Dear Editor,   


Congratulations to Major Si'imoa Malaefono Galoia of Tafuna High School, American Samoa’s 2026- 2027 Territorial Teacher of the Year awardee! Your Territorial recognition, coupled with Regional and National Awards In leading the Tafuna High School JROTC cadets to back-to-back championships victories in both the VEX Robotics Competition in San Diego, CA, and the Aerial Drone Competition in Reno, NV. are not only extraordinary, but historic.

Excellence in performance is a direct reflection of leadership seeing and believing in the potential to achieve not the limitations imposed by convention. High expectations lead to improved performance. The nurturing of the students to excel is self-evident not self-proclaimed.

Teachers who lead through service do not use their "rank" at the front of the room to dominate. Instead, they use their position to create a safe environment. In this space, students feel secure enough to take academic risks, ask questions, and fail without fear of humiliation.  

When a system labels a student as a failure, a service-oriented teacher stands as a shield between the student and bureaucratic discouragement. They invest extra hours, emotional energy, and personal resources—acting as a servant to the student's future rather than a manager of their present. 

Leaders and educators such as yourself embody the philosophy that leadership is a service, not a rank. They view their authority not as a tool for compliance, but as a platform to serve and elevate their students.

Thank you for your service.  

Papalii Dr. Failautusi Avegalio, Jr. [Retired]
Director, Pacific Business Center Program
Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation
University of Hawaii, Manoa-campus