Fa'aea Tumanuvao honors her Samoan heritage on the big stage

When Fa’aea Tumanuvao stands in front of thousands of San Diego State University alumni, students and fans at Snapdragon Stadium at Saturday’s Homecoming Game, she will have her Samoan heritage on full display.

For her, being a royal isn’t about representing her. It’s about representing her mother, who has been her backbone and has instilled in her a deep passion for her Pacific Islander roots; her late father, who was killed in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007, and her island home of American Samoa.

The role of cultural ambassador is one Tumanuvao, an international security and conflict resolution major, has grown to appreciate at SDSU, and is one of the reasons she ran for the Homecoming Court. 

“I ran because I never really saw somebody like me on the court,” Tumanuvao said. “Having that representation really matters, and I wanted (Samoan) people to see that they can be in these big spaces other than just sports.”

She said she was shocked to learn she was selected as a member of the Royal Court. 

“I had no expectations when I applied, I was like “why not,” she said. “I didn’t go to the announcement event (in September) because I had class, but when I found out I made it, I was just shocked. 

“Now I get to be a part of it, do all of the tasks and at the same time it was exciting that I will be there for my community, and I had to remind myself why I’m doing it,” she said.

Born in American Samoa but raised in Savannah, Georgia, Tumanuvao said she wasn’t exposed to Samoan culture outside her family and extended family. But when she arrived at SDSU, her dream school, she said she made a point to connect with her Samoan roots. 

“I grew into my culture here,” she said. 

Tumanuvao joined the Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) in 2021 but said she was only one of a few Samoan faces in the organization.

“It really motivated me in a way to become the representation and to be that Samoan figure in the group and show that we were here,” she said. “So I continued to be myself in these organizations and carried it around with me, and it helped me grow into these leadership positions.”

One of the areas where Tumanuvao started expanding her involvement in the club was by teaching members the traditional Samoan dance, the taualuga, and performing at PISA events. 

“I was really nervous, but as I grew into the role and learned more, I learned that teaching dance was telling my story, and that really pushed me into leadership roles to advocate for my culture and heritage,” she said. 

Tumanuvao now serves as president of PISA. The group’s faculty adviser, Claudia Martinez, hailed her selection to the Homecoming Court and praised her advocacy for all Pacific Islander students. 

“Fa'aea has worked tirelessly to celebrate and advocate for Pacific Islander students,” Martinez said. This recognition not only honors her individual achievements, it also illustrates the importance of Pacific Islander representation in leadership roles. I am excited to see the positive impact she will continue to make."

In addition to PISA, Tumanuvao is a voting member of the Associated Students Student Diversity Committee, a member of the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service’s Launch into Leadership scholarship program and works as a programming assistant at the Native Resource Center and the Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center. 

Elisa East, director of the Veterans Center, praised Tumanuvao’s leadership. 

“The Military and Veterans Program (MVP) is incredibly proud to have Fa'aea represent as a Homecoming Royal,” East said. “As an Army military-connected student, she exemplifies leadership, dedication, and serves as a positive role model for her peers, reflecting the values we strive to promote at SDSU and MVP.”

After graduation, she wants to serve in the Peace Corps as a climate change facilitator in her native American Samoa before going to graduate school and ultimately becoming a diplomat. 

When she thinks about Homecoming, Tumanuvao said she often reflects on her parents and what it would mean to them to see her representing their family and culture. 

Her mother, Selia Luafalemana-Tumanuvao, will be in the stands at Snapdragon, cheering and smiling, she said. 

“She means the most to me, and she reminds me that I am not just representing me, I’m representing the whole Pacific Island community,” she said. “She is the backbone of why I am doing this. She reminds me no matter how small I think this is, that being on the court is a big thing, and the representation does matter.”

Her father, U.S. Army Sgt. Lui Tumanuvao, died in combat operations in Iraq when she was four years old. She said she has tried to follow in her father’s footsteps by proudly celebrating her roots.

“I think he’s really proud of me,” she said. “My family tells me so many stories about how good of a man he was and how proud he was of his Samoan heritage, and I am just trying to make him proud, too.”