WHO WE ARE

Our History

Guam Adventist Academy (GAA) is a fully-accredited, co-educational, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade Christian day school that  welcomes students without regard to religious persuasion, race, color, or gender, operated by the Seventh-day Adventist churches of Guam and the Guam Micronesia Mission (GMM) of Seventh-day Adventists. GAA is situated on 19 acres in the Windward Hills area near the south-central village of Yona with ample room for its existing physical infrastructure and room for future expansion.

Guam Adventist Academy traces its beginning back to the 1949-1950 school year, when Pastor Dunton founded what has now become GAA. Maria Ulloa and Magdelena Flores were the first teachers in Dededo with twenty-six students. A second school opened in Talofofo in 1951 with Mariano D. Tabali as the teacher.  By 1957 the schools had become one at the Agaña Heights with an elementary through twelfth grade curriculum. The current Windward Hills property was secured in July of 1963. The 1999-2000 school year marked Guam Adventist Academy’s 50th anniversary.

Presently

GAA’s infrastructure consists of 11 classrooms, library, computer lab, administrative suite, gym, chapel, science lab, various storage areas, workshop, and one faculty home. Notable recent improvements include the resurfacing of the road, the expansion of the parking lot, and the addition of two interactive whiteboards in the English and Language Arts/Spanish classrooms.

GAA has been serving the young people of Guam since 1949 and has become recognized for its comprehensive program, which facilitates its students’ personal, spiritual and academic growth. In addition to the traditional core academic curriculum, GAA offers electives in Japanese, Spanish, Handbell Choir, Anatomy and Physiology. Seniors, schedule permitting, have the opportunity to take college courses at the University of Guam or Guam Community College.

Our School Philosophy

The Seventh-day Adventist church operates a worldwide system of over 6,800 educational facilities from preschool through university levels in over 100 countries.

The Adventist education program is predicated on a belief in the uniqueness and worth of each student and the importance of the systematic development of the whole person. Students are educated to accept the concept of service as a principle of life, to be sensitive to the needs of people, and to become contributing members in the home and society.

Adventist educational facilities place special emphasis on the training of all the facets of character as it trains the physical, mental, social and spiritual capabilities of young men and women.

Alumni

Although GAA is a relatively small school, a number of its graduates continued their education and are making a positive impact on the island of Guam and beyond. We have listed below the names of a few of our graduates.

• Michael Cruz, MD, Surgeon, Former Guam Lt. Governor, and Army National Guard Colonel

• Ken Joe Ada, Former Yona Mayor

• Donna Cruz, Attorney and GCC Criminal Justice Professor

• Lisa Flores, MD Family Practice

• James Nozaki, MD Family Practice

• Joleen Aguon, MD Pulmonologist

• Stephen Nozaki, DDS

• Ruth Gurusamy, RN, Health Services of the Pacific Administrator

• Willie Flores, Civil Engineer P.E. and W.B. Flores & Associates President

• Wilso Tam, PhD, GCC TESOL Assistant Professor

• Evelyn Flores, PhD, UOG English Associate Professor and Division Chair(wo)man

• Edna Flores, UOG ELI Instructor

• Mark Mendiola, UOG Residential Director and DOE Board Chairman

• Chrislyn L.G. Larrew, Former GAA Teacher and Principal

• Bertha U. Saladier, Former GAA Teacher and Principal

• Kristine M. Emmanuel, Public School Teacher

• Jorge Emmanuel, Public School Teacher

• Beverly C. Cabreza, Public School Teacher 

• Paul Mendiola, RDH and Founder of Registered Dental Hygiene Association of Guam