The personal achievement I’m most proud of is my time working as a Youth Aid at the YMCA. While it may not be the kind of achievement that gets public recognition, it has been one of the most meaningful experiences in my life. It gave me the opportunity to serve my community, grow as a leader, and strengthen my passion for becoming an educator, all while living out the Hawaiian values I was raised with. As a Youth Aid, my role was to support program leaders in supervising keiki (children), helping with daily activities, and making sure every child felt safe, welcomed, and engaged. Whether I was helping with homework, setting up games, passing out snacks, or simply being someone the kids could talk to, I began to understand the importance of being a positive presence in a child’s life. I wasn’t just assisting. I was learning how to guide, nurture, and teach in real-time. Working at the YMCA taught me responsibility, patience, and leadership. I learned how to manage groups of children with different personalities and needs, how to stay organized and flexible, and how to support both fun and structure. These are the same skills I will carry with me as a future teacher. But what made this experience truly special was how much it aligned with the values I grew up with in Hawaiʻi. The YMCA, like many places in our community, operates with the spirit of aloha. As a Youth Aid, I practiced mālama (care), kuleana (responsibility), and lōkahi (unity) every day. I treated the keiki like my younger siblings, showing them the kindness and respect I would want others to show me. I worked hard to create a space where they felt like they belonged where they could be themselves, try new things, and know that someone believed in them. Being a Youth Aid helped me see just how powerful small actions can be. A smile, a high-five, a helping hand. These simple gestures made a big difference in how the kids felt and behaved. It reminded me that educators do so much more than teach lessons. They build relationships, model values, and inspire confidence. That’s exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. This experience confirmed that education is the path I want to pursue. It gave me hands-on experience and showed me that I have what it takes to support and lead young learners. I’m proud of the growth I’ve had, the lives I’ve touched, and the way I’ve represented the values of my culture through my work. My time as a Youth Aid wasn’t just a job, it was a step toward my future. It made me even more excited to become an educator in Hawaiʻi, someone who teaches with aloha and gives back to the community that raised me.

My drive to become an educator comes from the two strongest women I know, my mom and my grandmother, and from being raised in Hawaiʻi with the values of aloha, kuleana (responsibility), and mālama (care). Growing up surrounded by their examples and the deep cultural roots of my community, I knew from a young age that teaching was not just something I admired; it was something I felt called to do. My mom is a teacher, and I’ve had the privilege of watching her live her purpose every day. Whether she’s in the classroom or preparing lessons late into the night, she always gives everything she has to her students. She teaches with compassion, patience, and a deep belief in each child’s potential. I’ve seen the way her students look up to her, and how she becomes someone they trust and remember. Seeing her impact showed me early on that educators can change lives in powerful ways. My grandmother is also a teacher, and her wisdom has always been a guiding light in our family. She has taught for many years, and even now, she continues to share her knowledge and experience with me. Listening to her stories about the students she’s taught, the lessons she’s learned, and the cultural knowledge she weaves into her teaching fills me with pride and motivation. She reminds me that teaching is not just about books and grades; it's about connection, purpose, and legacy. Being raised in Hawaiʻi has also shaped the way I view education. Here, we are taught to live with aloha, to care for others, and to respect our ʻāina and our ancestors. These values are not separate from learning they are a part of it. I want to bring those values into my future classroom. I want to create a space where students feel seen, heard, and rooted in their culture. I believe that when students feel proud of who they are and where they come from, they can achieve incredible things. My drive to become an educator is grounded in love for my family, my culture, and my community. I want to continue the legacy that my mom and grandmother have built, and I want to give back to the place that raised me. Teaching is more than a career for me it is a way to carry forward the spirit of aloha and to make a lasting difference in the lives of others. With the guidance of the women who came before me and the cultural strength of my home, I am ready to step into this role with heart, purpose, and a commitment to lifting up the next generation in Hawaiʻi.

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I have always felt a deep connection to my culture, my community, and the values that shape our island way of life. The aloha spirit, the importance of ʻohana, and the power of knowledge passed down through generations have been constant sources of inspiration for me. From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself, to uplift and educate others while honoring the rich traditions of my homeland. That’s why I have always dreamed of becoming an educator. Education, to me, is more than just academics. It is about empowerment. It is about giving students the tools they need to understand who they are, where they come from, and where they can go. In Hawaiʻi, our history is both beautiful and complex. As a Native Hawaiian, I’ve seen the impact that education rooted in culture and identity can have on a young person’s confidence and sense of purpose. I want to be the kind of teacher who brings that into the classroom every day. My dream is to create a learning environment where students feel seen, valued, and connected to their heritage. I want to teach not just for grades or test scores, but for growth, healing, and hope. I believe that when students are taught through the lens of their culture, they develop a stronger sense of belonging and motivation to succeed. Whether it’s through ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (the Hawaiian language), moʻōlelo (stories), mele (songs), or ʻike kūpuna (ancestral knowledge), I want to bring Hawaiian ways of learning into modern education. Another reason I want to pursue a career in education is the impact I’ve seen teachers have in my own life. I’ve been fortunate to have kumu who believed in me, who challenged me, and who showed me that education could be a path toward making a difference. Their guidance helped shape my identity and my goals. Now, I want to be that person for someone else. I want to inspire future generations to dream big, love their culture, and use education as a way to uplift their communities. In Hawaiʻi, we face unique challenges such as rising living costs, cultural loss, and disparities in educational access. I want to be part of the solution by staying home and teaching in my community. I want to show keiki that they don’t need to leave Hawaiʻi to find success or meaning they can find it right here, in their roots. My vision is to become a kumu who not only teaches content, but who helps students discover who they are and what they can offer to the world. Becoming an educator is more than a career choice, it is my calling. I am committed to carrying forward the values of aloha, kuleana, and mālama, and I believe that through teaching, I can help shape a stronger, more grounded future for Hawaiʻi.

My Hawaiian heritage has impacted my goals by shaping me to who I am as a care provider, and looking into caring for others and my community. From being raised in Hāna it has shown me to grow in the values of Aloha, ‘Ike Kupuna and Aloha ‘āina. I have grown into what I am by the way I was taught to be, strong and loving, both characteristics of what I believe to make a good teacher. Becoming an educator and hopefully adding on a major of Hawaiian Language is going to benefit my community by providing support in my homes school Kula Kaiapuni. Becoming an educator has always been my goal since I was young, from career days at school to goal setting in High school. It was always my dream job. I want to leave a mark on my community by impacting the youth today to affect a better tomorrow. One where the youth of my community is enriched with Hawaiian language while getting an education. This option that wasn’t available to me as a kid which makes this much more appealing to me. I want to help mark history of schools in Hawai’i with our language to provide a better understanding and a better experience for students. This can connect to me growing up in Hawaiʻi, I’ve witnessed firsthand the deep cultural value of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and the urgency to preserve and revitalize it. I aspire to leave my mark on my community by becoming an educator who not only teaches, but also speaks, thinks, and inspires through Hawaiian. As a future kumu, I want to create a classroom where ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi is not just a subject but the foundation of learning, identity, and connection. I believe that language shapes how we understand the world and ourselves. By teaching in Hawaiian, I will empower the next generation to see their heritage as a strength, not just a memory. My goal is to foster pride, confidence, and a sense of kuleana in students to carry our culture forward. Education is a powerful tool for healing and transformation. In a time when Hawaiian communities face challenges of displacement, cultural loss, and social inequity, reclaiming our language is an act of resilience. Through my work, I want to create spaces where students feel seen, valued, and connected to their roots, to each other, and to their potential. E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Let the Hawaiian language live, not just in schools, but in homes, on the streets, in dreams. My mark on this community will be a legacy of voice, vision, and vibrant cultural renewal.