The 2016-17 academic year marked the foundation of MiraCosta College’s Mana Program, which serves Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students. Upon the successful completion of their first year at MCC, the inaugural cohort chose four Samoan words that encapsulate their experiences in the Mana Program: Malosi (Strength), Alofa (Love), Aiga (Family), and Mana (Power). The founder of the Circle Painting Project, Hiep Cao Nguyen, led the Mana students through communal painting of these four words in mural banners. These pieces of art not only commemorate the beginning of the Mana Program, but MiraCosta College’s mission to continue to serve historically underrepresented students and help them thrive as part of our campus community.
