The genuine reason I chose to attend Ka Haka ʻUla was because that is where my naʻau guided me to go, and for me, my naʻau has never steered me wrong, so where my naʻau tells me to go, where NOT to go, or what to do and what NOT to do, I obey. Until this very day, I am the only one in my ʻohana whom carries out the responsibility to ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and for this I am truly humbled and proud to be able to do so -- had it not been for attending Ka Haka ʻUla, I would have not been reminded of this great kuleana I have. For myself, the biggest benefit of attending KHʻU, are the relationships I have made and still foster to this day with peers that I went through Ka Haka ʻUla with. Together, we encourage and support one another not to give up and to keep on keeping on even though the program can be at times difficult and rigorous. We were and continue to be each other's support system in each other's journey of seeking knowledge and understanding in our fields/ career. When I initially started out at Ka Haka ʻUla, I had no intentions of becoming e Hawaiian Medium school teacher; however, through the relationships I gained during my time at Ka Haka ʻUla, I was encouraged to pursue this as a career, and so I did exactly that. Today, I am a third year Kumu Kaiapuni, Papa 4, at Ke Kula Kaiapuni o Maui ma Pāʻia. I can truly say that because I attended Ka Haka ʻUla, often, I do daily check-ins with myself as a kumu, and as a kanaka in general, in making sure that how I act, how I speak, as well as the values I uphold, align with what I teach and how I teach my students. I am blessed to be able to carry out the kuleana I do as a Kumu Kaiapuni in that I can offer support as well as be a positive influence for students in their education and overall well-being as a kanaka Hawaiʻi -- even if they are not Hawaiian by blood, teaching haumāna what it means to be Hawaiian through learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and other important aspects of culture and self-identity, this is where the real reward is.