We are honored to announce our 2022 SPIO Scholarship Award Recipients.

Congratulations to the 5 2021 SPIO Honorary Scholarship Recipients.

We are honored to announce our 2021 SPIO Scholarship Award Recipients.

“I started a podcast that was all things Micronesian because we are often reading, hearing, and digesting our stories as told by others and not from us, directly. When you put a microphone in a Pasifika brother or sister’s hand, you give them a voice. And their voice is power(ful).” - Angela Edward

Congratulations to the 2020 SPIO COVID Scholarship Silicon Valley Recipients. This project has been made possible in part by a grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Michael Green Jr.’s dedication to equity and inclusion is undoubtedly connected to his diverse life experiences and his humble upbringing as a child in Desoto, Texas. A first-generation college graduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Michael Green Jr. currently serves as the Dean of Culture and Instruction for Uplift Education, where he impacts teacher practices and influences the way schools provide culturally sound educational experiences for all students.

South Pacific Islander Organization advocates for the creation of intentional spaces specifically led by and created for Pacific Islanders.

Meet the founder of Afakasi Prints and learn why she decided to create a social justice collection fighting againt the systemic racism faced by BIPOC communities.

South Pacific Islander Organization is hosting its inaugural 2020 SPIO Virtual Summit for Pacific scholars to navigate higher education and professional careers successfully.

South Pacific Islander Organization (SPIO) is excited to announce the launch of its first open source project: the SPIO Directory of Educational Resources.

Wilbert Alik is the inaugural recipient of the $5,000 USD 2019-20 SPIO Community Leadership Scholarship. Translating COVID-19 health materials for the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Wilbert is dedicated to community service. The power and strength of a community working together, along with his desire to preserve, protect and pass on the knowledge of his people, gave him motivation to pursue an Anthropology degree. He is now pursuing his Bachelor's Degree at Northern Michigan University.

Lessei Perelini is the inaugural recipient of the $5,000 USD 2019-20 SPIO Extracurricular Excellence Scholarship. Lessei, commonly known as “Sei”, was born in New Zealand; despite her Kiwi nationality, her upbringing took place in the depths of the South Pacific in American Samoa. Currently, Sei is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Politics and International Relations and Spanish at the University of Auckland.

Teiana Gonsalves is the inaugural recipient of the $5,000 USD 2019-20 SPIO Academic Excellence Scholarship. Teiana is a recent graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and was born and raised on the east side of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. She will attend Stanford University in the fall and plans on majoring in Political Science with a minor in Earth Systems along the Sustainability sub-plan.