Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA —  A total of 14 graduates of Pacific Horizons School, home of the Navigators, received diplomas during their 21st Commencement Ceremony held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Kanana Fou Women's Hall in Petesa. 

Special guests attending included Special Envoy to the Governor Lealaisalanoa Ricky Salanoa representing Gov. Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula, and staffer Mr. Elijah Tavai, representing Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata.

The Commencement invocation was spoken by Tupulua Vaouli with welcoming remarks offered by PHS Director Veronica Soto.

The Commencement Address was delivered by Mathew Caretti, a known poet, and currently an English teacher at PHS. Caretti’s recently published book of poems, “Slow Boat to Samoa”, has received an award for one of its sections, “Deep Water Port”. His first book “Harvesting Stones” (2017), garnered the Snapshot Press eChapbook Award. “Africa, Buddha” (2022) is Caretti’s second collection of haibun, followed by “Ukulele Drift” a collection of haiku, released in May 2023.

Valedictorian and Salutatorian awards were received by Lisa Pedro and Lucille Demonteverde, respectively. Both addressed the gathering celebrating the graduating Class of 2026, and thanked all those who supported them along the way — parents, mentors, families and friends.

Salutatorian Ms Demonteverde, noted that “true diligence” — is part of the discipline that shaped them into the people they are today — “Not perfection; Not popularity; Not being the smartest person in the room.” Most of the time, she said, “it involves the decision to keep working even when progress seems slow. It is simply refusing to give up on yourself little by little.”

Ms. Demonteverde will attend Ateneo de Davao University in the Philippines, where she plans to major in Medical Biology.

Valedictorian Ms Pedro spoke of no achievement being built alone — and acknowledged Jesus Christ — “To Him I owe all that I am, may His glory be multiplied all throughout the earth.” She spoke of learning that “the more zeros you add to a one, the greater the number becomes. So like I said, I am no one special. I am simply a zero standing behind the One.”

Ms. Pedro has enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and will begin her next academic chapter at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa through an ROTC pathway.

ASG Scholarship Board member Mrs. Lisa Gebauer was on hand to award the following recipients: Valedictorian Ms Pedro — Off-island ASG Scholarship, and Pemerika Sameli Tauiliili — Local ASG Scholarship.

The 14 graduates were presented by the PHS director, which included the presentation of Diplomas and Congressional Recognition by PHS Deputy Director Karen Dixon, PHS Academic Counselor Leiloa Malala-Apo.