• Freshman Class President
  
• Captain, Football, Junior Varsity and Varsity
  
• College Preparatory Classes

I enjoyed my time at Waiakea High School. Last year I was the Co-Chair of the 20th Reunion for the Class of 1986. I owe a lot to the teachers and coaches of Waiakea High. They were constantly after me to fulfill the potential they saw in me. I was not a committed student and struggled academically. This is no secret. I share this information readily with students and youth who feel that they will never accomplish their academic or educational goals. It is never too late. Ever.

• Dean’s List All Three Semesters
  
• Facilitator, Hawaii: Today & Tomorrow
  
• Hawaiian Leadership Development Program

All of the success that I experienced in my educational endeavors began with the support and guidance I received at the Hawaii Community College and the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The professors, counselors, and staff were always positive, always supportive, and constantly encouraging me to pursue my dreams, regardless of how distant it seemed.

I learned about my culture and my responsibility to my community through HLDP and Manu Meyer. I learned about the value and satisfaction of volunteering through working with Na Pua No’eau and other youth programs supported by the University and the Community College.
It was truly one of the most exciting and empowering experiences of my life.

• UMASS Political Science Honor Society
  
• Nominated, UMASS Student Employee of the Year
  
• Nominated, Kathryn F. Furcolo Outstanding
  Public Service Internship
  

When I first shared with my parents and my friends that I was planning on attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, they all asked "Who did I know up there and how was I going to pay for it?" My response was that I didn’t know anyone on the East Coast and that I was going to sell palm trees, build stone walls, and save my money from my part-time job at Snappy’s Pizza in Keaau. Of course, they all laughed, nervously.

But, with the support of UH and HCC Staff, I was accepted through the National Student Exchange Program and attended UMASS with money that I saved and a loan co-signed by my sister, Dierdre. In my first year, I became the NSE President, lobbied in Washington DC for financial aid, and fell in love with my future wife. I was accepted as a full-time student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst the following year.

I lobbied so often and so passionately for financial aid support to attend college that I became the University of Massachusetts at Amherst Students Advocating Financial Aid (SAFA) President. This position allowed me to meet US Senator Ted Kennedy, US Senator John Kerry, and other Massachusetts Congressmen on behalf of students in need of financial aid. This involvement led me to apply for and receive an invitation to be a Congressional Intern with United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye in Washington DC.

I recently visited the University of Massachusetts at Amherst campus this past summer to reflect on how much I have benefited from this experience. I met my wife, studied with great professors, worked in Washington DC, spent Spring Break in Daytona Beach, and was inducted into the UMASS Honor Society.

• Class Commencement Speaker
  
• Delta Theta Phi, Law Fraternity, Outstanding
  Student, Region IV
  
• 2nd (70 Law Schools) William H. Thomas
  Individual Oral Advocacy Competition

One of the most exciting moments of my life, up to that point in the Spring of 1993, was receiving a yellow manila envelope from the University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, opening it up and reading the words “We are delighted to inform you that you have been accepted into the Fall 1993 entering class of the William S. Richardson School of Law”. It seemed like a dream. Then the real work, and fun, began.

I was privileged to study the law with some of the smartest and most accomplished folks that I have ever met. It was a very intellectually intimidating experience. However, because of the professors, mentors, and legal professionals who provided guidance and support, I was able to not only get through Law School, but to serve as the President of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity and to deliver the Commencement Address for our graduating class. It was an honor to have my parents in the audience that evening. It was my gift to them for always believing in me and for never giving up on me.

I owe a debt of gratitude that I can never repay to my Wife for supporting me spiritually and personally throughout law school. My law degree is as much hers as it is mine. We were married while I was in law school. We struggled with a studio apartment and took turns using either the one bus pass we had, or the one moped we owned. We learned early that the key to a happy marriage is compromise. I am thankful that she continues to be a great partner in life.

FAMILY | EDUCATION | LAW | PUBLIC SERVICE | VISION