Federica Tonon, from Italy, graduated from Brigham Young University–Hawaii in 2006 with degrees in International Business Management and Intercultural Communication. A former BYUH volleyball player, she went on to earn her Ph.D. and build an international career, coaching Vanuatu’s women’s national team and several other national teams, teaching across the Pacific, and contributing to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
Saying Yes to the Unknown
Tonon grew up in Motta di Livenza, a small village in the province of Treviso in northern Italy. The village is about half an hour from the beach, and friends and family always surrounded her. "It was very simple and nice," she recalled. "I really enjoyed growing up there." She never expected her life would take her to volleyball courts, university classrooms, and Olympic venues across five continents.
Tonon first set out for Hawaii to improve her English and pursue her love of volleyball. Before the internet made things easier, she searched for information about universities. Around New Year's Eve in 2000, she traveled alone to the islands and quickly fell in love with the place. Soon after, she applied to BYU–Hawaii, came for a volleyball trial, and sat under a palm tree chatting with a girl who would become one of her closest friends. That girl, Ashley Moeai, later became the team captain. They are still close today.
Finding Home Far from Home
Tonon attended BYU–Hawaii and graduated in 2006 with a double major in International Business Management and Intercultural Communication Studies and a minor in English. She was the only Italian on campus; she was surrounded by students from across the Pacific and the world. She soaked up every single moment. "I barely slept," she joked. "Sleeping felt like wasting time and missing chances to see people, learn from others, and get experience." She watched sunrises at Laie Point and went night surfing under the full moon, and explored the North Shore, all while managing a heavy course load and playing on the volleyball team. The campus’s diversity and daily interactions with students from many countries left a strong impression on her. Even though she came from a different Christian background, she found the spiritual atmosphere at BYU–Hawaii encouraging rather than isolating. "I was so stimulated from every aspect," she said. "I wanted to get the most out of everything I could."
Love Across Time Zones
The hardest part of those years, she admits, was the distance from home. With no video calls and limited internet, it was hard to stay connected. She would email her parents in Italy with details about when she would be at the Testing Center, what she would be wearing, and where she would sit, so they could watch her on the webcam while taking the test. "That was the hardest thing," she said softly. "It is not like now that you can communicate every moment." Still, her BYUH friends supported her. Some even delayed their own flights home for Christmas just to keep her company. Friends always invited her to their home in the mainland to spend Christmas with their Ohana, but Federica preferred to stay in Hawaii and study on her own during the Christmas holiday to graduate earlier.
Those friendships have lasted. Years later, three of those friends, now living on different continents and raising fifteen children between them, flew to Florida just to spend four days together. "The meaning of friendship was, no matter what, we will be there together because we care about each other," she said. "We did not just say that. We made it happen."
Building a Life Without Limits
After graduation, she returned to Italy and continued to build her academic career, just as impressive as her athletic achievements. She earned a Ph.D. in Business and Communication, writing her doctoral thesis on Problem-Solving Strategies and Decision-Making. She also studied further in the UK and was the valedictorian of her graduation class. It is perhaps no surprise that she speaks seven languages: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and a regional dialect. This skill has served her well all over the world. "I am always trying to do something to improve any aspect of my life," she said. "I keep doing this."
While building her academic career, Tonon also played professional volleyball and became a professor and coach for the FIVB, the International Volleyball Federation. She traveled the world to certify new beach volleyball coaches and led national teams in the Pacific. One of her biggest roles was as head coach of Vanuatu's women's national team in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games. When COVID-19 hit, a planned two-day layover in Hawaii turned into 172 days in quarantine scattered across the globe. She spent part of that time with a BYUH friend, Erin & Richie Psillos, who were expecting their fifth child, and they supported each other in those tough moments.
Opening Doors from Sand to Snow
Since then, Tonon has coached Tuvalu's National Team in Fiji and taught FIVB Coach Courses internationally. She recently worked as a supervisor at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, attended the Paralympic opening ceremony in Verona, and watched athletes compete. She still plays volleyball and recently competed in Italy's national snow volleyball finals, a sport she believes will one day become an Olympic sport. "Someone had to open the door for beach volleyball," she said. "Maybe we are doing that now for snow volleyball. As someone else did for us, we are opening the doors for those who will come next."
The Opportunity You’re Living In
Wherever she goes, Tonon finds connections to BYU–Hawaii. While walking in Suva, Fiji, she saw a woman wearing a BYUH alumni shirt. They discovered that with Rachel Aitu, their shared time at the university overlapped, and they ended up spending time together in the islands. "It is a really nice world through BYU–Hawaii," she said. "I met so many people, even outside of the years I studied there. It is a community that is welcoming and easy to connect with across all the islands. The network is everywhere."
Tonon advises current students to treat BYUH as the rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it is. "You are in Hawaii. You are in paradise," she said. "Focus on your studies, but also on the people you are surrounded by. You have a chance, without going anywhere, to get in touch with other cultures just by talking with your classmates and professors”. She added, "Get the most from school. There is so much to do there. It is an island, but it offers so much."
Serving Purpose, Not Just Points
For Federica Tonon, BYU–Hawaii was more than just a school. It shaped the way she lived her life. "There are a lot of good things that still carry with me from BYU–Hawaii," she said. "I think they still have a big impact on who I am." With her lifestyle and friendships around the world, she shows no signs of slowing down.
