The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) will hold its 51st Commencement Ceremony this Friday, December 18th, at 10 a.m. in the Gymnasium. The ceremony will bring to a close one of the most eventful semesters in the College’s history.

The events of September 29 necessitated both relief efforts for tsunami-affected students as well as a re-structuring of the school calendar.

Despite the tragic events which affected everyday life at the College this semester, this graduation will be historic for ASCC for an altogether different reason. While the final number will depend on final exam results, the number of prospective graduates this semester currently stands at 162, the largest group ever in the College’s history.

This marks a significant increase over 77 graduates in fall 2008, 111 in fall 2007, 120 in fall 2006, and 76 in fall 2005. “Enrollment at the College has risen steadily over the last several years,” reflected Dean of Student Services Dr. Emilia Le’i. “In fact, this semester ASCC reached its latest enrollment peak, so we did anticipate a rise in graduate numbers and had time to accommodate them.”

As is customary, the College has invited a number of dignitaries from the government and the community to take part in the ceremony, including Pastor David Katina, who will provide the keynote address. The elder brother of the five singers who make up the popular group The Katinas, Pastor David currently resides in Honolulu but makes frequent visits to American Samoa, most recently when all six Katina brothers lent their time and talents last month to disaster relief efforts. The Katina brothers’ father and mother come from two of the villages hardest hit by the tsunami—their father Mose Katina from the Mageo family in Pago Pago, and their mother Siai Katina from the Aumavae and Toilolo families of Leone.

Trained at the Berean Ministry Course with the Assemblies of God in American Samoa, Katina first pastored at church at age seventeen. From 1990-1994, under Pastor Joe Amosa, he served as a Youth and Music minister while attending the Word of Life Christian Center's Ministry Leadership Institute, and was later ordained under the Word of Life Christian Center in 1995 by Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulveda. 

In 1994 Pastor Katina and his wife Pastor Debbie founded the Koinonia Christian Center in Waipahu, Hawaii. He has hosted the “Pastoring the South Pacific Conference” in both Samoa and New Zealand, has given a keynote speech at Rhema Bible College and lectures at Leadership Bible Institute, and is a currently a member of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Prayer Force.

“We are honored that Pastor David has agreed to give the keynote speech on this historic occasion,” said Dr. Le’i. “We all have been through so much this semester, and I’m sure he will provide a message to lift everyone’s spirits.”