Ha'åni San Nicolas

Long-term Fellow | August 2025 – August 2026
Mentored by: Melvin Won Pat-Borja, Executive Director, Guam Commission on Decolonization

Ha'åni San Nicolas, with CHamoru and Samoan roots, returned to Guam through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Navigating Home program while completing her doctorate in Indigenous Politics at the University of Hawai‘i. As a long-term fellow with the Guam Commission on Decolonization (COD), Ha'åni aims to apply her education and experience to support her community and build a sustainable, self-determined future for Guam.

Through the fellowship, she hopes to gain practical experience in policy, governance, and advocacy, bridging her academic knowledge with real-world applications. She has worked to advance sustainability initiatives tied to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, contributed to the Guam Green Growth (G3) Sustainable Alliances group, and gained experience in advocating for sustainability as a core part of decolonization at the United Nations Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) meeting in New York.

Ha'åni sees the program as an opportunity to explore pathways in academia, public policy, nonprofit work, or government service while strengthening her ability to create frameworks that address historical and ongoing challenges affecting her community. Ultimately, she hopes Navigating Home will help her establish a lasting role in Guam’s workforce, empowering her to support policies and initiatives that improve the well-being and prosperity of her island and its people.