Why did you choose Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani?

I decided to go to Ka Haka ʻUla because of the relationship that was previously established with Hawaiian-medium schools, especially with Nāwahī. I felt at home there even though I was no longer surrounded by the 17 familiar faces I once graduated high school with. It felt like the right choice at every step leading up to my college graduation. I understood I had a responsibility to continue on the educational pathway through a Hawaiian language program.

What is the value of Ka Haka ʻUla to you?

It is important for the Hawaiian to continue their education. Ka Haka ʻUla is akin to a fishing pond propagating the fish so that the Hawaiian is well-supplied. Just like the poetical saying, “All knowledge is not taught in the same school,” there are many fishing grounds of knowledge. For me, Ka Haka ʻUla is a foundation for that knowledge as well as main posts. With my foundation already being established at Nāwahī, Ka Haka ʻUla became the pillar of which not only my knowledge grew, but my mauli did as well.

How did you grow as a person and how was your life impacted because of your time at Ka Haka ʻUla?

My mauli grew because I continued my education at Ka Haka ʻUla. My kuleana as a Hawaiian, a woman and a member of the Hawaiian language movement became clear, that was to continue to preserve the mother tongue by upholding the behavior, the traditional knowledge and the spirituality of a Hawaiian each and every day.