Four Interns from Insular Areas Selected for Summer 2015 Internship in Washington, D.C. at Office of Insular Areas

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2015) – The Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas Esther Kia’aina today announced the selection of four students from the U.S. Insular Areas to participate in the Office of Insular Affairs Internship Program. The students selected are Fuatino Leleo Solaita of American Samoa, James Passi Camacho of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cajay S.T. Jacobs of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Martin Joseph Moore III of the Republic of Palau. The four successful students were chosen out of a pool of approximately 400 applicants from across the country for this paid internship program, the first of its kind for the insular areas.

“I believe strongly in building the capacity of young people from the Insular Areas, especially those who are interested in public service and giving back to their communities,” said Assistant Secretary Kia’aina. “Because the role of the Federal Government, including the Office of Insular Affairs, is very important in the Insular Areas, I want our future leaders to learn about the workings of the federal Executive Branch, Congress, and Judicial Branch. They will get a full and rewarding experience by working closely with senior leadership in our office.”

The four selected interns include:

Fuatino Leleo Solaita, from Nu'uuli, American Samoa, who is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Chaminade University in Hawaii. She is a graduate of Samoana High School and received her B.A. in Business Administration from Chaminade University. She is currently working as a Human Resources Practitioner at the American Samoan Government Department of Human Resources.

James Passi Camacho, from Capitol Hill, Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands, is a graduate of Saipan Southern High School. He is currently a senior at the University of Hawaii at Manoa majoring in Biology.

Cajay S.T. Jacobs, from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, is a graduate of All Saints Cathedral School in St. Thomas. She is a senior at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, majoring in Policy Analysis and Management.

Martin Joseph Moore III, of Ngerchemai, Koror, Palau and Pottstown, Pennsylvania, is a graduate of Xavier High School in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia. He is a senior at Chaminade University in Hawaii majoring in International Studies. He is also President of the Chaminade Student Government Association.

The Assistant Secretary for Insular Areas carries out the administrative responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior in coordinating federal policy for the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and administering and overseeing U.S. federal assistance to the Freely Associated States of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau under the Compacts of Free Association. The Assistant Secretary executes these responsibilities through the Office of Insular Affairs.

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