Teacher heads to Young Pacific Leaders conference

c0dace9d-2374-4640-9e5d-6e708e94b12f

American Samoa will be represented at the 2022 Young Pacific Leaders Conference in Hawaii by Tafuna High School teacher, Mary Cheung-Fuk.

She will be among 41 young Pacific professionals attending the conference, which will be held July 18-21.

The (YPL) program is the U.S. Government’s signature program to help young leaders develop their skills and networking in the Pacific.

Through a variety of programs and activities, including U.S. educational and cultural exchanges, regional exchanges, and seed funding, YPL tackles critical themes identified by youth in the region. These include, education, environmental and resource management, civic leadership, economic and social development.

American Samoa hosted the YPL Conference in 2013.

Participants had to apply through the US Embassy in New Zealand which coordinates the program.

Ms. Cheung-Fuk said, “I am excited to be connected with leaders from across the Pacific to share knowledge and resources. For the past 3 weeks, we have engaged in online discussions about leadership and the U.S.-Pacific partnerships. It has been an enriching experience and I look forward to the in-person conference in Hawaii.”

Born and raised in Leone, Ms. Cheung Fuk attended Tafuna High School and graduated from the University of Hawaii, Manoa with a master’s degree.