Ana Tatafu is a Spring 2017 UAA graduate with a bachelor's degree in accounting.  She is an alumna of TRIO Educational Talent Search at West Anchorage High School and TRIO Student Support Services at the University of Alaska Anchorage.  After emigrating from American Samoa to Alaska, Ana took advantage of the educational opportunities that were presented to her through TRIO.  She later transitioned to UAA and began taking classes in the field of accounting after finding inspiration from a high school teacher.  After getting a few semesters under her belt, Ana decided to fulfill her commitment to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by completing a mission to Utah where she primarily worked within the Spanish-speaking community. She eventually returned to college and applied for the prestigious Gilman Scholarship and was selected to study abroad in Mexico.  Ana also became involved in the College of Business and Public Policy's Leadership Fellows Program, the Multicultural Center, New Student Orientation, and student organizations related to Spanish and accounting.  Ana hopes to stay in Alaska.  Although Ana had to independently navigate the college process, she said that TRIO provided her with a sense of family that gave her the confidence to persevere and is a part of the first generation in her family to complete a degree.