National FCCLA Scholarship Awardees Enjoy Taste of Samoan Culture in DC

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata's DC office enjoyed hosting a group of the FCCLA national scholarship winners and their sponsor on Thursday, when the scholarship group visited the American Samoa office. They shared how their educational opportunity this week was meaningful to them, while getting extra cultural experiences from new friends, such as eating homemade puligi, wearing a sei in their hair, trying a lavalava in the DC midsummer heat, and asking questions about life in American Samoa.

Chief of Staff Leafaina Tavai hosted scholars on behalf of Congresswoman Amata

The students, many from small communities all over the country, including Arkansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, said they encourage students in all their home locations, including American Samoa, to take an interest in the educational program - the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America - which gave them an added sense of belonging and accomplishment, while meeting new friends and learning, including about faraway places like American Samoa.

American Samoa's own Lucas "Hoss" Tafesilafa'i Foster, was one of the scholarship winners, representing the territory, Samoana High School, and his villages of Pago Pago and Futiga. He's the first from American Samoa, helping open the door to wider participation in FCCLA in the islands. He served as American Samoa's 2026 Election Voting Delegate, the territory's flag bearer, and accepted a membership increase award on behalf of American Samoa FCCLA, with his family looking on at the National Leadership Conference for more than 10,000 people at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this week.

PICTURED: Lucas and his fellow National Scholarship Awardees, their sponsor Amie White of Texas, Chief of Staff Leafaina Tavai on behalf of Congresswoman Amata, and the rest of the Foster family, Lloyd, Ola, and Lloyd, Jr. Eight of the 12 awardees are pictured: Lucas Tafesilafa'i Foster, Shaylen Shepherd, Tayeanna Bekise, Ayden McNamee, Alivia Johnson, Riya Kumar, Avery Willis, and Calvyn St. Clair.

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