Grace Sophia Caruso

Grace Sophia Caruso, with her psychology, public health and theatre experiential learning expertise, will be a collaborator/presenter in the human trafficking simulation in education scenario

Raised in Valley Springs, CA, she attended primary school in Stockton. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Theatre Arts from Saint Martin’s University, where she was part of the academic honor society. Grace had the honor of presenting her cross-cultural study on dream content and personalities at the 2015 Western Psychological Association conference and the 2015 National Conference on Undergraduate Research. After graduation, she moved to China, where she became the head of the arts department at an international school and worked as a curriculum researcher and developer for a preschool ESL program. Upon returning to the U.S., Grace joined the enrollment department at the EdTech company PowerSchool while applying to master’s programs. In the fall of 2024, she was accepted into Hawaii Pacific University’s Master of Public Health program and was awarded the HPHA Fall Fellowship. Though not originally from Hawaii, Grace considers it her home. "I truly believe in the healing power of the ‘Aina. Every day, I remind myself how fortunate I am to live in a place that gives so much simply by existing, and I feel a deep calling to give back." After graduating from her MPH program at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) in Spring 2025, Grace plans to stay in Hawaii to use her skills to enhance community safety. 

In her free time, Grace enjoys abstract painting, light exercise, connecting with friends and the community, trying new foods, and spending time in nature.