Business students at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) have kept their club the Business Ambassadors of ASCC (BAOA) active on campus and in the community for the past several years. Their activities for spring 2016 culminated earlier this month with a donation to Hope House, along with entertainment for its residents. The donation consisted not only of food, but also medical supplies which Hope House has had difficulty in procuring, and the presentation of these items included a special performance of song and dance by the BAOA members.

“BAOA raised the funds for the purchase of the donated items through projects like our community pick-a-thon, which was a sponsored clean-up, as well as the sale of plate lunches,” explained ASCC Business Department chair and BAOA advisor Dr. Faofua Fa’atoafe. “Part of the club’s mission is to offer service to others and to the community. These activities help mold a well-rounded person that others can depend on in the future. Our goal is to share from the heart, but it’s also well-known that in the world of business, people have confidence in those who they know give back to the community.”

In addition to their community service projects, BAOA also provides peer tutorials for both its own members as well as for non-members majoring in Business. This peer support among the Business majors has helped many of them go on to successful studies and subsequent careers in the field, as Dr. Fa’atoafe shared that she has heard a number of “marvelous stories” about achievements by her former students. “I’ve heard of some becoming certified bankers,” she said, “and of others who are now top accountants, marketing managers, and supervisors.”

The ASCC graduating class of spring 2016 included 10 BAOA members and another five Business majors. Dr. Fa’atoafe has also received word that this semester’s graduating class at Chaminade University in Honolulu included no less than four former BAOA members. The high success rate helps keep her inspired as well as insistent that her students meet her standards of study and participation. “The data we have on students after they leave ASCC shows that about 67% of our Business majors go on to complete their Bachelor's degree in the subject,” she shared. “I know personally of 79 who’ve earned Masters degrees and another 21 currently pursuing their MA.”

Dr. Fa’atoafe said that the coming semester will bring more community service projects for BAOA, and that she and the club are looking into the possibility of hosting a Parents Education Night.  She also expressed how the club’s efforts succeed largely because of the supportive environment at ASCC. “On behalf of BAOA and the Business Department, I express our special gratitude and appreciation to Dean of Academic Affairs Mrs. Letupu Moananu, the ASCC faculty, staff, and students for supporting our fundraising activities,” she said.

More information on Business courses at the College can be found in the ASCC Catalog, available online at www.amsamoa.edu.