“Be proactive about your education. Take every opportunity. Be seen, and be hungry. Don’t just sit in the background because this is your journey and your future…”

Hometown

Ewa Beach, HI

Department

School of Teacher Education - Secondary

Related Degrees

• BEd, Secondary Education

Are you working while earning your degree?
I work part-time at the Newtown Recreation Center as a front office clerk, and I am a summer aide at Salt Lake District Park for their Summer Fun program.

How did you become interested in the field of education?
As an only child of divorced parents, I really grew up in the school system. It was a great place full of role models and friends. It was also an outlet for me with different activities and afterschool programs.

Briefly describe your road to college.
I always knew I was going to go to college, and I even had colleges looking at me my senior year. I kind of procrastinated because I knew the mainland was not a good option for me financially. When I first enrolled at Kapi‛olani Community College, I was intimidated to go right into an education program with all of the bad publicity about teachers and education in Hawai‛i. So, I enrolled in their culinary program since I love food. I quickly found out that it wasn’t for me, that I’d rather eat than compete in the world of cooking. That’s when I went for it and switched to education.

What advice would you give to other students thinking about transferring?
The one thing I would definitely say is to stand out. Be proactive about your education. Take every opportunity. Be seen, and be hungry. Don’t just sit in the background because this is your journey and your future, and there are a lot of great things like scholarships out there for you.

In what ways do you hope to impact your future students?
I want to be that great role model, support system, and inspiration for them. I want them to learn to be upstanding human beings, to know that the mind will take you so far, but the heart will see you through.

Future Plans
After I graduate next spring, I would like to enroll in a master’s program in curriculum studies or educational psychology.