Mikaela Saelua is the youngest child of Fiu Johnny Saelua and Catherine Dora Saelua. She currently works as an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Leone High School (LHS) in American Samoa, where she serves as the ELA Department Head. In addition to in-class instruction, she is an Advisor for her school's Junior State of America Organization, an organization dedicated to building leadership and civic engagement in students. Ms. Saelua is also the Co-chair for the LHS accreditation committee, where she works with faculty, administrators, parents, students, staff, and alumni to gather data and ensure the school meets accreditation requirements of the Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC).

Mikaela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with an Asian American Studies minor, from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is an avid reader, specifically of non-fiction/self-help books, as they offer her new perspectives on life.