A Tongan-American scholar Angelina Finau (22) of Los Angeles, has been selected by the United States Government’s prestigious Fulbright Student Program.

As part of the program, Angelina Finau will travel to South Korea where she will serve as a cultural ambassador for the United States and assist teachers in the country.

The Fulbright Student Program was established by the United States Congress in 1946 to promote U.S. foreign relations through the educational exchange of U.S. academics.

Angelina Finau is an accomplished graduate of California State University (CSU) in Northridge, Los Angeles. Last year, she was awarded an honorary title of Wolfson Scholar by CSU for her academic record and community contributions.

“…the best part was telling my parents — to see the joy that they have and excitement”, said Finau in a CSU media statement.

Angelina Finau said that entering the program, she possessed a foreign perspective despite being born and raised in the United States.

“Even though I was born here, being the first in my family to graduate and being a Tongan-American, I totally understood what it meant to be foreign. I thought that perspective would be something interesting to bring to the table”, stated Finau.

“I wanted to share that perspective with others, but I’m also eager to learn from others in other parts of the world.”

Finau credited her academic success to her family-oriented culture.

“My culture as a Tongan-American, Polynesian-American is so grounded in family and understanding that if you have a bad day, it’s just about pushing through. I have a network of people all across the world. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but more than anything it’s a lot of love.”