Realizing there is much work needed to be done in her community, Andria Tupola, a politician from Hawaii, is actively trying to find solutions or ways to build a stronger community.
Tupola, an alumna from BYU in Provo, told students in the Legal Studies forum on March 14 how she pursued music in Provo, not political science. She was raised in Hawaii and wanted to learn more about music and singing, as it was her passion.
When Tupola was studying in Provo, someone asked her to run for office for the student government. She didn’t think much of it and said, “I never thought I would ever use anything I learned from that little [event] because I'm not really into student government things. I'm just into empowering people and having fun.”
Tupola ended up winning and helped serve over 30,000 students on the campus. Little did she know this was the beginning of her journey in becoming a public servant.
Hardships in politics
It was not an easy job being a politician, according to Tupola. Reading negative comments regarding everything she did or wore and people attacking her to the point where she had to file a restraining order on someone was hard for her. “I really had to just stay focused on the fact that I never ran for office to be popular, I ran for office because I wanted to help the people of Hawaii,” she said.
As a form of advice to students who plan on working with politics in the future, Tupola shared, “I will say energy attracts energy. So, if my energy is positive, the people around me are positive. But you also have to remember there is a balance in the universe of all things being equal. The amount of positivity there always has to be the same amount of negativity in the universe.”
Despite not going to law school, Tupola said she still was able to make it through legislature. “I'm still able to be a leader in the state without [a law degree] because of the preparation I went through. And this is the same preparation every one of you went through. There are things in your life that are preparing you for the path you're going to walk down on. Don't doubt just take the step,” said Tupola.
“[If] you see a gap in a society where no one's addressing a need, create something and help out because we don't need to be commanded in all things. We don't need to be told when to serve. You should be able to know, as BYUH students, when to get out and when to help out. You don't need a title. You can get out there and do good things all the time,” emphasized Tupola.
Drois Vi, a senior from Tonga studying literature, said she felt she could apply the things she learned to her home country. “[There’s] so many issues I feel as a single adult. I have been pressured because of people of authority, and nobody’s doing anything, so by listening to what she said tonight, it motivated me to return home and serve my country.”
Afatasi Afualo, a senior from Samoa studying political science, said because of Tupola’s talk, he was reminded not to be discouraged when he is not able to reach some of his goals. “Having a positive attitude with a vision to serve my people in Samoa, I will use these lessons to guide my studies in order to become a more effective leader to make a good change in our small island,” he said.
Finding the desire to serve a mission
Three events from Tupola’s life inspired her to become a public servant. The first was her experience in Provo, running for student government. The second was her time in Venezuela as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and last was becoming a mother and buying a house.
“It was my last year at BYU and like most BYU students, I got engaged. So, I was like, ‘Okay, I'm going to get married,’ and my dad was like, ‘No, you're not. You're going on a mission,’” recalled Tupola. She said she didn’t have plans to serve a mission but her father constantly tried to convince her to go on one.
Around Christmas of that year, Tupola said her father bought her and her family tickets going to Long Beach, California where her brother served his mission. When they got there, Tupola remembered how surprised and confused she was looking at the members’ reactions to her brother visiting them.
One of the ladies from the area talked to her and explained how her brother, back when he was still a missionary, helped her family through their hard times. The lady said, “Andria, just so you know, I know specifically your brother was sent to help our family because every time my husband got sick, your brother was there for us. Every time we didn’t have money for Christmas, your brother was there, he got us a treat. Every time something happened with my children, your brother was there for us.”
Tupola realized at that moment she wanted to go on a mission. She said, “If you get to touch the lives of other people in this way, then I'm going to go on a mission.” She told her dad about her decision, started her application, and was called to serve in Venezuela.
Settling down and raising a family
Years later, Tupola married her now husband and bought a house in Hawaii. She said, “Once you establish your family in a geographic location, you are part of something very important and very special called a community.” She remembered asking herself why they bought a house in Waianae when they knew no one from the community.
“We didn't even know any of the schools. We had no family members. But when I became an active part of the community, my whole life changed because I decided I wasn't going to just be somebody who just went to church. I was going to be somebody who contributed and left a legacy for my children and for generations to come in my neighborhood.
“We had a lot of different issues going on, so I decided to get more involved. I would say for each one of you, that milestone in my life will probably be a big milestone in your life too – the day you decide you’re going to live somewhere and contribute permanently,” she said.
Terrence De La Pena, a junior from the Philippines studying political science, said in Tupola’s talk, getting involved with the community you belonged to was the one thing that stood out the most to him. “She’s right, the government or the policy makers in our communities do affect our lives as an individual or family. If we need or want to make a difference, being involved with the community by loving the people and knowing them, that’s how we can make a difference,” he explained.
Vi also talked about how big of an opportunity it was for students to hear from Tupola. “[I’m] a senior, and it’s scary not knowing what to pursue, but attending sessions like this where we have a speaker with experience, it motivates me.”
Vi continued, thinking back on coming all the way here from Tonga to study in BYU–Hawaii. “Walking out the door, this motivates me to do something different.”
Writer: Esther Insigne