Finding “Fa’a Samoa” (the Samoan way) in Eastern Kentucky

For SeSe Aumavae (Class of 2023), family is everything. Growing up in American Samoa, a United States territory located in the South Pacific Ocean, his culture is built around the concept of working as one family unit. The process is built around core principles of respect, pride, cohesion and honoring one’s family. This upbringing primed Aumavae for a team sport.

After playing football for most of his life, Aumavae took to the field at a junior college in California, relatively closer to his home in the Polynesian Islands. In searching for his next steps after his stint in junior college, Aumavae connected with Andrew Stroebel, an assistant football coach at MSU. Though eastern Kentucky was an unexpected destination, a visit to MSU during the winter of 2019 sealed the deal and he had committed before he even boarded the plane back home.

Moving from the islands to the Appalachian Mountains in January 2020 took a while to adjust socially and culturally. The pandemic didn’t help.

“When the coronavirus pandemic began, it was rough,” he said. “But immediately, my coaches and teammates made it feel like home.”

Though Morehead may seem nothing like his tropical home, Aumavae insists the family atmosphere in eastern Kentucky is similar. As a student, he completed an athletics department internship. Through the guidance of his internship supervisor, Kenna Allen Gauche (Class of 2008, 2009), he deepened his connections to MSU by learning about the athletics work behind the scenes.

“I was used to showing up on game day and stepping on the field,” he said. “I had no idea all of the prep work that happened ahead of time to get to game time – not just in football, but any sport.”

Though geographical distance prevented his family from attending many of his games, two sisters were able to make the trip for his senior day in Fall 2022 - and they did not show up empty-handed. The Samoan culture includes everyone in a family celebration – and they demonstrated that by presenting all the seniors with handmade leis. They included traditional leis made with flowers, but others were a bit more unexpected, featuring snacks like chips and candy bars.

The leis weren’t the only way they included Aumavae’s teammates in the celebration. When one senior did not have any family available to make the trip to stand with him on senior day, one of Aumavae’s sisters stood at his side. Everyone is family and no one is alone.

Several months later when it was Aumavae’s time to walk across the stage at commencement –as the first grandchild in his family to graduate from college – he was not without family there to cheer him on. Over a dozen members of his family made the journey from American Samoa, including his grandfather, Chief Kanape, who serves as not only the leader of their family, but also the leader of SeSe’s home village.

Though he has made his way back home to the islands, Aumavae still finds the mountains calling to him.

“I miss it,” he said. “Morehead is in my blood now. To any potential student who doesn’t think MSU could be a fit for them – I would say, ‘If a kid from the islands can come to MSU and be successful, you can, too.’”