Interview

             In class I had the privilege of meeting a lovely person named Taiana Fakatonfifita; quite the mouthful for a name. I learned much about her, starting with her back round. Taiana is half Polynesian, quarter African American, and quarter Mexican. Taiana strives to be a model for her four younger siblings. Since her parents really never finished college she is going in hopes of inspiring her younger siblings to further their educations. Her current schedule is basically if she is not at school then she is at work. Taiana tries to balance her life out by trying to have school work done before she gets home, avoiding procrastination, and by doing outdoor activities with her family.  The role model in her life and also a mentor to her is her Mother. Her mother has inspired her to be who she is today. When I asked her to describe herself in three words she kind of struggled. I simply asked her think of compliments people give you all the time, she responded with “Hardworking, Focused, and very silly”. Taiana is unsure of her life in ten years, but in five years she sees herself graduating with a BA and living on her own. Her philosophy for succeeding in school is, “if you need something done, do it yourself”.  One of the things Taiana enjoys about OC is that it is a nice and quiet school, not overcrowded and loud. The only thing she would change about OC is to make the cafeteria bigger. Her culture and back round had a huge influence on her decision to attend college. Her father really came from nothing and her mother never finished college so for her going to college meant more than just a degree. The biggest surprise to her in her college experience so far is seeing all of these people that that she hasn’t seen in a very long time.