There is one prayer that Child Development B.A. student Mele Faleta recites every day: “God, please place me where You want me to be, not where I want to be.” Time and time again, Faleta says she has witnessed this prayer guiding her life. From navigating her own storms to supporting at-risk youths, she has found a calling that blends resilience and compassion.
Faleta’s earliest memories trace back to what she describes as the ghettos of East Palo Alto, California. “I remember playing out in the streets being surrounded by violence,” she recalls. Witnessing these hardships would later help her connect authentically with kids and young adults experiencing similar struggles. Today, she serves as a youth program specialist for the nonprofit organization Prevail, which advocates for the safety and security of children and families.
When she was 5 years old, her father — an immigrant from Tonga — suffered a disabling accident at work. Though it forced him to remain home, a settlement allowed the family to move into a safer, middle-class neighborhood in South San Francisco. Faleta and her six siblings remained active in church and honed their musical talents; she even performed trumpet and cornet in a brass band for the King of Tonga.
An Unexpected Weather Change
At 20, Faleta’s life took a new direction. “I became a mom, and I had to figure out life on my own,” she says. Over time, she had two children and worked multiple jobs to support her growing family. Concerned for her children’s safety, she left their father — a move that led to a bitter custody battle.
“That was one of the darkest times of my life. To get back at me, he put me through the court system. He tried to file for the kids to take the kids away from me.”
While sharing custody with her ex, Faleta leaned on alcohol to ease the deep pain she experienced being away from her children while they were with their father. Her own father met her with empathy in this moment of despair and said, “You need to get up. You need to, for your children.” This place of darkness that Faleta was in ultimately led her closer to God.
The very next day, her children’s father dropped off their children saying he couldn’t handle the responsibility anymore. “God works fast. He works fast when you ask,” Faleta said. Shortly after getting full custody of her two oldest children, Faleta met her now-husband, and the two had another four children together — making it a family of 8.
Despite life’s challenges, Faleta always intended to earn her bachelor’s degree. After much prayer, she felt called to pursue child development at PLNU.
“I wanted to attend a school that not only aligns with what I want to do in the future but also keeps me grounded in my faith,” she explained.
Now on track to graduate in December 2025 from PLNU’s fully online Child Development B.A. program, Faleta reflects on her studies with gratitude. She especially credits her academic advisor, Amber Hannah, for offering constant support. “The staff at Point Loma are all amazing,” she said. “The professors were very encouraging and understanding. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Point Loma.”
When It Rains, It Pours
Faleta’s prayer — “Place me where You want me to be” — guided her to an unexpected job in 2022 as a caregiver for legendary San Francisco Giants player Willie Mays. Before landing the position, she admits she had no idea who Willie Mays was or his significance to professional baseball. But she got to know him well in the final two years of his life.
“He was an amazing person,” says Faleta. “I built a lot of connections working for Willie. The number one is his son, Michael. We have a really good friendship,” Faleta said. In fact, Michael Mays wrote her letter of recommendation for her current position at Prevail. She also became friends with another San Francisco Giants legend — Barry Bonds.
When Willie Mays passed away on June 18, 2024, Faleta was invited to his memorial at the San Francisco Giants’ Oracle Park. Michael Mays found a way to bring a pinch of levity to the day. “Michael has a sense of humor, and he sat me next to who I came to find out was Buster Posey, and sitting directly in front of me: Reggie Miller. And then, after the memorial, I met Bill Clinton,” Faleta recalled.
Also in 2024, her family fell victim to the astronomical housing prices of the Bay Area. Their landlord raised the rent for their two-bedroom apartment to $5,000 a month. Unable to afford the increase, her family of eight was evicted and suddenly homeless.
“That was an experience that humbled me. I’m now thankful for the little things — food, water, and hot water on our backs.”
Seeking lower living costs, they moved to Stockton, California. Even there, Faleta’s housing and job situations were in the air. They were still unhoused at the time, and Faleta reached out to her PLNU academic advisor, Amber Hannah, for advice on how to handle the chaos in her personal life in addition to the CDEV program.
“When I had that conversation with her, she prayed for me over the phone. And then, it worked,” Faleta said. “God works really quickly only if you ask.
“The very next day we were going through social services [to get help with housing]. It happened almost instantly — it was a huge blessing for us.”
Entering The Eye of the Storm
Once her housing stabilized, Faleta needed a job that fit both her family life and her academic schedule. That search led her to Prevail, where she was offered a youth program specialist position.
In her new role, Faleta manages two locations: Opportunity House, which serves 18-to-25-year-olds experiencing or at risk of homelessness; and Safe House, which provides up to 21 days of emergency shelter and supportive services for 12-to-17-year-olds in crisis.
The work has already brought challenges: some youths have run away, and Faleta has received threats. Yet she remains resolute in her commitment to, as she puts it, meet people in their storms.
“All they want is someone to talk to in the midst of their storm,” Faleta revealed.
Faleta sometimes works the graveyard shift serving young adults at Opportunity House. “From the moment I step on site, I have all the [youths] in my office all night just talking,” she said.
“It’s helped them a lot because all these kids, the number one thing they want is just to be heard. So for me to provide that environment where they could just come and feel comfortable and have that voice — it’s causing breakthroughs in their lives.”
Blue Skies Ahead
Six children, a full-time job, and an accelerated degree program can be overwhelming. But Faleta insists her faith keeps her going. “It’s God. God holds me together,” she says. Although she wrestles with guilt over the hours spent away from her children, she trusts in a vision of a better future.
“I know I’m reaching for something in the end — that little success story,” she explains. “I’m very thankful to have a job where I have a great support system. And being at PLNU, I’ve received the same kind of support.”
Reflecting on her life so far — from the violence she witnessed as a child, to facing homelessness as a mother of six, and now helping at-risk youths — Faleta believes each hardship prepared her for a higher purpose. She circles back to her unwavering prayer: “God, please place me where You want me to be,” convinced that her path is to meet others in their storms and help guide them toward hope.
“I know I’m reaching for something in the end — that little success story. I’m very thankful to have a job where I have a great support system. And being at PLNU, I’ve received the same kind of support.”
“My life has been very rewarding, and I’m thankful to God for doing what He does best — blessing us,” she says. In every chapter of her story, Faleta sees evidence of a calling that merges her faith, her empathy, and her desire to serve.
