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Two American Samoa Students Represent Territory at RYPEN 2026 in New Zealand
- Joey Cummings
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
March 25-31, 2026
The sun was out, but Deriah Tiatia was cold.
He'd flown halfway across the Pacific, cleared customs in a country he'd never seen, and now stood in the parking lot of Hunua Falls Camp watching other kids unload their bags like this was normal. The sunshine felt like a trick. Back home in American Samoa, sun meant heat. Here in New Zealand's Hunua Ranges, it just meant it was day time.
"It was sunny but cold," the Leone High School student said later, noting the contradiction. "That surprised me."
A few feet away, Telesia Godinet from Manumalo Academy had her own surprise coming; though hers would wait until the morning. She had made it through the introductions, through the first-night presentations, through the settling-in that comes with meeting dozens of strangers at once. What she wasn't ready for was the 5:30 AM wake-up call and the immediate expectation that she'd be outside doing exercises with everyone else before her brain had fully turned on.
"The hardest part for me was waking up in the early hours of the day, and having limited time to get your bearings before you're called to do PT with everybody else," she said.
It was March 26, 2026, and these two students from American Samoa were about to spend a week discovering what happens when you leave everything familiar behind and figure out who you are when nobody's cutting you any slack.
RYPEN - the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment - brings together young leaders from across Rotary District 9920 (Parts of New Zealand, Samoa, American Samoa, Fiji, and Cook Islands) for an intensive camp focused on confidence, leadership, and connection. For most participants, it's a chance to meet kids from neighboring islands and explore what leadership looks like in practice.
For Deriah and Telesia, it was their first time time traveling to New Zealand.
"I felt like I was carrying a part of my home with me," Deriah said. "Representing American Samoa wasn't just about me. It was about showing what our young people are capable of."
Getting There
The journey to camp started weeks earlier. The opportunity was open to all six Interact clubs in American Samoa - Tafuna High, Leone High, Fa'asao Marist, Manumalo Academy, Pacific Horizons, and Samoana High. Students submitted applications and essays, then sat for interviews with Rotary Club of Pago Pago's Youth Services committee. (The club organized the trip and paid for all the expenses of the traveling group.)
Telesia had a thoughtful approach that came through in her interview. Deriah's warmth was obvious from the start. Both earned the trip.
On the morning of March 25th, families and Rotarians gathered at the airport for a proper send-off. There were prayers, encouragement, and two gifts: an American Samoa flag to carry and display, and a collection of local trinkets to share with new friends.
Youth Services Chair Natalia Palamo chaperoned the students for the entire trip. She'd thought through the details; custom embroidered Interact shirts from J-Len T's, travel logistics for the multi-day journey, communication plans to keep families updated back home.
The flight to Auckland started with a hiccup: one-hour delay, followed by meal options that were basically salad or vegetarian. But a long day of travel calls for more sustenance! Natalia's update from Auckland was straightforward: they were fine, they were hungry, and they were headed to KFC.
The Main Event
The camp organizers did not waste a moment with the students that weekend. There was no time for "bed-rot and doom-scroll" as the activities ran from early morning PT through evening. Leadership workshops. Team-building exercises. Lots of talking to strangers. Rules that were enforced. Step one: All phones were collected at registration. Step two: Engage.
On the first night, there was a presentation about leadership styles. Telesia had heard the "be a leader, not a follower" line her entire life. She'd repeated it to others. But this presentation said something different: you can be a leader while also being a follower.
She didn't think much about it at the time. But that night, as she prepared to sleep, it clicked.
"I realized that I don't have to be the assertive, demanding, and rigorous leader that I tell myself I have to be," she said. "That I don't have to be the loudest or most assertive voice in the room to be heard. That sometimes, it's better to take a step back and let others take the wheel."
"Put the ship in leadership."
She came up with her own way of thinking about it: "Put the ship in leadership." A captain needs a crew. A leader without a team is just someone shouting into the void.
For someone who'd always thought of herself as shy, this was huge. She didn't need to become someone else. She just needed to understand that quiet people can lead too.
When Rotary Club President Raymond David read Telesia's reflections after the trip, he wrote back with something that landed: "Whether leading a large or small group or even just yourself, you are a leader."
She'd figured it out. And the people who sent her there recognized it.
Making Friends
Deriah made friends easily - always had. Camp was no different. He connected with students from across the Pacific, sharing stories about American Samoa and learning about their homes in return.
"I shared about our culture, traditions, and where I'm from," he said. "They were really interested, asked a lot of questions, and were very respectful."
After they got home, Deriah's mom Naomi - an English teacher at Leone High School - sent Natalia an email thanking her for taking care of her son during the trip. The care and attention Natalia provided made the distance from home easier to handle.
In her reply, Natalia wrote: "Rotary was truly blessed to have Deriah represent American Samoa Interact at the RYPEN Camp. He embodies the qualities we hope to see in all our young leaders, and he made us very proud."
For Deriah, the week confirmed what he suspected but hadn't tested: "I can step out of my comfort zone and still do well. I didn't expect to connect with people so easily."
Fun fact: Deriah and Telesia are actually related. That helped. They went into the week with at least one person they already knew. But the real growth came from everyone else they met.
Explaining Home to People Who Thought It Was Made Up
Both students spent the week answering questions about where they were from.
"One of them had even said 'I thought that all those were just in movies,'" Telesia recalled.
She had to explain that American Samoa was real. That the culture, the traditions, the way of life - all of it existed outside of Hollywood's version of tiny Pacific islands.
Being one of only two students from American Samoa at the entire camp made them visible. It also made them educators.
"I felt singled out, but not in a bad way," Telesia said. "They made sure we felt welcomed and at ease."
Deriah had similar conversations. "I shared about our culture, traditions, and where I'm from. They were really interested, asked a lot of questions, and were very respectful."
This was the second year American Samoa sent students to RYPEN. Last year, the territory was the only outer island represented. This year, one student from Rarotonga also attended - a sign that participation is slowly expanding beyond New Zealand's main islands.
328 Meters Above Auckland
After camp ended, the group explored Auckland before flying home. They went to the Sky Tower; New Zealand's tallest structure at 328 meters.
Telesia wore her puletasi. Deriah wore his lavalava.
Telesia reflected, "It was something about representing our home and our gratitude towards the Rotary back home for making the trip possible. Being able to wear the clothes that reminded us of our hard work that brought us to that moment in time, at the tallest building in the city was truly a blessing that we wanted to take advantage of."
Deriah felt the same. "It meant a lot to me because I was able to proudly represent my culture. It made me feel connected to home even while being far away."
Coming Home Different
On March 31st, families gathered at the airport to welcome them home.
Telesia came back more confident. "I feel far more self-assured in myself and my leadership capabilities. Especially knowing that my voice may be a beacon that others could possibly need for guidance, how could I keep it to myself?"
Deriah came back more open. "I feel more confident and open coming home than when I left. I'm more comfortable talking to new people and trying new things."
Both students will share more about their experience in the coming weeks. They'll present to their Interact clubs at Manumalo Academy and Leone High School, speak to Rotary Club of Pago Pago, and share highlights at the End of Year Interact Assembly in May.
When asked what they'd tell next year's students, their answers were similar.
Deriah: "Enjoy every moment, be open to new experiences, and don't be afraid to talk to new people because that's what makes the trip really special."
Telesia: "Do not be afraid. It's definitely a new experience but the kind that'll likely change many of your outlooks on life and your personal self. The exposure you receive from this event and the anxious feeling of being pushed out of your comfort zone will all be worth it in the end."
The sun was shining. It was cold. They woke up too early. And they were fine.
