Motutama Nogotau Sipelii is the first Samoan to be elected as the Student Body President for Affiliated Students of Portland State University.
The Samoana High School graduate and son of Utulei was Student Government Association President at the American Samoa Community College. And this he says prepared him for his student leadership role at PSU.
“ASCC really helped me discover who I was and what I wanted to be in the future,” he told KHJ News.
“It was through participating in extracurricular clubs like PTK, HOSA and Build Exito. I realized that I wanted to be a doctor and a leader that would lead by example. ASCC taught me to humble myself and to believe in my abilities as a student and leader because that confidence is what has helped me to make it this far.“
Motutama says he was surprised when told that he had been elected as Student Body President because “we’re literally the minority of minorities.”
He said so many people told him it’s impossible to win “because of his experience of living on a rock for 20 plus years.”
He said he prayed about it after a jog one afternoon then announced his campaign for student body president the next morning.
“I was surprised by the number of students who went out of their way to support me, even students whom I didn’t know personally,” he said. “God allowed for something like this to happen.”
Motutama says he’s resolved to challenge PSU to provide the support students need.
“I want the administration to listen and respect students when they voice their concerns. I would like more student representation when deciding important decisions that affect the university as a whole.”
He also intends to increase student engagement and empower the Pacific Island community to rise above and help him create a better space for both current and prospective students transferring from the Pacific region.
Motutama, 22, is a pre med student majoring in health science and biology at PSU and plans to apply to med school hopefully getting in a duel MD and Masters in Public Health Program.
His goal is to return home and build a research lab and develop health care related policies for American Samoa.
He credited those who helped him come this far: Selaima and Enesi Enesi, Sialevene Lutali, Toke and Semalama Sipelii and his grandmother Amui Sipelii.
