What is the best advice you ever received?
My mom always said, “Do it right, and you’ll only have to do it once.” It created a strong work ethic and a spirit of excellence within me for which I’m grateful.
What advice do you have for other women who may be struggling or may need a boost in their career?
Strengthen your character: 1) Have an attitude that gets excited about the success of others, 2) read the right books, 3) hang out with good wahine mana (strong women) and 4) never give up. The first bit of advice is self-explanatory. As for books, I recommend reading The Obstacle is the Way, by Ryan Holiday and Trillion Dollar Coach by Schmidt, Rosenberg and Eagle. Next, find wahine who have good spirits and challenge you to be better. Last, keep trying and make sure that if you fall, fall forward.
What is your greatest struggle that helped you get to where you are today?
When I was 17, my mom who was single, passed away at age 41. Six months later, I started college on a four-year volleyball scholarship. I wasn’t a good athlete, so my scholarship didn’t cover food. With no help, I had to find a way to survive. I turned to a childhood pastime to be able to eat—spear fishing at night. Growing up in the country, diving was natural to me, so I didn’t see it as a struggle. But looking back, I realize that no college kid should live like that. In the end, I became a stronger person because of it. I didn’t know it then, but the struggle developed a spirit in me that never quits.
What is the greatest and most rewarding experience derived from your work?
The most rewarding experience is serving a worthy purpose, one that is far greater than any individual, and doing it with others of like mind and heart. At Kamehameha, our mission is to create educational opportunities in perpetuity to improve the well-being of people of Hawaiian ancestry. In my position, I get to convene and collaborate with others—community members, government leaders, leaders in business, other organizations and those who have similar interests in transforming Hawai‘i into a better place. I get to advocate with others to improve policies that impact the systems that touch Native Hawaiian keiki (and everyone else), such as education, housing and the economy. People sometimes scoff at lobbyists, but they think twice when I tell them what I advocate for.
What gets you fired up?
Seeing others overcome and seeing others win. I come from humble beginnings, so I know what it’s like to be the underdog, to be looked down upon and to be the one whom no one expects to prevail. I also know the regret of losing a national championship because of mental defeat; yet, I’ve learned what it feels like to overcome defeat, to come from behind and to make a comeback. I know the feeling of being physically exhausted and wanting to give up, but then finding the energy in me to push just one more time and end up with the team win. These are experiences that build character and strength, and I get fired up when others get to have a similar experience.
