For Students
#203ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi.
All knowledge is not taught in the same school. One can learn from many sources.
- Pukui, Mary Kawena. ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings. Bishop Museum Press, 1983
How I Got Here
I took a non-traditional path to academia/research. I was poor, a poorer student, and likely undiagnosed for ADHD (it matters fr fr). I just barely managed to pass in the "smart" classes during High School, and never actually saw myself going to college. I was going to join the army, and basically do whatever they told me to do. I liked playing video games, and was not necessarily a child left behind, but definitely never got home on time (if you catch my drift). It wasn't until I had a loving and insistent family member who had both been in the military as an officer and held multiple college degrees, convinved me to at the very least start with technical/community college. That changed my life and affirmed within me that the right style of education is the single greatest catalyst to positive growth for all of us...
All that to say, school was never my strong suit. Yet, here I am doing a PhD, working as research faculty in one of the best damn engineering schools in the country, and designing educational outreach for classrooms across the state!
Recommendation letters
For any students/mentees/colleauges seeking recommendations or letters of reference, please reach out to me via email with the 'who, what, when, where, why' of it all at least 2 weeks before submission deadlines.