<\/p>\n

Pio transferred from Honolulu Community College to UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> in 2022. She didn\u02bbt have enough credits at that time to earn a degree from Honolulu CC<\/abbr>. However, now she does, and will receive her associate\u2019s degree in liberal arts from Honolulu CC<\/abbr> next week, a few days after receiving her bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Her journey to commencement has been anything but easy. From family responsibilities, such as caring for siblings, and cultural obligations to recovering from a torn knee and twice fractured ankle and maintaining her mental health, she has carried heavy burdens.<\/p>\n

Meet more amazing UH<\/abbr> spring graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to being a determined student, Pio was also a dedicated educator, working as a substitute teacher at Dole Middle School in Kalihi and as a senior residential advisor at Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Job Corps in Waim\u0101nalo.<\/p>\n

Learning leadership<\/h2>\n

At UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> she found meaning and community through the National Society of Leadership and Success.<\/p>\n

“I learned even more in-depth what leadership looks like—that leadership has more to do with your service and the work that you put in, rather than you being the front of the line,” Pio said.<\/p>\n

“She is inclusive, generous, reflective, and a leader,” said Rouel Velasco, director of student life. “She offered her wisdom from her life\u2019s experiences with the utmost humility and generosity. With her wealth of life\u2019s experiences and being seen as a seasoned leader among her peers, she has fostered an inclusive environment for them to grow in their leadership capacity.”<\/p>\n

‘Source of aloha’<\/h2>\n

Manu Aluli Meyer, K\u016blana o Kapolei, got to know Pio after she took one of revered kumu Aunty Lynette Paglinawan\u2019s Hoʻoponopono<\/span> classes that Meyer was part of.<\/p>\n

“Tanya Pio is that kind of rare student who lifts up ʻike kupuna (ancestral experiences, insights, and knowledge) from a wider ocean understanding,” Meyer said. “She is a steady and beloved source of aloha for both her family and for the future of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.”<\/p>\n

Pio\u2019s post-graduation plans include earning certificates in project management and advanced degrees, all with a goal to advocate for quality education in the South Pacific.<\/p>\n

“All the things that I struggled with, all the challenges that I faced, they were worth it because I get to deliver a message that could impact the life of someone, who then could impact another,” Pio said. “We get to make this ripple effect of change.”<\/p>\n

For more visit Ka Puna O Kaloʻi<\/span><\/a><\/em>.
\n—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UH<\/abbr> West Oʻahu<\/span> commencement speaker honors her beloved departed with her message.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":215531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[234,62,1518,947,59],"class_list":["post-215526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-commencement","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-liberal-arts","tag-uh-system","tag-uh-west-oahu","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t