Inisinia Tamaiti Aʻoga

California State University Northridge

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Fautuaga I Tamaiti Aʻoga

“Be self-disciplined and committed.”

A'oa'oga

Senior, BS Electrical Engineering, California State University, Northridge

Faʻatalatalanoaga Vaega

Q: O anafea na e iloa ai na e manaʻo e avea ma Inisinia?

Paranagama: Ever since I was small, I liked taking things apart (not necessarily putting them back together afterward…!). I was very curious to figure out everything, not just the electronic stuff. It was actually during high school that I definitively decided that I’d do Electrical Engineering (EE), after a lot of research. Before that I did explore other career paths. One of them I really liked was becoming an Astrophysicist.

F: O le a le mea o lou kolisi poto masani i uiga i le aofaʻi o taimi e te mauaina e te manaʻomia e suesue i aso uma?

Paranagama: Basically I feel that I do nothing but studying! The classes keep me very busy during the semester. Maybe it’s because I work. I take a typical load of about 15 units a semester.

Q: O e tuʻufaʻatasia ni galuega poto masani aʻo e tamaititi aoga? (aofia uma ai internships / co-ops ma isi lava galuega o loʻo e faia a o e i le aʻoga)

Paranagama: Yes. I’m enrolled in the Honors Co-op program, currently working at the Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation. I also worked as an English and Math tutor for several years, at CSUN as well as my previous community college.

F: Na faʻapefea ona e sauniuni mo lou poto masani i le kolisi?

Paranagama: I didn’t really prepare much for college per se. I’m originally from Sri Lanka. Over there high school is intensive enough that we get the necessary preparation by default.

F: Sa e / pe i ai sau faufautua na fesoasoani e faʻataʻitaʻia oe i lenei taimi? (Afai o lea, faʻamatala le aʻafiaga o lenei tagata i lau aʻoaʻoga ma au galuega galuega)

Paranagama: No. I am my own mentor, which is pretty hard sometimes.

Q: E iai se vaega faʻapitoa na e taulaʻi i ai inisinia? Afai o lea, o le a lea, ma na faʻapefea ona e filifili i lenei faʻapitoa? Ma le isi, o le a le taimi o lau kolisi poto masani na e filifili ai?

Paranagama: Yes, I am planning to specialize in Communications, in Electrical Engineering. We are expected to pick a concentration in our third year of the degree. Well my interests are complicated… I seem to like everything… then again I’m a technophile and everything from cell phones to submarines to satellites fascinate me. So I picked communications, which more or less spans all that.

Q: E faigata ona faʻapaleni au suʻesuʻega inisinia ma isi gaioiga a le kolisi (faʻafiafiaga, femalagaaʻiga, fiafia)?

Paranagama: Yes, very much. I lose touch with a lot of the usual things.

Q: E te mauaina oe lava e suesue atili i se 'au tulaga pe na o oe? E i ai sau fiafia i?

Paranagama: Team situation. I do prefer the team situation. It’s livelier.

Q: What’s the hardest thing you have found about your college experience working toward degree in engineering?

Paranagama: Financial side. Expenditures are a big issue, especially since I’m a victim of the 2004 tsunami. Plus, being an international student, financial aid and scholarships are almost non-existent for me, which leads to the only option of getting into debt.

Q: O le a le sili ona tauia itu e uiga i le galue agai i se tikeri i inisinia?

Paranagama: The knowledge and the experience gained. The more I learn, the more satisfied and complete I feel everyday.

Q: E te manatu o le a faʻaauau au suʻesuʻega inisinia, pe e te manatu o le a e fesuiaʻi i se isi eria? Aisea?

Paranagama: I think I’ll continue to study engineering. Maybe after I get a master’s I would like to do an MBA.

F: E i ai sou manatu o le a le ituaiga o alamanuia poʻo galuega e te manaʻo e faia pe a faʻauʻuina? Afai o lea, faʻafefea ona e iloa e uiga i lenei pisinisi poʻo le malae?

Paranagama: I’m very much fascinated by everything communications, so I’m planning to work in that industry. The company I work at now specializes in high performance semiconductors.

Q: E te manatu o le ae manaʻo e faʻaauau isi tikeri pe a maeʻa le tasi o loʻo e galue ai? Aisea pe aisea e le mafai ai?

Paranagama: I’m thinking of doing an MBA, but not immediately after the current degree. May be after several years of working, I’d try to come back to school.

F: Na e manatu o le aʻoga o le a saunia oe mo le auala e faia ai le galuega i le moni lalolagi?

Paranagama: Um… school lays down the theoretical basis. It’s work experience during school that really prepares you for the real world.

F: Na faʻapefea ona e filifilia le kolisi / iunivesite e alu iai?

Paranagama: Since I’m an international student, I chose schools which were close to where some of my relatives lived. And the cost was also a major factor.

F: O a mea e tatau ona fai e tamaiti aʻoga maualuga e sauni ai i latou lava e fai le galuega o loʻo fai e tamaiti aʻoga inisinia?

Paranagama: I think that the college workload is much more than the typical high school workload. I would suggest enrolling in some honors program or taking the AP exams. They will really prepare you, and may allow you skip several classes in college.