About Me
My journey into storytelling stems from my own islander roots. I was born and raised in a primarily hispanic Miami, surrounded by enclaves of island and coastal nations coupled with my mother's Indo-Chinese background.
When I was 11 years old I inherited my grandfather's National Geographic magazine collection with issues dating all the way back to the 1920s. I was gifted with time travel, venturing without plane tickets, and the wealth of knowledge at my fingertips. I lived vicariously through these storytellers, and, motivated by their words, hopped across maps, too.
Though I have no tattoos, my passport is colorfully inked. As a third culture kid and global citizen, I've traveled to over 20 countries like Morocco, Croatia and Thailand, chameleoning my way into a local's way of life. I don't have all the answers to the questions I once asked, but that's what excites me about telling stories— big or small.
Education
University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
B.A., English | B.A., Journalism
As a multimedia storyteller at UH, I reported from the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress, held for the first time ever in the U.S. I interviewed renowned scientists Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michele Cousteau and Jane Goodall.
I was the first-ever individual UH student to publish an international story where I reported on an artist's journey from Hawaiʻi's Leeward coast to India. I produced a video news story and feature report that received two awards by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaiʻi Chapter.
As a third culture kid, Asian American and global citizen, I shared my story as the student commencement speaker at the UH Mānoa 2017 graduation ceremony.
Mauka → Makai
Land → Sea
In my free time I ditch the hustle and bustle and surf the shores of Hawaiʻi. I do what I can to connect, protect and share my love for our lands and waters—and the life they nurture.
I learned how to live within my means during my time restoring Limahuli Garden, a modern ahupuaʻa, or land division, after historic floods in 2018 closed off access to Kauaʻi's North Shore for nearly two years. Under the KUPU AmeriCorps Vista program, I studied traditional and contemporary ways to mālama ʻāina, care for the land.
I was so inspired by the people who lived a land-to-sea lifestyle and cared for the place of their ancestors. So, I decided to volunteer in Indonesia for six months to connect with and care for the community that ultimately raised me.