Aloha, my name is Gigi Kiyabu! I am a Sophmore attending Mid-Pacific. When the Hawaii Youth Food Council was first brought to my attention, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about the council. I joined the council because I have always wanted to impact the community and understand more about our local resources. I also wanted to learn more about food-related issues as I am very passionate about anything food or food-related! The HYFC is an excellent opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and spread the message about proper food nutrition and much more!

Aloha, I’m Shania Wilson and I joined HYFC to create a voice for students in the community. I am interested in learning and growing my knowledge in agriculture, food sovereignty, food sustainability, etc.

Aloha, My name is Tyler Levine, and I am a sprouting seed (I am also a 16-year-old homeschooled student) planted to grow positive change within Hawaii’s local food system. I see this change one day rippling out to all corners of the globe as the food system is truly the heart and foundation of society. When I think of food sovereignty, I see a locally-based food system in which the people who produce, distribute, and consume food have a voice in creating the system’s structure and the policies behind food production and Distribution. The circular sustainable system, by design, makes vibrant and resilient local food economies enhancing and sustaining the environmental, economic, and social health aspects of a community-ecosystem. A world in which we as humans combine the two worlds of nature and society. An interconnected system that expands far beyond the reaches of our modern industrial world, transforming into a system mimicking and reflecting the natural world. I see a society powered at heart by a sustainable and resilient food system. I see a community where the weights of suppression and discrimination are lifted, and the lines of separation are erased.

With a team of passionate youth planting these seeds of change within all dimensions of our local food system, anything is possible. Let us now grow our roots of connection to forge more a future of circular, sustainable, locally-based food-centered economies.

Aloha, My name is Vinnerie Conner! I am a Junior in Keaʻau High School on the Big Island. Growing up in the Big Island, I have always been surrounded by plants and my family who cherishes our land, it makes me appreciate the land even more. My Filipino blood got me very interested in herbs and cooking.  I want to help nurture and preserve the land while also providing people with better and healthier foods. Being part of something that helps out the community makes me glad. I am very excited to be part of HYFC and be inspired along with other people! 

Hi, my name is Kaylie Hirayama! I am a freshman at HPA on the Big Island. I love spending time outside, especially because our islands are so beautiful. My grandparents and their siblings are farmers, so healthy and local sustainability has always been important to me and my family. I hope to contribute in making a difference for our local communities, and I'm excited for all the new opportunities!

I joined the HYFC because I love food and think youth are often not included in food conversations, so this was a perfect opportunity to get involved and push for the youth’s voice to be heard. 

Kumusta kayo lahat, my name is Jaden Joy Rosabia! I am a junior attending Kealakehe High School on the Big Island. I am passionate about the environment and for my community. It brings me so much joy, and I feel exhilarated to have this opportunity in the HYFC council. By being in the HYFC council, I hope to broaden my knowledge to translate it into my community and promote environmental awareness among our youth.

I look forward to working with this great council as we continue to build Hawaii's future together.

"Kumusta kayo lahat" is a greeting that roughly translates to: "How are you all."

Aloha! My name is Chay Cunningham, and I am a senior at Maryknoll School. I have always been passionate about nutrition from a young age as I was always in the kitchen and my grandpa's garden. I hope to emphasize the importance of food security and nutrition in our community and encourage children to connect healthy foods and sustainability on the islands. I am so excited that the HYFC will help me foster these aspirations!

When I learned about the Hawai'i Youth Food Council, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about how our environment, like how we grow food, affects us. Especially since I plan to have a career surrounding environmental science, I felt that this council would help me get more involved or closer to that field. I look forward to working with the fantastic people in this council and seeing what we can come up with to help our communities. 

Hello everyone! I am beyond grateful to be a part of the Hawaii Youth Food Council! Although I have only recently joined the council, I have always been deeply involved in the community's efforts to help preserve and nurture the land! One of my favorite things is visiting Waimea Valley and participating in the Hānai' āina Conservation program. Throughout this term, I hope to help continue the movement of a healthier, more sustainable Hawaii with the fantastic new people I have and will meet.

Hi! my name is BJ. I am a 10th grader at Whea. I joined the Hawaiian Youth Food Council because I feel like I need to play a part in the community, and one way to do that is to help decrease food insecurity. 

Aloha! My name is Marianel Carmen. I’m 17 and a senior at Maui High. I am very excited to be part of HYFC and the journey yet to come! My passion for food stems from sitting down on our kitchen counter and watching my family cook these delicious meals. I’ve always been an advocate for health through nutrition, so being able to be part of a team that will further expand my passion and knowledge of food excites me! (:

I joined the Hawaii Youth Food Council because of my interest in food systems and food education. I grew up eating reduced-price meals in elementary school, which is why I am passionate about nutritional education and improving the quality of school lunches. While I was in middle school, I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to take care of a garden and cook with the produce I harvested directly from the garden. I learned many skills from my experience at the garden, and I believe that all students in Hawaii should also have access to that type of experience.

Aloha! My name is Sarah Newcomb, and I am a senior at HPA. I have been passionate about the culinary arts and nutrition since a young age, and that has led me to start approaching food from a place of improving the environment of Hawai‘i. I hope to inspire the younger generations to make nutrient rich food choices that can be sustainably produced on our islands. Another reason I wanted to be a part of the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council is it is a program designed to give voices to young people who have so much to give back to their communities, and I can’t wait to do just that!

Hi! My name is Julia Barzilai. I am 15 years old and live on Kaua‘i. This is my second year on the HYFC, and I am honored to fill the positions of Head Secretary and Communications Director. The HYFC has been an amazing opportunity to expand on my passion for growing food, and I hope to learn more in the coming year! 

Aloha, my name is Lily Engle. I'm going to be a sophomore at Punahou this following year in Manoa Valley. I've grown up on O‘ahu all my life and have experienced the beauties of the island and nature's bounty, but have also been sheltered from the harm done to the environment as well as the unequal living conditions that lead to malnutrition, among other damages. Learning about the ahupua‘a system and engaging in community service has shown me that there are so many other and more fruitful realities we can achieve to ensure everyone in Hawai‘i is healthy and fed, and I am so pleased with the opportunity HYFC presents to do that. 

Hi, I'm Madison Frisbie, I am 17 years old and a Senior at Kalani High School. When I first heard about the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council I thought of it as a great opportunity to discuss a variety of food-related issues. This was also a new way to contribute to my community and in school.  I have always loved cooking and baking because it was a great outlet to find new recipes and eat healthy and it inspired me to join the HYFC.

Aloha! My name is Hayden Konanui-Tucker and I am a current junior at Kamehameha Schools Keaʻau Campus. When I first heard about the Hawaiʻi Youth Food Council, I was so thrilled to hear that there was a program dedicated to Hawaiʻi food sustainability led by the youth of Hawaiʻi. I first got interested in food sustainability and agriculture through working with my papa, Jerry Konanui. My papa was known around the state as the "Kalo Man" or the "Kalo Expert." When someone had a question regarding kalo, they would come to see him, he would also give presentations and workshops statewide. Being around him during all of his presentations and workshops really inspired me to get started with learning about food sustainability. Over time, I was slowly asked to take over some of the workshops and that really helped me to discover that I can be a leader and I can make a difference in the state to benefit our food systems. Being in this Youth Food Council will help me do just that and I hope that working with the other council members, we can make a huge difference in Hawaii's agriculture, ranching and food sustainability. 

Aloha! My name is Chase Manosa and I'm a senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui and President of the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council. I hope to use my experiences and skills, to help my fellow youth leaders bring forth change in Hawai‘i. Though my experience is largely in agriculture, I was able to learn more about food-related issues and I chose to continue my journey with the HYFC to pursue those intrests

Aloha, I am a 17 year old graduating Junior at Konawaena High School on the island of Hawaiʻi. Growing up in Puna, I was taught that our connection to the ʻĀina was integral for life and joy. This has led me to be very involved in conservation groups around the island and an advocate for wellness of the mind, environment, body. Learning about the link between agriculture and climate change and diet and disease, began to promote plant based/vegan and locally sourced diet for the reasons stated above. I have advocated through my blog (www.bakingonpluto), as the president of the Konawaena Environmental Activist club, and in daily life. I quickly noticed that all of the food being served at my school was not local, didn’t have plant based options, using single use plastic, and not being eaten by my peers. I wanted to make a difference, but found that the difference had to be made on a level higher than was accessible to me. That is, until I found this opportunity. Hawai‘i Youth Food Council has given me a chance to advocate on a professional level, hear the voices of my peers, and get insight into the school meal program. I know with a lot of work, Hawai‘i Youth Food Council can truly make a difference in what it means to eat school meals.

ʻO wau ʻo ʻAiponokamoku Valente a ʻo Panaʻewa kuʻu ēwe hānau. Aia au ma ka papa ʻumikūmālua ma ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. 

Aloha! I am Hannah Apostol and I’m currently 15 years old. I am a Sophomore attending Waipahu High School and I was given such an amazing opportunity to be a part of the first-ever Hawai‘i Youth Food Council. I joined the council because of my unending love for agriculture and our environment. Being apart of another organization of Future Farmers of America (FFA), I learned many things including our current situation of 90% percent of our food being imported, it really amazed me how we used to be able to rely on nothing but ourselves for food to where we are now. This led me to have a passion for sustainable eating and I wanted to fight for my passion which led me to joining the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council. With our topic being school lunches, I believe that being able to incorporate more local products and goods into school lunches, that percentage will hopefully decrease. Another reason why I joined the council was because I had a bad history with food growing up, I didn’t care what I put into my body and that led to me being overweight and it led to more problems that I had to face. I don’t want anyone to ever go through what I went through and I believe that habits do start at a young age. I saw joining the council, as a way for me to in-build those habits of healthy eating through school lunches to our younger generations by incorporating more healthy food into our school lunches that elementary schools get. This council was able to help me fight for these passions that have been in me for a long time now. I hope to continue in the future as an Environmental lawyer so I could fight for the land use here in Hawai‘i and we could start getting back into our roots of farming and I hope to inspire young generations to take on big roles as we are today!

Hi, my name is Julia Barzilai. I am fourteen years old and am currently a freshman at Island School on Kaua‘i. I am thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of the first Hawai‘i Youth Food Council. I hope that we can make a difference to food in Hawai‘i. I believe that this year’s topic, school lunch, is important because it influences so many school-aged children and has a large impact on the health and happiness of many kids. My love of food stems from an interest in agriculture. I am passionate about the environment and supporting locally grown food. I have a vegetable garden at home and try to grow as much food for my family as possible. Some other groups I am involved in are Blue Planet Foundation and Surfrider Foundation. I am the president of my school’s Student Surfrider Club and our hope is to maintain a small school garden next year. I am excited for the future of the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council and hope to see it take on new goals every year! 

Hello, my name is Madison Frisbie, I am 17 years old and a Junior at Kalani High School. When I first heard about the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council I thought of it as a great opportunity to discuss a topic that I love, food. I also thought of it as a new way to contribute to my community and in school. Learning about the different topics we would discuss as a council gave me hope that I could be a part of something that can leave a beneficial impact in Hawai‘i. I have always loved cooking and baking because it was a great outlet to find new recipes and eat healthy. I also love my fruits and vegetables and finding new ways to incorporate them into my meals. Being a high school student also gave me a deeper insight into what we eat during lunch and breakfast. Our topic this year was school food, so seeing everyone’s opinions about the food helped me voice my ideas towards our group. Becoming interested in these issues we face motivated me to take action and get a better understanding about eating healthy and food education. I hope to go on to be a doctor so I can continue to address the importance of healthy eating. Another goal of mine would be to continue to be a member of the Hawai‘i Youth Food Council until I graduate in 2021.

I’m Chase Manosa and I’m a Junior at Kamehameha Schools Maui. I am 17 years old and I was lucky enough to be chosen for the first Hawai‘i Youth Food Council. My interest in food started when I was young with my grandparents who taught me about eating well. Throughout my education I’ve learned a lot about cooking food as well its effects on our bodies. This opportunity has allowed me to improve my own skills, work in a tight knit group, voice my ideas, and advocate for a cause I believe in. I was fortunate enough to be at Kamehameha Schools Maui for the entirety of my school life so quality meals were never an issue for me. I realized early on that I was getting more than others and I wanted to take my own experiences into this in hopes of improving the quality of food in public schools across the state. I highly recommend applying if you are interested in advocating for improvement of school food or even agricultural education.