New to the Viking family, para-educator Fa’apa’ū Steffany wants students to know more about her and her Samoan culture.

“In my culture you give respect. It does not matter what age you are, you give it,” Steffany said.

Becoming a para-educator was not Steffany’s original plan.

“I have a two-year degree from a college – why don’t I just use it,” Steffany said.

Originally spending 13 and a half years in Virginia, coming to the Puyallup School District was a different experience.

“When you go to school you listen to that teacher. When I walked in [the classroom] it was a whole different story. It kind of just made me say, ‘okay, I would like to work on that.’ Disrespect does not play well with me,” Steffany said.

When it comes to the future, Steffany offers some advice.

“You always have to have a back-up plan. If you are going to hit that football field hard you better hit the classroom harder because there is no college in the United States that will take you if your grades are not good. [With] education, you always have to have a back-up plan. It does not matter where you want to go or where life will lead you, education is very important. That is the best way to the future,” Steffany said.