Describe yourself in 3 words:

Dream: A slogan that we promoted for the school last year, “Behind Every Dream,” truly resonated with me. At Maryknoll School, I am so grateful to be able to help our students to pursue their dreams through our donors’ contributions which provide tuition assistance, classroom equipment, and essential supplies.

Lead: I am excited to serve as Dean for the Rotary District 5000 Leadership Academy, where I help to prepare our state’s most talented Rotary leaders to become the next leaders in our community. As part of the Academy’s curriculum, Rotarians from across the state gather monthly and receive training, mentoring, and peer support.

Serve: Volunteering my time in the community gives me purpose. Sometimes a service project can seem too small to be significant, but I strongly believe that each volunteer act is a tiny step in creating the change we want to see in our world.

What is your favorite quality in a team member?

I enjoy being in a team with strong leaders. Leadership is not about the position you hold or the title you carry. It is about taking action, creating impact, and caring for and respecting your teammates. Strong leaders are self-aware, adaptable, authentic, and collaborative.

How has your career shifted from the impact of the 2020 pandemic?

With the onset of the pandemic, our priorities changed, and we also understood that we had to find new ways to connect with our constituents. We focused less on soliciting donations and more on showing gratitude and caring for our community. In the past twelve months, our team sent care packages; created welcome back gifts for our faculty and staff; brought our kupuna alumni together with a spirited virtual bingo; hosted a virtual donor thank you event; and more. We also organized a service project for our community to make fabric masks for health care workers from the safety of their homes.

During this challenging time, we have witnessed great compassion, resilience, and the strength of our families, alumni, faculty, and staff. Our donors have also continued to be generous. While our focus has been on building and bringing our school community together, the economic impact of this pandemic has affected some of our students’ families and their ability to afford the cost of tuition. To help our families, we have launched the Spartan Support Fund that provides emergency tuition assistance to those who have been financially affected by COVID.

How do you manage stress and self-care?

The pandemic has taught me that it is important to manage stress and take care of myself so that I can continue to work and serve others. I manage my stress by spending quality time with my family, which includes eating dinner together, playing video games, or just talking story. When I am going through a tough challenge or disappointment, I find inspiration in my teenage son, who, as a high school student, is dealing with many challenges during this extraordinary time. He helps me with his positivity, and in turn, I hope I am helping him to see that adults have challenges they face too. Weekday mornings are set aside for my husband and I to talk about the stresses that we are going through, and it helps me to reset and face the day ahead. On weekends, playing with our dog, reading books, and listening to podcasts re-energize me for the upcoming week.

What are the hardest lessons you’ve had to face in becoming a leading woman in power?

I learned that failure and fear are okay and that leading with vulnerability and courage can be powerful. In order to do things you have never done before, or to take your organization to places it has never been before, you will need to take risks, be courageous, and even fail from time to time. I learned not to beat myself up when I fall short of my own expectations, and to reflect and learn from those times when I have stumbled. I discovered that courage is acting in the face of fear, and that great things can happen when you lead with courage in spite of any fear. Leading with courage sometimes means learning to thrive in discomfort, having uncomfortable conversations, and acting when you do not have all the answers.