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But my aspirations changed as I neared graduation. I realized my future calling wasn’t to wear a habit. It was to connect with people on a deeper level to help them heal. Even though I couldn’t yet put it into words, I knew I wanted to serve those on the margins — the outcasts, the ones discarded by society. My earliest experiences began with small acts of kindness at school: inviting loners to play at recess, standing up to schoolyard bullies, and questioning injustice in authority figures.

Over time, it became clear to me that my true purpose wasn’t an ecclesiastical life, but rather social work — being a healer, one who could help people reclaim their lives and find their way back to hope.

In retrospect, though, this passion was ignited much earlier. My parents, despite their histories of intergenerational trauma, transformed our home into a haven — a puʻuhonua. Our East Oʻahu residence became a sanctuary for those who felt out of place in society: individuals struggling with mental illness, substance use, or hardship. With aloha, my parents welcomed these souls, helping them find healing and hope. 

After receiving degrees in social work and launching my career at various agencies on Oʻahu, everything came full circle when I joined Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT) in the 1990s. It felt like a culmination of all my life experiences.

The Trust’s Pua Liliʻu Wellbeing Framework deeply resonated with me, and the metaphor of the flower — a pua — personally spoke to me. Just as a flower requires love, care, and attention to thrive, so, too, does a person.

 The Five Domains of Pua Liliʻu (in no particular order) are:  

• Naʻau: Cultural and Spiritual Connection 
• Hale/ʻOhana: Family and Community Relationships            
• Olakino: Physical and Emotional Health 
• ʻImi ʻIke: Learning and Education 
• Kumu Waiwai: Resources 

The framework is about nurturing balance, creating harmony, and helping individuals become the best version of themselves. It is not only about solving problems but about restoring wholeness in a way that respects each person’s unique culture and identity. These principles guided how I interacted with the kamaliʻi and ʻohana at the Trust and confirmed the ethical and cultural values that spoke to my Hawaiian identity.

Today at the Trust, social workers introduce families to the Ho‘opono Program. The concept of hoʻopono provides a way to realign and restore balance — within oneself and to others — when a person’s life takes an unexpected turn.

But at the Trust, Ho‘opono is the art of returning to alignment, mending relationships, and restoring peace, especially in family relationships. The concept is a key to our H.O.P.E. (Helping People Emerge) program, which supports kamaliʻi who have lost a parent through death or other circumstances. Through Hoʻopono, grieving families can navigate their pain and ground themselves in cultural practices and ʻimi ike (knowledge of the ancestors).

Hoʻopono anchored my well-being as I served in various capacities at the Trust — social worker, researcher, cultural practitioner, trainer, loyal teammate, and more. At one point, I became a single mother of three young children, and I often leaned on Hawaiian values that I learned at the Trust to balance career and family life. I am proud that my children have become successful, thriving adults with ʻohana of their own.

Today, I am the sole caregiver for my beautiful mother, who is living with dementia. I continue to rely on Ho‘opono to find peace in some of our darkest moments, navigating this journey together, as mother and daughter. The Pua Liliʻu model helps me stay balanced, reminding me that my mental, spiritual, cultural, and emotional well-being is as important as the care I provide my mother

Over the past 29 years at LT, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible power of these principles in myself, in my teammates, and in the children we support. We weave Hoʻopono concepts and the Pua Liliʻu principles into every aspect of our work, from social-emotional learning for kamaliʻi to providing holistic support for adults.

Another signature program at the Trust is Mindful Forgiveness with Aloha. The program encourages participants to own their healing processes, release old grievances, and give themselves the grace to move forward with a lighter heart. It’s not about excusing past wrongs or misdeeds; it’s about freeing oneself from the weight of anger and pain. I’ve seen people release decades of hurt, step into a positive future, and walk through life with a sense of freedom and lightness.

The eventual goal is release and peace.

As a trainer and a cultural, clinical social worker at the Trust, I am committed to the professional development of the next generation of Hawaiian social workers. I am grateful to provide clinical supervision for future Hawaiian clinicians, ensuring that our voices and values are heard and represented in the field. Dedicated to validating Hawaiian perspectives, I hope to continue traditions and cultural values in our social work — a field that historically employs Western healing practices.

At the Trust, we tirelessly work alongside teammates to create a future where every kamaliʻi will thrive. They will bloom like a pua, nurtured by the Pua Liliʻu Model as they hoʻopono, or find balance in their lives. As I continue this work, I carry with me the teachings of my childhood, the compassion of the nuns at the Academy, the wisdom of my ancestors, the legacy of Queen Lili’uokalani, and the belief that healing and growth are possible when we approach life with cultural values.