Kāwika Urakami Ua hoʻomakua ka lāʻau; The plant has become a tree. -- Mary Kawena PūkuʻiThe environment a plant is raised in will often dictate the characteristics and behaviors it will have as a tree. Born and raised in Hilo on the island of Hawaiʻi, Kāwika currently resides in the ahupuaʻa of Umauma. Kāwikaʻs loves are his ʻohana, ʻāina and nohona. He believes that being deeply rooted to your ʻohana, ʻāina and nohona will help you to live a happy and beautiful life.Kāwika graduated from Waiākea High School in Hilo, attended University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo to earn his Bachelorʻs of Science degree in Sociology; then immediately went back to school to earn his teaching certificate from UH Hilo in Secondary Education for Social Studies. Kāwika earned his Masterʻs of Education degree in Educational Foundations in Leadership from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.Before working at Liliʻuokalani Trust, Kāwika worked for Hawaiʻiʻs Department of Education for 15 years at Waiākea High School as an educator teaching Special Education, Music and Hawaiian Language. It is because of these experiences that helped grow and develop his characteristics and behaviors to support kamaliʻi and ʻohana.Being raised in Hilo has developed Kāwika into the person he is today. He is humbled and eternally grateful for his ʻohana, ʻāina and nohona.