Jay Pascua

Jay Pascua, The Storytelling Strategist is an indigenous storyteller from the Western Pacific Island of Guam. He is a multi-talented artist deeply committed to helping others tell their stories. Jay's storytelling journey began in journalism, where he honed his skills as a writer and communicator. It earned him an Associated Press byline on several stories, notably the “Flight 801: Korean Air Crash” of 1997. He shared hundreds of stories in newspapers, TV, and radio. He held the roles of radio news reporter, weekend news anchor, newspaper journalist, and business journal editor. However, he felt a deeper calling to honor his ancestors by sharing their legacy through the art of storytelling. Jay's earliest poem is a chant in his native language of CHamoru titled, "Fakmåta" meaning wake up. The chant was featured in the innovative film "Måtto Saina-ta As Hurao," breathing life into Guam's ancestral tales. The piece was also recognized in the book, “The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous American Literature”. Through the years, Jay contributed many of his poems to anthologies in several books and poetry publications. His work was commissioned for a book that ultimately became a “Gold Medal Winner for Poetry and Special Honors Award for Best of Anthology at the 2020 Nautilus Book Awards” - “Poems from the Edge of Extinction.” Jay continues to share cultural stories on LinkedIn through a weekend audio event, “Storytime with Jay and Friends”. He also hosts an audio event geared towards helping others become effective storytellers, “Strategic Storytelling: Elevating your Brand, Content, and Engagement”. At an early age, Jay was able to mimic the sounds and accents of characters on TV. As an adult, he shares his voice characters with audiences in the digital space and on his Saturday LinkedIn event. Jay also writes, curates, and publishes a weekly LinkedIn newsletter about storytelling, “The Narrative Navigator”. Jay's life's work stands as a testament to his unwavering belief in the power of storytelling.