Chief Guest - Opening Ceremony

Rakesh Swamy, Dean of Language & Communication.

Rakesh Swamy, an Indo-Fijian of south Indian descent, was born and raised on the garden island of Taveuni in Fiji, and is the Dean of Language, Communication & Deaf Studies at Ohlone College in Fremont, CA. He comes from a prominent family in Taveuni. His parents, Veera Swamy (Sami) and Ram Kumari Swamy (Papa), were very well-known in the island. His father was the only south Indian to have done south Indian firewalking at the Laxmi Narayan Mandir in Taveuni. It has not been done in Taveuni since then. Growing up in Taveuni, Rakesh grew up with a strong work ethic and commitment to his community and his education. He speaks multiple languages and celebrates his south Indian heritage.


Rakesh attended Taveuni Central Indian Primary school in Taveuni and Wairiki (Holy Cross) secondary school. Later he moved to Labasa College and MGM high school. He then moved to Hawaii and got his Bachelor’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Education with a minor in Communication Studies from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Rakesh wanted to give back to Fiji, so he returned and taught high school at Fiji LDS Technical college (Church College) in Tamavua, Fiji. He worked with prominent south Indians in Fiji like the late Master Hari Raj Naicker and taught alongside the late Mrs. Naicker, both well-known figures of the Fiji Sangam organization.


Rakesh eventually moved to the Bay Area and attended CSU Hayward (East Bay) and attained his Master of Science degree in English and Reading with a research focus. Upon graduation, he taught at Devry University, Fremont campus and moved to Ohlone College as Professor of English and ESL. He wore various hats at Ohlone College as the Director of the English Learning Center and served on the technology committee as Ohlone transitioned to the wireless age. He has a passion for Instructional Technology, training many instructors in online course design and instructional delivery via distance education.


After serving as Professor of English for 25 years, in 2024, Rakesh became the first Indo-Fijian and south Indian Dean of Language, Communication and Deaf Studies at Ohlone College. He also overlooks Journalism, Library Sciences and Tutoring Services at Ohlone College with a large number of directors, coordinators, faculty and staff directly reporting to him. He is also a member of APAHE (Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education).


Rakesh married Shalini Swamy (formerly Singh) during their college days in Hawaii. Shalini is the daughter of late Mr. Sashi Mahendra Singh (Bupsee), a prominent family from BA, Fiji. She is the granddaughter of late Mr. Sashi Mahendra Singh (Snr.), the father of Fiji soccer and founder of BA Motors. Rakesh and Shalini have two children Shanelle and Romel Swamy. His Hawaiian-born daughter, Shanelle, is a Bio-Medical Engineer in the Silicon Valley, and his son Romel will be starting his studies in Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University this Fall. Rakesh enjoys his time traveling, playing and watching soccer, gardening and giving back to his community.


One Sangam. One Family. One Purpose!

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