Three Hundred Attend 8th Annual NPIEN Conference

Over three hundred students, parents, teachers, and community members attended the 8th Annual National Pacific Islander Educator Network (NPIEN) Conference at Paramount High School, Paramount, CA. Keynote Speakers included Oceanside High School Principal(San Diego, CA) Kimo Marquardt and Dr. Mafutaga S. Tagaloa Tulifau, Podiatrist, Lakewood, CA.
Students and teachers from the following schools attended the conference: Compton: Davis Middle School, Roosevelt Middle School; Long Beach: Cabrillo High School. Jackie Robinson Academy, Poly High School, Lakewood High School, CAMS, Hughes Middle School; Costa Mesa High School; Arcadia High School, Lennox Middle School, Prarie Vista Middle School, Hawthorne, Will Rogers Middle School, Lawndale, Chapman University, Long Beach City College, UCLA, Cal State University, Long Beach, Mt. San Antonio College. Workshops were provided by Chapman University Hawaiian Club,"Student Networking", Uncle Henry Kamae, Ukulele Artist, Rita Scanlan, NPIEN Board Member "Arts and Crafts", Olympia Tuliaupupu, Westmont College Counselor,"Parent Networking," Paramount High School "Dance Workshop", and Albert Wilmovsky, Cerritos College, "Study Skills," and Fernando Alvarado, Prudential, "Financial Planning for College."

Troop 1200, Boy Scouts of America, Bellflower, CA, presented the flags of the Island Nations, and a Moment of Silence was held in memory of Tsunami victims in Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga, and for Wilson High School student Melody Ross.

Twenty Five students were recognized as Christina Diaz Student Scholars, and scholarships were awarded to Fa'aputu Va'afuti, Poly High School, Maile Tauai, Paramount High School, Cherrae Tedtaotao, Paramount High School, and Natalia Cerilyn Su'a, Roosevelt Middle School. Aileen Tanimoto Matsuura, Paramount High School, and Stephanie Carter, Stanford Middle School, Long Beach USD, were recognized with the Sevia Ma'ae Educator of the Year Award. Jin Lee, Ohana Hawaiian Barbeque, was awarded the Dr. Alofa Tanuvasa Community Award.

NPIEN thanks the generous sponsors and vendors listed below:

Major Sponsors: Silver Level: Majestic Realty, Cookie Lee, AXA Financial; Bronze Level: California Credit Union, Gateway Business Bank, TEAM Referral Network

Awards & Drawing Sponsors: The Ice House Comedy Club, Vemma, In-N-Out Burger, Orange County Museum of Art, CSU Long Beach Athletics, Cerritos Center for Performing Arts, Starbucks, Los Alamitos Race Course, Golf N Stuff, Hofs Hut, Heritage Museum, Santa Ana Zoo, National Pen Company, Ray Diaz Hawaiian Gourds, Glacial Gardens, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mary Kay, Los Angeles Clippers

Scholarship Sponsors: TM & Irene Mulholland, Linaka Polynesian School of Dance, Vemma, Hotel Current

Ukulele Sponsors: Rynette Labostrie-Barr, Lagniappe Accounting, Lorraine Telles, Cookie Lee

Vendors and Exhibitors: Ray Diaz Hawaiian Gourds, State Farm Insurance, NT & Associates, California Telephone Access Program, Cookie Lee, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Vemma, 21st Century Computing Services, ACRO Printing, US Bank, Lagniappe Accounting, Census Bureau

NPIEN Board and Staff: Falanai Ala, President, Eugene Mafi, Secretary, Martha Gusukuma Donnenfield, Treasurer, Rita Scanlan, Member, Aileen Tanimoto Matsuura, Member, Soledad Santos, Member and Northern California Chapter President, Dr. Victor C. Thompson, Executive Director Staff: Tino Andres, Chief of Staff, Myra McGinnis, Executive Assistant, Qb Keju, David Brown, Bruce Lee, Jenny Chomori, Lopaka Faria, Judy Ann Sanchez, Femila Ervin, Nikki Wood-Perkins, Rachel Puaina, Dani Boepple