Meet Our Founder

Dr. Michelle D. Liulama

Talofa! (Greetings! in Samoan) I am Dr. Michelle D. Liulama, Founder & CEO of Mana o Toa Military Mentoring, LLC. I grew up in American Samoa after my mother relocated us from Arlington, Texas to American Samoa in 1971. I was five at the time and had to learn the Samoan language and culture, which is the best time to learn, as studies show, children are sponges at an early age. Samoans are very pro-military so even though I received an academic scholarship after high school, my family wanted me to join the Army. In July 1983, I reported to Fort Jackson, South Carolina for Basic Training. Unbeknownst to me, my grandfather, Liulama T. Tapasu was my first mentor.  He taught me integrity, compassion, justice, and a hard work ethic. So when I was in a pickle, I reached back to the nuggets my grandfather taught me, to guide my 20-year military career. I often wonder if every military member has someone like my grandfather, who instilled in me a strong sense of duty and sacrifice. He passed away when I was in Basic Training and I had to find someone to carry his mantle but it was difficult because I didn't trust anyone. I felt unprepared for the many hats I would wear (i.e., squad leader, platoon sergeant, supervisor, wife, mother, student, civilian, etc), but somewhere along my journey, I met supervisors who became mentors. After I retired from active duty, I was disheartened to hear of the growing bad publicity surrounding military personnel, that included mounting suicides, missing persons, training abuses, etc. Mana o Toa was born out of my mission to provide that go-to person for our warriors, that support system dedicated to supplementing and enhancing the careers of our men and women in uniform, from all ages and walks of life, so that they and their family members can have a thriving military career and beyond. This much I can do. Hooah!