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TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHERE YOU GREW UP.

I grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. In the small town of Kamuela. Ethnically, I am Hawaiian, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, Chinese, French, and Norwegian.

Growing up, I was always an athlete. I had my hands on some sort of athletic equipment from the time I was born. Being born and raised in Hawai'i, I was exposed to a lot of ethnic diversity. I grew up experiencing different cultures every day. Whether within my own household, town, or friends' houses.

I myself have more than one ethnic background, and by having that, it exposed me to different points of view in life. Now, I'm an athlete in college, playing football at Pacific Lutheran University.

Tell us about your educational experience.

For the majority of my life, I attended HPA which is a private school in Hawaii. The majority of the population at HPA was mainly White and Asian. So being Pacific Islander, I was one of few students of that blood. Now, I'm a college student-athlete at PLU.

Academics were always a bit challenging, from elementary to college, but through different peers and mentors, I was able to overcome the challenges that I faced academically. I will say that I enjoyed school and by doing so, was able to create a great environment for my learning.

How have you navigated college so far?

In college, I found that academics were a lot more challenging than I thought. I thought that doing the work I did in high school had prepared me for college but it didn't.

The classes are a lot more rigorous and call for higher-level thinking. To face these challenges, I seek out help from the professionals that surrounded me. I also relied on the other friends that I made within the first few months of college.

I fed off of their stories and experiences and translated it into my life to see what I could change or improve on so that I didn't struggle as much.

What are your thoughts on Pasifika Representation?

I will say that there isn't that much Pasifika-specific representation at PLU. We have different clubs that highlight different cultures, but there are none that represent pacific islanders directly. Others, including myself, strive to get more recognition for our fellow PIs so that we feel welcomed into PLU.

Any achivements you would like to share?

High school was my main source of achievements. During my senior year, I was recognized as a conference Player of the Year as well as Defensive Player of the Year for football. Also being backed by state recognition for football as well. Then, I made several conference teams in other sports as well. I had made the dean's list throughout high school and was recognized by the island of Hawaii for academics as well.

ANY TIPS FOR students applying to college?

My advice for younger pacific islanders would be to be strong. Whether that be in school or on the athletic field. Also, to dream big and stay aligned with that dream! Anything is possible when you put your mind to it and set yourself up to head in the right direction.

Lastly, surround yourself with like-minded people. Surround yourself with people who want similar things as you because that will push you to try harder, be hungrier for success, and in the end, will give you a good foundation for good life long friendships and a solid community that supports you in every way possible.

Any last words to students?

I want to shout out Ka'iulani Bento for asking me to write this article. It's an honor being able to share my story and hopefully inspire younger kids to strive for things that seem out of their hands.

Also, I would like to shout out the town of Kamuela as well as my family for supporting me and pushing me to become the best that I can possibly be.

Lastly, the last few words I want to share is that I want whoever reads this to know that there are endless possibilities for success. Put your mind to what you want to do and go after it. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars" - Norman Vincent Peale

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