When Tanya Patricia Tanuvasa Pio stands before hundreds at University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu’s upcoming commencement, she’ll be thinking of her loved ones who are no longer here.
“A majority of the people who raised me, who made me who I am today, they’re ‘upstairs,’ ” said Pio, 29, who currently lives in Kailua but is from Mulivai, Safata, Western Samoa. “So for me to be at that podium and (the reason) why I donʻt feel this sense of nervousness is because when I speak, it’s like I’ll get to deliver their message.”
Pio continued, wiping away tears, “The way that they impacted my life, the things that they’ve done for me, I get to say that I did it and I did in honor of you. So it means the world.”
Pio will be one of two student speakers at UH West O‘ahu’s 2025 Annual Commencement, taking place 9 a.m. May 10 in the SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center on the UH Mānoa campus. All guests are welcome to the ceremony on a first-come, first-seated basis, and will be able to greet their graduates following the formal commencement program at the Clarence T.C. Ching Field. Tickets and parking passes are not required.
About 250 candidates will be participating in the commencement ceremony, which will celebrate Applied Science, Business Administration, Creative Media, Cybersecurity, Education, Humanities, Natural Science, Public Administration, and Social Sciences candidates.
Pio will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration with a concentration in General Public Administration — an achievement that means “everything” to her, Pio said.
Pio’s responsibilities have been constant throughout her life — honoring her beloved Samoan culture and respecting familial obligations as an eldest child, helping to manage the family home and taking care of loved ones, including younger siblings when she was growing up.
In recent years, her hardships have included recovering from a torn knee and fractured ankle (twice), tending to her mental well-being, and just simply trying to find the motivation to continue with her studies and meet her academic requirements.
Pio noted that making it to graduation has nothing to do with having a certain level of “smarts,” but being eager enough to fight for something bigger than yourself — a message she hopes to elaborate on at commencement.
“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.”
‘A seasoned leader among her peers’
Pio transferred from Honolulu Community College and enrolled at UH West O‘ahu in fall 2022. 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 Hawai‘i Job Corps in Waimānalo.
During her time at UH West O‘ahu, a highlight for Pio was being inducted in fall 2023 into the UH West O‘ahu Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the nation’s largest leadership honor society.
“It was important to me because it helped me see and be a part of a group of students who want to make change and want to impact the world,” Pio said. “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.”
Rouel Velasco, co-advisor of the UH West O‘ahu Chapter of NSLS, got to know Pio when she was a student in his SD 360 Dynamics of Effective Leadership course.
“She is inclusive, generous, reflective, and a leader,” said Velasco, who is UH West O‘ahu’s Director of Student Life. “Among her peers in the SD 360 course, she offered her wisdom from her life’s experiences with the utmost humility and generosity. With her wealth of life’s 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.”
‘Bright future ahead’
After graduation, Pio plans to pursue CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) and PMP (Project Management Professional) certifications to gain project management experience.
Within the next five years, she hopes to enroll in the National University of Samoa to work on earning a master’s degree in Samoan Studies. She also wants to enroll in the University of Auckland in New Zealand to study Educational Leadership. Pio said her ultimate goal is to advocate for quality education in the South Pacific.
“I want to go to school (in New Zealand) because I want to learn from all the people there and in this hub of information, so that I can take all that and bring it back to Hawai‘i,” Pio said. “We can reboot our education system and even spread it throughout the South Pacific — Melanesian, Micronesian, Polynesian — I want to bring them all together.”
Dr. Manu Aluli Meyer, Kūlana o Kapolei, got to know Pio after she took one of revered kumu Aunty Lynette Paglinawan’s Ho‘oponopono classes that Meyer was part of, and through the Papahana Wailau Ola program.
“Tanya Pio is that kind of rare student who lifts up ‘ike 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 Hawai‘i.”
Velasco added, “Through her experiences and educational journey at UH West O‘ahu, she has a promising, bright future ahead, starting now!”
But as for her immediate future, Pio is just focusing on commencement, being up at that podium, and addressing her fellow graduates.
“We struggled — whether it was physically, mentally, financially, spiritually — we did the college thing. Some of us have even lost some people along the ride,” Pio shared. “Through all of that, you made it … we actually made it. Now we ‘Imua.”
Click here to read more about Matthew Schaefer, who was also selected to be a 2025 Annual Commencement student speaker. Commencement student speakers were chosen on criteria including academic achievement and a record of meaningful university or community service.