Talofa, my name is Salefu Tuvalu Solia, I preferred to be called “Sa”. I work for the Natural Resources Conservation Services as an Outreach Coordinator and Asian American and Pacific Islander Program Manager in Salina, Kansas. I earned a B.S degree in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho “Go Vandals”, and MS in Environmental Science with a focus in Fish and Wildlife Management from American Public University in West Virginia. My environmental career started as a wildlife and marine turtle necropsy technician for the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources, and later as a Community Relation Specialist with Bristol of Alliance in Arizona.

My family and I recently moved to Kansas this year, and it’s been quite a change. I do love nature, as we embrace its cultural importance to my people and our way of living. I am a proud product of a fisher-woman and a farmer. Their passion for the environment has made this career choice beneficial and important for me, my family, and my community. I was born and raised in American Samoa, my father is 100% Samoan, and my mother is ¾ Chinese and Samoan. Being part of APIO is my way of supporting the community that raised me and continues to embrace me wherever I go. Here's to doing more.