The Young Pacific Leaders program has been a constant in the leadership journey of Dr Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, PhD.
By Michelle Curran
Strategic Communications, Pasifika TV
Since 2019, the Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) program has been a constant in the leadership journey of Dr Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka, PhD.
The 34-year-old Executive Director of the American Samoa Resilience Office (ASRO) and founder of Finafinau, a nonprofit youth-led science and environmental solutions organization, says it is now a time to give back to the program and her Pacific peers.
“I am honoured to do so by serving as the inaugural Chairwoman of the YPL Alumni Network,” Sabrina says.
Proudly representing American Samoa, Sabrina has taken part of YPL events over the past six years in various roles as a participant, mentor, speaker, and facilitator, including the General Conference, Small Grants Program, Civic Engagement Program, TechCamp, and the Marine Security Workshop, held around the region.
“I became involved with YPL when I was still teaching high school and running Finafinau in its early stages,” she says.
“I was drawn to YPL because it centered Pacific voices in ways that many other programs do not.”
As the United States Government’s signature initiative to strengthen leadership and networking in the Pacific, YPL has gained a lot of momentum since it was launched over a decade ago.
In September 2025, Sabrina will join a 12-strong cohort from around the Pacific to take part in the YPL Alumni Roadshow, to engage on multilateral policy discussions and engagements to bolster alliances between the US and the Pacific contributing to a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Pacific region.
The Roadshow will visit four regions in the United States, including stops in New York City, Washington DC, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles where the YPL cohort will meet with existing and potential stakeholders, to expand its network, and create new opportunities for the US through YPL and Pacific stakeholders in the region.
Leading up to the Roadshow, the YPL cohort has been participating in a virtual leadership program, looking at collaboration, advocacy, and raising awareness of the Pacific region.
It is an opportunity not lost on Sabrina, who has experienced the benefits of being part of YPL firsthand as she has navigates working within the region and further afield.
“YPL has given me the platform and the community to dream bigger, not just for myself, but for my island,” she says.
“Through its network, I’ve been able to share resources, gain mentors, and collaborate with fellow changemakers across the region.
“It’s not just a program; it’s a movement.”
Sabrina says she is deeply invested in ensuring traditional knowledge systems, policy, and youth leadership are interwoven to protect, secure, and manage land and oceans for generations to come.
“My goal is to bridge the gap between our local realities and international funding conversations,” she says.
“I want to bring visibility to the solutions already thriving in the Pacific and build partnerships that honor our community, not just our needs.”
She hopes young people realise leadership is not just limited to leaving their island homes.
“By building local systems of resilience, centering cultural values, and nurturing young leaders through Finafinau and ASRO, I hope to create a future where Pacific people are the architects of their own strategies.”
During the September Roadshow, Sabrina is looking forward to connecting with US Pacific leaders and change agents from across sectors to share what is working in the Pacific, and to look for new ways for global resources to better serve Pacific islands.
“I’m also excited for the chance to uplift our community’s work on a broader stage,” she says.
“The Pacific is often viewed as vulnerable, but we are also visionary.
“My hope is that through collective action and Pasifika wisdom, we continue to lead from the frontlines with courage, clarity, and culture at the core.
“Individually, we create ripples of change, but together, we are a Pasifika tidal wave of unstoppable impact.”
Visit the Young Pacific Leaders website for more details on the US Department of State initiative.
