Georgetown University’s historic Gaston Hall in Washington, D.C., was filled with cheers and thunderous applause on Sunday, July 22, 2018, as Luciano Johnny Fuataga, a 14-year old outgoing freshman from Samoana High School, took the podium to deliver the invocation as well as a commencement speech.
This was for the graduation ceremony of the 2018 Junior Statesmen Summer School.
Luciano was one of two students elected by their fellow classmates to deliver speeches on behalf of the 203 attendees from across the United States and its territories.
He is the first Samoan to be given this honor in the history of the JSA Program at Georgetown.
When Luciano started the intense 3-week program on July 1, he quickly earned the trust, respect and admiration of the students, staff and faculty due to his good nature, respectful manner, charisma in debating and public speaking; and bold initiative to volunteer as a security patrol and campus monitor for the Program.
The Director of the JSA Summer School at Georgetown, Mr. Dan Hess, said that Luciano was an absolute pleasure to have at the Program.
Luciano is the oldest child of Mr. Tito Fuataga of Vailoa and Mrs. Joanne Toma-Fuataga of Pago Pago.
He is an altar server, youth ministry member, choir member, and Sunday School student at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Pago Pago.
He comes from a family of proud Samoana sharks. His grandmother, Velonika Nikolao, is a member of the Class of 1970.
His mother, Joanne, was the 2003 Miss Samoana and Class Salutatorian; and his uncle, Johnny Victor Toma, was co-valedictorian of the Class of 1994.
Luciano was able to attend the JSA Program this year through the generosity of family, friends, and associates both in person and online via the fundraising page of the Junior Statesmen Foundation; and a partial scholarship co-sponsored by the American Samoa Government and the U.S. Department of Interior.
He is truly grateful for the amazing experience and the connections he’s made in Washington, D.C., including the other two students from American Samoa who attended the Program with him at Georgetown: Ameperosa Langkilde of Tafuna High School’s Class of 2019; and Gloria Park of Pacific Horizons’ Class of 2019.
