Scholarship Winner
College: Fresno City College
Career goal: Teacher/cultural activist
About Sālote: Growing up, Sālote Kumā felt disconnected from her Pacific Islander heritage. She didn’t know any other Tongans, and although she grew up dancing, drumming, and playing bass guitar in her family’s Polynesian dance studio, she always longed to connect with her own culture, until one day she realized she had been connected all along. This realization did not come to light until she started noticing the little things, like her mannerisms and the way she spoke. She said that “Faa’i Kavei Koula,” the Tongan pillars of passion, nurturing connections, humility, and respect had always been a part of her mindset and who she is.
Sālote has experienced more hardship than many students during her high school years. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 and as she was recovering, her father died of COVID-19. For several years, Sālote and her siblings were the only ones providing income for the family.
During high school, Sālote mourned the loss of her father, aunt, and grandfather, all in the span of a year. However, she said the losses have shaped her mindset and encouraged her to focus on her mental health and work towards achieving her goals.
In her words: “I would like to think that my father’s light continues to shine on me, guiding me out of the darkness. There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light still remains.”
“Sālote is an awesome young lady. She is extremely talented, intelligent, responsible, respectful, and most of all, resilient. I admire the passion that she has for her culture, as well as the respect that she has for her foundational values. I am excited to see what she will achieve in her life and how she will be a beautiful being of light in the world.”
– Steffeni J. Oliver, counselor at Fresno High School
