SALT LAKE CITY — Mele Vaisima, Judge Memorial Catholic High School’s student body president, is a friend to every one. She is in this world to serve her family, the students at school, the youth in her parish, and her parish community. She is a member of St. Patrick Parish, Salt Lake City, and is a graduate of Kearns-St. Ann School. Vaisima comes from a very religious family. Her parents were raised in Tonga, and she said she would like to go to school in Tonga, but she has too many responsibilities in Salt Lake City. "My faith means everything to me, said Vaisima. "Every morning before we leave the house, my family prays together. We pray the rosary, which blesses us throughout the day. I help out with various parish activities that I could use for service hours, but my mother is right in saying we simply need to help out because the church and our faith give us so much." Vaisima is a leader. She served as the sophomore class president, junior class president, and now she will lead the entire student body. "Leadership is being a good role model by doing the right thing, and knowing right from wrong," said Vaisima. "It is helping students meet their own personal expectations and needs. As president, I want to help the Catholic community and the surrounding neighborhood get their needs met as well. For instance, students have requested we improve the dances. Another goal I have is to get the student body active in the community performing service hours. Last year we raised $11,000 to aid victims of Katrina." Vaisima is also a leader in track and field and basketball. When she graduates from high school next year, her goal is to have a full-ride scholarship in track to the University of Texas, which has the number one girls track team in the country. If not there, she would like to be accepted to Stanford University or the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She would like to major in psychology, but also would like to become a physical therapist. "You could say I am the track team mother," said Vaisima. "When I was a sophomore, we started the tradition of having a senior leader hold a baton as a spirit stick, and pass it down to a junior when she graduates. The mother leads her team, cheers them on, and holds them together. Right now I have the baton and the team is my pride and joy. "I am working on the shot put, which is throwing a ball weighing 4.5 pounds as far as possible," said Vaisima. "This past June I went to Albuquerque, N. M. to participate in the Great Southwest Track Meet. It was pretty competitive. I qualified by throwing high marks and taking first place in the discus in the Utah State Final Championship meet last year. In Albuquerque, I placed sixth in shot put. I loved meeting girls from all over the Southwest region. Their talent makes me want to work even harder." At St. Patrick Parish Vaisima is a lector and a youth group leader. She serves as a liaison and presents the ideas of the youth group to the youth ministers. She also helps run the parish picnic, carnival, and parish game night, which is also a way to raise money for the youth group. She helps, along with her two sisters, in the kitchen and with clean up during parish events. Vaisima is also a member of the peer ministry group at Judge Memorial. "My family attends Mass every Saturday and Sunday because my parents conduct the parish Tongan choir, in which I also sing," said Vaisima. "It really helps us grow stronger in our faith. We always pray for others and help comfort those in need. My mom always says, ‘Nothing is impossible with God.’ She always reminds me to ask God to help me when I am competing in track and basketball and in other activities."
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