As the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) gears-up for its fall 2023 semester, one recent graduate from the College can reflect on valuable experience she gained over the spring and summer of this year as a science intern, thanks to opportunities made available through the ASCC Science Department. Following her graduation at the conclusion of the spring 2023 semester, Ms. Fa’amusami Sinisa traveled to the University of Hawaii at Hilo in mid-July to participate in the 2023 Islands of Opportunity Alliance (IOA)-LSAMP Student Symposium. Her travel and stipend were covered by an LSAMP grant at ASCC, and Science Department laboratory assistant Ms. Raijeli Toanivere accompanied her to the event.

LSAMP, the funding source for ASCC science interns, stands for Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. Former US congressman and civil rights pioneer Louis Stokes established the organization, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and is intended to support the participation of historically underrepresented students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). ASCC Science Department chairman Dr. Randel DeWees serves as the College’s LSAMP Coordinator, and Ms. Toanivere as Assistant Coordinator. Dr. DeWees shared that in recent years the LSAMP program has enabled at least one student intern per year to travel off- island to share their research, thus far only to Hawaii, but with other locations possible in the future.

Just prior to her trip, Ms. Sinisa completed her Associate of Science degree in Marine Science at ASCC. During the spring semester, she had begun her research project as an LSAMP intern, focusing on the Biodiversity of Invertebrates in Limu (Padina algae). This research, which she shared at the Hilo symposium in July, made enough of an impression on event organizers for them to select her as the recipient of the award for best oral presentation. Having successfully participated in the symposium, the future plans Ms. Sinisa shared with the Science Department were for her to join the military and take advantage of its educational incentives, which will enable her to pursue her interest in biochemistry.   

 Any students who have a strong interest in science and would like more information on becoming LSAMP interns can contact Assistant Coordinator Ms. Toanivere. The application process entails submitting transcripts and semester courses currently enrolled in, and filling out a registration form, followed by a personal interview. “We’ve had the LSAMP grant for a decade now,” Dr. DeWees reflected, “and through it a number of ASCC students have gotten their careers in science off to a very strong start.” As an unrelated but interesting bit of trivia, DeWees also shared that LSAMP founder Louis Stokes also happened to be a cousin of the late funk-rock musical artist Rick James, perhaps best remembered for the 1980s mega- hit song “Super Freak”.

For more information on the LSAMP program at ASCC, email r.toanivere@amsamoa.edu or r.dewees@amsamoa.edu.