The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) will hold it’s 77th Commencement Ceremony this Friday, December 16th, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Department of Youth and Women’s Affairs (DYWA) Gymnasium in Tafuna. 138 ASCC students are prospective graduates for the fall 2022 semester, depending on final examination results.
The ceremony will also include commencement formalities for 12 guest graduates from off-island universities, three receiving their Doctorate degree, one receiving a Bachelors degree, and eight receiving a Master’s degree.
Family and friends of the graduates will join local dignitaries including the Governor and members of the Board of Higher Education (BHE), the governing body which oversees ASCC.
The opening and closing prayers for the ceremony will be led by Rev. Iasepi Ulu, who also serves as Vice Chairman for the BHE.
The College’s decision to hold the Commencement at an off-campus facility this semester was based on recent weather conditions and the indoor seating capacity of the DYWA Gym.
The keynote speaker is an ASCC alumnus, Justin Tuiasosopo, CEO of Bluesky Communications.
The Manu’a native will share his insights from a long journey of learning and professional services that has taken him from American Samoa to Hawaii and California.
Tuiasosopo graduated from Tafuna High School in 2009 and earned his first college credentials at ASCC, before continuing on to Chaminade University in Honolulu, where he graduated with an MBA in Accounting.
His subsequent professional experience included leadership positions at Enterprise Holdings in California, where he oversaw the Sacramento and Orange County regions. His professional experience in California set the stage for his return to American Samoa, where he joined the Bluesky team and has risen to the rank of CEO. Since 2021, Tuiasosopo has also served as a member of the BHE.
