Andrew Va'i

Peer Leader, Balboa High School

Alumni Intern, Galileo High School

"Drew has spent his career helping others, particularly Samoan students and first generation college students, to succeed and thrive in college. He is currently in graduate school, working on his masters, following his graduation from SFSU after many years at City College.

"Drew was one of our first three Alumni Interns, working at Balboa, where he used his expertise as a spoken word artist to start a spoken word club after-school, working with young men to break toxic masculinity and to express their feelings through art. In everything Drew has done, Drew embodies the ethic of lifting someone else up. He does what he does to help make more space and room for others and he also extends his hand for anyone who needs it. He takes the time for young people and it's not just part of his job, it's part of who he is."

Andrew (Drew) Va’i was raised in San Francisco, a proud Samoan and Tokelauan Pacific Islander. He is an alumni of the San Francisco Unified School District, graduating from Balboa High School in 2006, where he was part of Peer Resources; he served in the first group of Peer Resources Alumni Interns from 2006-2008 and was a Program Coordinator from 2008-2009. He is a graduate of City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University, where he is now pursuing a Master's Degree in Ethnic Studies.

"An old Samoan proverb was introduced to me by my partner that stated, “Ole ala ile pule, ole tautua” which translates “the path to leadership is through service”. Throughout my lifetime of work within the community and education, I have prided myself in helping others. It is that action that I lead with to change the world, having the ability to serve. The changes that we seek to make on a macro level is only possible through the interpersonal.

"The impact that I have made in these realms is to continually challenge myself by being present in spaces where my community is not represented. I choose to be in this position to learn and serve as an anchor, a resource, a stepping stone and more for the younger generation who follow me and will eventually surpass me."

Andrew Va'i