Nā Hokua hosts six workshops each semester. Join us live via Zoom or check out our archive of past workshops to hear from experts on their academic and career journeys, and other resources to support your success in college and beyond!
Please fill out our workshop reflection form to give us feedback and help us improve the effectiveness and outcomes of our workshop series. Mahalo!
Fall 2025 Workshops:
Workshop #1: Tuesday, 9/9 @ 5pm - Career Talk w/ Kamuela Plunkett, Climate Adaptation Planner & Research Scientist Fellow, United States Geological Survey
Student Share-Out: Monday, 9/15 @ 3pm - Fall 2025 Student Share-Out #1
Workshop #2: Wednesday, 9/24 @ 12pm - Scholarship Strategies for Student Success
Workshop #3: Friday, 10/3 @ 10am - Loina Hawaiʻi: Indigenous Traditions as a Way of Living (LIVE PRESENTATION ONLY)
Workshop #4: Saturday, 10/4 @ 1:30pm - Career Signposts 2025
Workshop #5: Friday, 10/17 @ 10am - Weaving Relationships: Building Pilina as a Living Network (LIVE PRESENTATION ONLY)
Workshop #6: Tuesday, 10/21 @ 12pm - Using Artificial Intelligence Tools
Workshop #7: Thursday, 10/30 @ 12pm - The Student's Brain: A Toolkit for Learning and Memory
Workshop #8: Wednesday, 11/5 @ 1:30pm - Career Talk w/ Kalani Quiocho, Hawaiʻi Island Marine Program Director, The Nature Conservancy
Student Share-Out: Week 12 - Date To Be Determined
Workshop #9: Thursday, 11/20 @ 10am - Financial Resilience 2025 - Ask me Anything (AMA)
Speaker(s): Kamuela Plunkett - Climate Adaptation Planner & Research Scientist Fellow, United States Geological Survey
Topic(s): Science, ʻĀina, Sustainability, Technology, Career Exploration
Description: Kamuela is a Climate Adaptation Planner and Research Scientist Fellow with the USGS’s Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PICASC). His current research involves reconstructing the Traditional Hawaiian Landscape in a GIS format to help Hawai‘i’s communities today re-envision the socio-ecological relationship the kūpuna had embedded in their Society’s Land-Administration. In this way Kamuela is addressing climate change by helping Hawai‘i’s islander society reclaim their kuleana to their regional watersheds by producing maps that restores pilina ‘āina (land relationship), challenges current land-use planning and zoning maps, while promoting the preservation and restoration of islander ecosystems.
Kamuela was raised on Hawaiʻi Island, with a home base in Waimea, South Kohala. After high school, Kamuela moved to Oahu for work, first in tourism and then construction, where he could not help but notice how rapidly Hawaiʻi was changing. He often wondered what a balanced path forward would look like given Hawaiʻi’s traditional and colonial history. This complicated topic drove Kamuela to enroll in the University of Hawaiʻi where he earned a B.A. in anthropology, focused on Polynesian migration and archaeology related to traditional food production. While in the field of archaeology and cultural resource management (CRM), Kamuela realized that much of the conflict between developers and communities concerned with Aloha ʻĀina sustainability occurred in the land-use planning and permitting sector. So, for his master’s thesis, Kamuela bridged his cultural resource management background with governmental land-use planning to create a Cultural Landscape GIS model that overlays place-based traditional and early historic land uses on the current landscape. In the process, Kamuela developed the methods and policy rationale for spatial resource inventory and baseline land-use comparative analyses that could help communities and government agencies navigate a more balanced approach to planning and permitting decision making. With this project, Kamuela earned a Master’s in heritage management from UH Hilo, and shortly thereafter was employed as a Hawai‘i County land-use planner. Today, Kamuela is excited to be back in the research sector helping to innovate modern day Indigenous Land-Administration Solutions.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2025 Student Share-Out, which was held live on September 15, 2025, with our Nā Hokua Scholars. This Student Share-Out Workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua Scholars to share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kawena Lorenzo
Topic(s): Scholarship Strategies for Student Success
Description: This workshop will introduce students to practical strategies for finding and applying to scholarships. We’ll cover how to organize application materials, strengthen personal statements, and identify opportunities that fit academic and career goals. Students will also learn tips for staying on top of deadlines, avoiding common mistakes, and approaching the scholarship process with more confidence.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Career Signposts 2025
Description: Each fall semester, we take stock of the current job market and the near-term occupational trends that may impact your career opportunities as you prepare to enter the workforce. We will also look at several macro themes such as technology, demographics, and geopolitics that may influence future jobs. Through that macro lens, we will explore the potential impact on career paths represented by some of our student cohort.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Using Artificial Intelligence Tools
Description:
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Ateisha Norton
Topic(s): The Student's Brain: A Toolkit for Learning and Memory
Description: This workshop will provide students with practical strategies for learning more effectively. We will learn about how the brain's working memory operates and discuss techniques that help to improve focus and retention, such as active recall and spaced repetition. We will go over actionable tools and skills for building strong memory and recall, managing information overload, and optimizing your study environment to improve academic success.
Speaker(s): Kalani Quiocho
Topic(s): Science, Marine Biology, Marine Stewardship, ʻĀina, Career Exploration
Description: Kalani Quiocho is the Hawaiʻi Island marine program director at The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and Palmyra. The Nature Conservancy is one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world.
Kalani Quioch was born and raised in Hilo where he grew up with extended family in the ocean community of Keaukaha. Following his undergraduate years at UH Hilo, he completed The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi Marine Fellowship Program in 2014-2016 where he focused on understanding key values, principles, and practices needed to support succession planning for generational community-based conservation. Quiocho also worked as an akule fisherman and brought that hands-on experience into his more than ten years as a marine program analyst with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He was NOAA’s first cultural resources coordinator and also served as a Native Hawaiian program specialist and a cultural advisor, infusing federal decision-making with Indigenous knowledge. Coming full circle from his days as a fisherman, he acquired more than 400 sea days as a NOAA fishery observer on swordfish and tuna longline fishing vessels. He now returns to The Nature Conservancy with years of experience in marine stewardship from which he gained a wealth of management, leadership, partnership, and cultural expertise.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Financial Resiliency 2025 - Ask Me Anything (AMA)
Description: This AMA session with Kepano is offered as an opportunity for students to explore the concepts presented in the pre-recorded Financial Resilience video and to ask follow up questions in a live video chat format.
Prerequisite: Please review the pre-recorded Financial Resilience workshop prior to attending this Zoom session.
Speaker(s): Kawika Burgess - Business Leader and Entrepreneur
Topic(s): ʻĀina, Technology, Business, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Career Talk #6 which was held live on April 24, 2025, with guest speaker, Kawika Burgess. A graduate of Kamehameha Schools, the University of Hawaiʻi, and UC Berkeley, Kawika has held leadership roles in a number of organizations from Kamehameha Schools and OHA to Hawaiian Islands Land Trust and Kalona Brand Company. He is also an entrepreneur and business owner experienced in running business-to-business and business-to-consumer enterprises. We will explore Kawikaʻs career journey and his most recent endeavors in operating franchise businesses. Join us to learn more about Kawika Burgess' career journey.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Student Share-Out #3 which was held live on April 9, 2025, with our Nā Hokua Scholars. This Student Share-Out Workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua Scholars to share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor - Native Hawaiian Researcher and Professor at University of Hawaiʻi - Mānoa
Topic(s): Science, ʻĀina, Hawaiian Studies, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Career Talk #4 which was held live on March 11, 2025, with guest speaker, Davianna Pōmaikaʻi McGregor. Professor McGregor is a founding member of Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawai’i - Mānoa and is a historian of Hawai’i and the Pacific. Her PhD in Hawaiian and Pacific History was completed at the University of Hawaiʻi - Mānoa in 1989. Her ongoing research endeavors document the persistence of traditional Hawaiian cultural customs, beliefs, and practices in rural Hawaiian communities, including the island of Moloka’i; the districts of Puna and Ka’u on Hawai’i; Ke’anae-Wailuanui on Maui and Waiahole-Waikane on O’ahu. This work is featured in her 2007 UH Press book, Kua’aina: Living Hawaiian Culture, which won the Kenneth W. Balridge Prize for best book in any field of history written by a resident of Hawai’i from 2005-2007. Pōmaikaʻi is conducting research on the original Native Hawaiians who lived in Kalaupapa, Kalawao, Makanalua and Waikolu before it was designated as a place to isolate Hawaiʻi residents who contracted leprosy. She is part of a team working on the designation and implementation of the Moʻomomi Northwest Coast of Molokaʻi as Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA). As a member of the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, she helps to steward the island of Kanaloa Kahoʻolawe. She helps to coordinate huakaʻi or cultural field trips for students, faculty and community members to engage in cultural and spiritual practices to heal the island and honor it as a sacred center for learning and mastery of Native Hawaiian cultural beliefs, customs and practices. Join us to learn more about Professor McGregorʻs career journey.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Student Share-Out #2 which was held live on February 27, 2025, with our Nā Hokua Scholars. This Student Share-Out Workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua Scholars to share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Leolinda Iokepa - President and CEO of Hilopaʻa Family to Family Inc & Owner of RES-Q Consultants
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Health Services, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Career Talk #3 which was held live on February 25, 2025, with guest speaker, Leolinda Iokepa. President and CEO of Hilopaʻa Family to Family, Inc. and owner of RES-Q Consultants, Ms. Iokepa is recognized public health leader, trainer, facilitator, and mediator. Through Hilopaʻa, Ms. Iokepa leads a team of advocates who assist families in navigating the complexity of our contemporary health care system. Hilopaʻa serves as Hawaii’s Family to Family Health Information Center which is a one-stop shop for information and referral, technical assistance and training for families. As a grassroots organization Hilopaʻa is committed to supporting the voices of those who are marginalized to partner at all levels of decision making. She has over 35 years of leadership in the areas of publicly funded health programs and has a proven track record of designing and incubating programs for at-risk populations.
Speaker(s): Maxx Phillips - Director for the Center for Biological Diversity's Hawaiʻi and Pacific Islands program & Staff Attorney
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, ʻĀina, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Career Talk #2 which was held live on February 12, 2025, with guest speaker, Maxx Phillips. Maxx (she/her) runs the Center for Biological Diversity's Hawaiʻi and Pacific Islands program. Before joining the Center, Maxx was a policy advisor and legislative attorney in the Hawaiʻi State Senate and managing director for Mālama Pūpūkea-Waimea, a volunteer-based non-profit created to replenish, sustain, and protect the natural and cultural resources of the Pūpūkea Marine Life Conservation District on the North Shore of Oʻahu. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego, and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law, where she graduated cum laude with certificates in environmental and Native Hawaiian law.
Speaker(s): Keliʻikanoe Mahi - Executive Director at Hiki Ola
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, ʻĀina, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Career Talk #1 which was held live on January 30, 2025, with guest speaker, Keli'ikanoe Mahi. Keli'ikanoe Mahi was born and raised on O'ahu, graduated from Kamehameha Kapālama, and earned her degree in Hawaiian Studies focusing on the Hawaiian language from UH Hilo. She has her teaching license in Secondary Education but has taught in both Hawaiian and English at almost all grade levels through her 22 years in the State of Hawaii Department of Education. She was the Vice Principal at ʻEhunui for 11 years and served as the Principal up until 2020. She is currently the Executive Director for a non-profit organization called Hiki Ola, which provides educational engagement for students and community outreach around reforestation at Kealakekua Mountain Reserve. She also serves as a member of the Kona Soil and Water Conservation District board.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2025 Student Share-Out which was held live on January 27, 2025, with our Nā Hokua Scholars. This Student Share-Out Workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua Scholars to share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Career Guideposts
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2024 Workshop #6 which was held live on November 19, 2024, with Staff Member, Kepano Kekuewa. Each fall semester, we take stock of the current job marketplace and the near-term occupational trends that may impact your career opportunities as you prepare to enter the workforce. We will also look at several macro themes such as technology, demographics, and geopolitics that may influence future jobs. Through that macro lens, we will explore the potential impact on career paths represented by some of our student cohort.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Financial Resilience
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2024 Workshop #4 which was held live on October 30, 2024, with Staff Member, Kepano Kekuewa. How money works is a complex topic that is often approached with anxiety and avoided by family and friends. Money is one of the most important yet misunderstood concepts that impacts every one of us. This workshop will cover an array of financial topics to help students better understand the monetary system and how to build a strategy leading to financial abundance.
Speaker(s): Dr. Gerard Akaka - Medical Physician and Director of Queenʻs Shadowing Program
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Career Exploration
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2024 Workshop #4 which was held live on October 17, 2024, with guest speaker, Dr. Gerard Akaka. He is an internal medicine physician and Vice President of Native Hawaiian Affairs and Clinical Support with the Queen's Health System. Dr. Akaka also leads the career shadowing program at Queen's. Join us to learn about Dr. Akaka's career journey and how the Queen's shadowing program might support your career goals.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2024 Student Share-Out which was held live on October 9, 2024, with our Nā Hokua Scholars. This Student Share-Out Workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua Scholars to share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Esben Borsting
Topic(s): Champions of Success
Description: This is a recording of our Fall 2024 Workshop #3 which was held live on October 5, 2024, with Faculty Member, Esben Borsting. The workshop will cover the X factor for creating pathways to success, examples of Champions, and how to cultivate the relationships necessary for goal achievement
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Networking
Description: This is a recording of our September 25, 2024 workshop. Nā Hokua STEM Specialist, Kepano Kekuewa, leads the discussion on ideas and methods for developing your network to help grow your professional profile and to gain a competitive advantage in a competitive environment.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Time and Project Management
Description: This is a recording of our September 10, 2024 workshop, with Nā Hokua STEM Specialist, Kepano Kekuewa, who discusses how effective time and project management skills can help you accomplish more while reducing stress and anxiety. We discuss a popular methodology called Getting Things Done (GTD) in the context of college and career preparation as well as tools to help you organize and plan your time and energy commitments.
Speaker: Bill Thomas - Senior Advisor for Islands, Indigenoug and International Issues at NOAA
Topic(s): STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, ‘Āina, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2024 Workshop #7 which was held live on April 9, 2024, with guest speaker, Bill Thomas. He is the Senior Advisor for Islands, Indigenous and International Issues at NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. Bill has served in this capacity since 2009 and has also served as the first Director of NOAA’s Pacific Services Center (PSC) from 2002-2009. Join us as Bill discusses his passions and his journey throughout his career thus far.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share Out
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2024 Workshop #6 which was held live on April 3, 2024. Current Nā Hokua scholars will share about the work they are participating in or have recently completed within their community colleges, workplaces, communities, and the larger lāhui. There will be four total presentations, including two live presentations, and two pre-recorded presentations. Each scholar will present about their activities across a range of experiences including but not limited to: an internship, informational Internship, ePortfolio. or Independent Career / STEʻĀM Exploration.
Speaker: Tracy Tam Sing - Hawaii State Parks Archeologist
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ‘Āina, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our March 28, 2024 workshop which featured guest speaker, Tracy Tam Sing. Tracy was born and raised on Maui, studied at the University of Hawaiʻi, Chaminade, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and has 32 years of experience in the field of archeology. He is currently the Hawaiʻi State Parks Archeologist, studying past cultures based on physical evidence and supported by research of written records and oral history. Join us as we discuss Tracyʻs educational and career journey and the role of archeology in understanding our past, protecting our historical and natural resources, and influencing the future of our pae ʻāina.
Speaker(s): Koyu Wenty - Senior Technical Recruiter at Amazon
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Technology, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our March 6, 2024 workshop which featured guest speaker, Koyu Wenty. Koyu grew attended the University of Hawaiʻi where she earned a degree in English literature. Working her way through local management trainee positions, Koyu has risen to the position of Senior Technical Recruiter for Amazon, building science teams focused on machine learning across Amazonʻs e-commerce enterprise. We discussed Koyuʻs career journey and explored the high demand skills that touch every corner of our lives.
Speaker(s): Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz - Executive Director of Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻĀina, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our February 21, 2024 workshop which featured guest speaker, Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz. He is the Executive Director of Kākoʻo ʻŌiwi, a tax-exempt charitable organization that manages 405-acres on the Windward side of ʻOahu, perpetuating the cultural and spiritual practices of Native Hawaiians through natural resource management and traditional agriculture. We explored Kanekoa's work in healing lands and communities through contemporary research and indigenous local knowledge.
Speaker(s): Hiʻilei Anderson - Native Hawaiian college student in Construction Management
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our February 8, 2024 workshop with guest speaker, Hiʻilei Anderson. Hiʻilei is a Native Hawaiian student wrapping up her degree in construction management at Arizona State University this summer. She has completed three internship experiences in construction management, including two in the operations department and one in the estimating department. Field engineer internships gave her exposure to fieldwork and project closeout. Her estimating internship included the business perspective of bidding on a project. Hiʻilei joined us to share her experiences in school and internships as well as her interest in the construction industry.
Speaker(s): CJ Elizares - ʻŌiwi Resources and Stewardship Manager
STEʻĀM Topic(s): ʻĀina, Career Prep
Description: This is a recording of our January 24, 2024 workshop with guest speaker, CJ Elizares. CJ is the ʻŌiwi Resources and Stewardship Manager for Mākena Golf and Beach Club. Being a genealogical descendant of Honuaʻula moku and a Kua of the Protect Kahoolawe Ohana, contributing to and participating in the continuum of Ea of place is integral to his work. ʻŌiwi knowledge and placed based values guide him to care for 1800 acres amidst a diverse community. CJ values collective contribution for getting back to native roots and liberating native futures in Hawaii.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Financial Literacy and Resilience
Description: This is a recording of our November 16, 2023 workshop. Our STEM Specialist, Kepano, discussed Financial Literacy and Resilience, which deals with the ability to thrive through periods of volatility while building towards economic stability. He expanded on these themes with a focus on the financial growth mindset, immediate action items to start building financial resilience, and navigating a course to a healthy financial future.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our November 15, 2023 workshop. This Student Share-Out workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua scholars to share about the awesome work they're participating in within their community colleges, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc.
Speaker(s): Olin Lagon - Social Entrepreneur
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Technology, Engineering, ʻĀina
Description: This is a recording of our November 1, 2023 workshop, with guest speaker, Olin Lagon. Olin is a serial social entrepreneur, and works on community initiatives primarily focused on educational opportunities for keiki in Hawaiʻi. In addition, he has laundched multiple social ventures in Hawaiʻi, the continental U.S., and Russia. Olin has also invented and patneted numerous concepts that have been used by millions across the world.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Kepano Kekuewa
Topic(s): Career Guideposts
Description: This is a recording of our October 4, 2023 workshop. We discussed Career Guideposts: "In a rapidly changing, globally interconnected marketplace, how does one plan for a career path when today's jobs may not exist tomorrow and tomorrow's jobs have not yet been created? We will discuss career growth mindset, macro trends, and strategies to help you navigate the rapidly evolving career landscape."
Speaker(s): Emy Yamauchi-Wong - Manager at ALTRES Staffing
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Technology, Career Planning and Preparation
Description: This is a recording of our September 20, 2023 workshop which features STE'ĀM and Career Prep Speaker, Emy Yamauchi-Wong. Emy is the manager for clerical and technical divisions at ALTRES Staffing. She recruits, hires, trains, and mentors staff to promote career tracks in a variety of industries across Hawaiʻi. Join us as we discuss what a staffing agency is and the benefits and opportunities of signing on with such an organization. From temporary assignments to long-term placements, a staffing agency fills an important need by connecting people with work opportunities. We also discuss specific opportunities for Nā Hokua students that can satisfy career prep program requirements with the potential for additional stipends.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Sean Nagamatsu
Topic(s): Personal Empowerment and Regulation
Description: This is a recording of our September 7, 2023 workshop. We discussed Personal Empowerment and Self-Regulation: "A new semester means new challenges, which means new opportunities for growth! Balancing everything can feel overwhelming. The good news is that you're gaining experience everyday, and each new situation you navigate adds to your unique mix of knowledge and skills. How can your experiences help you boost your confidence and achieve your goals? We'll discuss approaches and strategies for developing personal empowerment through both the successes and challenges that you encounter."
Speaker: Keʻala Peters - Executive VP for Education and Workforce Development and Executive Director of Sector Partnerships for Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology
Description: This is a recording of our Spring 2023 Workshop #6 which was held live on April 18, 2023 with STEʻĀM guest speaker, Keʻala Peters. Keala Peters is currently the Executive Vice President for Education and Workforce Development and Executive Director of Sector Partnerships for the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi. She has held a number of senior management and marketing positions in healthcare, consumer, and technology firms such as Nike and Microsoft. Join us as we discuss career trends and opportunities in Hawaii from the perspective of the Chamber of Commerce, the state’s leading business association.
Speaker: Dr. Noa Lincoln - Environmental Steward and emerging expert in Hawaiian crops and cropping system
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our April 11, 2023 workshop. We were joined by Dr. Noa Lincoln, a Native Hawaiian born in Kealakekua on Hawaiʻi Island. Noa has worked in marine and terrestrial ecosystem restoration and conservation around the Pacific, and has coupled these efforts with cultural and environmental education and community engagement. He has conducted analyses of land asset allocation for several organizations, bringing together concepts of cultural values, ecosystem services, and economics. Noa is recognized as an emerging expert in Hawaiian crops and cropping systems. His primary interests are in combining traditional and modern knowledge of land management to evaluate social utility, rather than economic, contributions. He is currently a research fellow with Ngai Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury and an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a focus on Indigenous Crops and Cropping Systems.
Speaker: Naki Sabas - Director of Government Relations and Program Manager at Alakaʻina Foundation Family of Companies
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering
Description: This is a recording of our March 29, 2023 workshop. We were joined by Naki Sabas, director of government relations and program manager at Alakaʻina Foundation Family of Companies, which supports Native Hawaiian businesses in federal contracting. Naki Sabas is a 2014 graduate of Kamehameha Schools with a bachelor’s degree in business from Oregon State University and a master of business administration from Washington State University, Naki has grown from interning with a global construction company to leadership positions in government contracting.
Speaker: Pelika Andrade - Environmental Steward and Researcher
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our January 23, 2023 workshop. We were joined by Pelika Andrade, a Native Hawaiian born and raised on the island of Kaua'i. She has been living and working on the Big Island for the past 18 years and has a long history with the coastal communities of West Hawai‘i, first as a crew member of the voyaging canoe Makali‘i and later as a researcher conducting shoreline monitoring along the North Kona and South Kohala shorelines. She has been involved with many organizations and projects working to better our environment through conservation efforts and lifestyle changes. For the past seven years, she has been developing alternate approaches to monitoring Hawaiʻi’s shoreline and supporting implementation of a management strategy that supports healthy, balanced communities in Hawai‘i.
Speaker: Dr. Alika Maunakea - Associate Professor at John A. Burns School of Medicine
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻĀina
Description: This is a recording of our November 1, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Dr. Alika Maunakea. Dr. Alika Maunakea is an associate professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi, with a focus in epigenomics, empowering community-based organizations with evidence-based research. Kepano demonstrated an informational interview with Dr. Maunakea focusing on his career in health science, the research he is pursuing, his approach to blending modern studies with health-related ancestral knowledge, and his thoughts on Native Hawaiian Health.
Speaker: Nā Hokua Scholars
Topic(s): Student Share-Out
Description: This is a recording of our October 20, 2022 workshop. This Student Share-Out workshop is an opportunity for current Nā Hokua scholars to share about the awesome work they're participating in within their community colleges, communities, and the larger lāhui. The experiences they will share can range from internship opportunities, informational interviews, community service events, or their participation with workshops, on-campus services and resources, etc. For the Fall 2022 semester, two students (Leinaʻala Kealoha and Camille McComas) presented on their experiences participating in an internship, informational interview, and being connected to on-campus programs such as Po'i Nā Nalu.
Speaker: Kūnane Wooton - Manager of Clinical Services at Straub Medical Center's Emergency Department & Kanaka Maoli Art practitioner
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our October 6, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Kūnane Wooton. Kunāne Wooton works in the world of contemporary medicine while preserving and perpetuating his connection to Native Hawaiian culture. A graduate of Kapiʻolani Community College’s nursing program, Kunāne worked his way from staff nurse to managing clinical services for Straub Medical Centerʻs emergency department. Despite the significant responsibilities of such a mission critical occupation, Kunāne finds space and time to practice Kanaka Maoli art, designing and fabricating artifact replicas and contemporary 3-dimensional art pieces inspired by Hawaiian philosophical concepts. Kunāne serves as an exhibits designer/preparator for the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff, Sean Nagamatsu
Topic(s): Personal Empowerment and Decision-Making
Description: This is a recording of our September 7, 2022 workshop. We discussed decision-making for personal empowerment: "The average person makes 35,000 decisions every day, and college gives you a bunch of opportunities to make decisions that can set you up for success for years to come. How do you make decisions that will empower you to determine your own path forward? We'll discuss approaches and strategies to help you make the journey your own."
Speaker: Kainalu Steward - Graduate Student in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science program
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our April 19, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Kainalu Steward. Kainalu Steward, a native of Maui, found his passion for the ocean at a young age through ocean sports and time with ʻohana and friends at the beach. He graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Hawaiian Studies and a Marine Option Program (MOP) certificate from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He is currently a graduate student in the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science program under Dr. Haunani Kāne. His current research pertains to understanding sea-level rise and hurricane impacts to atoll island systems, specifically monitoring Lalo or French Frigate Shoals located within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Speaker: Kanoe Morishige - PhD Student in Marine Biology
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our April 5, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Kanoe Morishige. Kanoe is an Oʻahu native who is currently completing her Ph.D. in Marine Biology at UH Mānoa. Her research focuses on biophysical drivers of intertidal ecosystems and reproductive patterns of ʻopihi and hāʻukeʻuke to create adaptive co-management regimes. She has worked for Nā Maka Onaona for 14 years, working alongside local communities perpetuating Native Hawaiian knowledge systems, integrating western scientific tools, and building youth leadership to support ‘āina momona, a healthy expanse around Hawaiʻi.
Speaker: Puakea Moʻokini-Oliveira - Environmental Steward and Master Student in Environmental Management
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our March 22, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Puakea Moʻokini-Oliveira. Puakea has lived and worked across the pae ‘āina learning about the interconnectivity of ecosystems with Kupu Hawaiʻi, Limahuli Garden & Preserve, a Hauʻoli Mau Loa Foundation fellowship, Nā Maka Onaona, and the Waipā Foundation. For two years, Puakea served as a Conservation Technician working to replace invasive canopy species with native, endangered, and regionally endemic species to improve the habitat conditions for ‘oʻopu wai. She is currently a Master of Environmental Management candidate at UH Mānoa. Puakea’s capstone project is focused on effectuating a positive influence on water resource stewardship through indigenous-driven, community-led stream monitoring programs.
Speaker(s): Gaylen Kalipi - Finance and IT associate at ʻImiloa Astronomy Center
Speaker(s): Noelani Kalipi - President of Kalipi Enterprises
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our February 22, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Gaylen and Noelani Kalipi. Gaylen is the finance and IT associate at the ʻImiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. Noelani is president of Kalipi Enterprises and focuses on strategic planning around renewable energy and food security. After working in Washington, D.C. for a number of years with the late Senator Daniel Akaka, the Kalipis returned to Hawaiʻi to raise their family while continuing to work in high impact roles.
Speaker(s): Kuaihealani Burgess and Lea Kekuewa - Hoʻōla Nā Hawaiʻi student organization at ASU
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, ʻAina, Mathematics
Description: This is a recording of our February 8, 2022 workshop. We were joined by Kuahealani Burgess and Lea Kekuewa of Hoʻōla Nā Hawaiʻi. Hoʻōla Nā Hawaiʻi is a registered student organization at Arizona State University (ASU) advocating for Native Hawaiian students and their endeavors at ASU.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff
Topic(s): Nā Hokua, STEʻĀM
Description: This is a recording of our January 25, 2022 workshop. We introduced our approach to STEʻĀM and discussed its importance for the future of Hawaiʻi. In addition, we introduced community partnerships we are developing at the moment to imrpove and advance our efforts.
Speaker(s): Keawe Kaholokula - Associate professor & Chair of Native Hawaiian Health at John A. Burns School of Medicine
Speaker(s): Kaʻiulani Murphy - Assistant Professor of Hawaiian Programs at HCC
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our April 30, 2021 workshop. We were joined by Keawe Kaholokula and Kaʻiulani Murphy. Keawe is an associate professor and Chair of Native Hawaiian Health in the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in behavioral medicine and has provided clinical services at various community health systems on O‘ahu and Maui. On the other hand, Kaʻiulani is currently an assistant professor under the Hawaiian Programs at Honolulu Community College. She has taught at a number of institutions across Hawaiʻi and has a background in building indigenous/Native Hawaiian communities and practices.
Speaker(s): Oceana Francis - Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at UH Mānoa
Speaker(s): Kamuela Yong - Associate Professor of Mathematics at UH-West Oʻahu
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
Description: This is a recording of our April 23, 2021 workshop. We were joined by Dr. Oceana Francis and Dr. Kamuela Yong. Oceana is an experienced professor under the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. She specializes in physics, oceanography, statistics, modeling, and remote sensing. Overtime she has helped build many resilient urban communities and infrastructure systems. Dr. Kamuela Yong is an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu. He is the first Native Hawaiian to earn a Ph.D. in applied mathematics. Dr. Yong's research interests include mathematical modeling of biological, ecological, and epidemiological systems using diffusion.
Speaker(s): Kalani Quiocho - Specialist in Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Speaker(s): Kawika Burgess - Entrepreneur and Business owner
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our April 4, 2021 workshop. We were joined by Kalani Quiocho and Kawika Burgess. Kalani specializes in natural resources and environmental management across Hawaiʻi. He has completed much research in building and enhancing indigenous communities and is now the Native Hawaiian Program Specialist for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries within the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Kawika is a renown entrepreneur and business owner in Hawaiʻi and completed his higher education within the University of Hawaiʻi System and at the University of California Berkeley. He has built many years of experience across the private and public sectors and is the owner and manager of a number of small businesses in Hawaiʻi today.
Speaker(s): Pelika Andrade - Environmental Steward and Researcher
Speaker(s): Arama Kukutai - Entrepreneur and visionary leader in agritech industry
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, ʻAina
Description: This is a recording of our March 12, 2021 workshop. We were joined by Pelika Andrade and Arama Kukutai. Pelika is a Native Hawaiian born and raised on the island of Kaua'i. She has been living and working on the Big Island for the past 18 years and has a long history with the coastal communities of West Hawai‘i, first as a crew member of the voyaging canoe Makali‘i and later as a researcher conducting shoreline monitoring along the North Kona and South Kohala shorelines. She has been involved with many organizations and projects working to better our environment through conservation efforts and lifestyle changes. Arama is a seasoned entrepreneur and visonary leader in the agritech industry. He currently serves as a co-founder and partner at Finistere Ventures, a pioneering venture firm dedicated to identifying and nurturing promising agribusiness and food tech companies. He has over two decades of leadership within farming, agriculture investment, and sustainability.
Speaker(s): Nā Hokua Staff
STEʻĀM Topic(s): Science, Technology, Engineering, ʻAina, Mathematics
Description: This is a recording of our February 26, 2021 workshop. We talked briefly about sustainability and NOAA and we watched an interview with Captain Barry Choy. We then reflected on the material discussed and connected each theme to participants lives and experiences.