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HPU student leaders recently participated in the annual Hoʻopili Hou Student Leadership Conference, held on Maui from January 30 to February 2, 2025. Hosted by the Hawaii Association of Student Life Advisors (HASLA), the conference—whose name means “reconnect anew” in Hawaiian—brought together student leaders from universities and community colleges across the islands to develop leadership skills, foster community, and engage with Hawaiian cultural values and practices. 

The conference opened with a service-learning project, where 90 students worked together to harvest 400 pounds of ʻōlena, or turmeric. After the harvest, students cleaned, packaged, and distributed the ʻōlena through a holistic pharmacy, highlighting the connection between community, sustainability, and well-being. This hands-on experience underscored the Hawaiian principle of mālama ʻāina, or “caring for the land,” and the importance of collective responsibility.

“This experience reinforced my understanding of ‘it takes a village,’” said Kelsey Kwong, an HPU attendee. “Everyone worked together and truly trusted and cared for the plant. It was a beautiful experience.” 

Throughout the conference, students participated in a variety of leadership workshops and interactive sessions designed to enhance their personal and professional growth. One standout session, “Values with Integrity,” encouraged students to reflect on their core beliefs and how those values shape their leadership approach. The exercise challenged participants to consider difficult ethical scenarios and discuss how to lead with pono, or righteousness and balance, in decision-making. 

Another impactful session, “The Science of Aura: Presenting Yourself with Confidence,” was led by HPU’s own Tian Robinson and Dyson Chee, Assistant Directors of Student Engagement, and focused on self-awareness and body language. Students practiced techniques to project confidence in public speaking and leadership roles, gaining practical tools to refine their communication skills. 

Social media’s role in leadership was also explored in “Maximizing Social Media for Promotion,” a workshop facilitated by Robinson and Foxy Ramos. The session provided students with strategies to leverage digital platforms effectively, emphasizing authentic engagement and storytelling to build a strong leadership presence online. 

The impact of the Hoʻopili Hou Conference resonated deeply with HPU’s delegation. Kwong, a leader in HPU’s Queer Student Alliance (QSA), found particular value in a session on values and beliefs, sharing, “It really hit me that in this world, we simply talk about groups of people, minorities or people who we do not understand. We do not talk to them. What I learned and I wanted to bring back to campus is the importance of talking to people and not about them.” 

Hunter Hurtado, an HPU Student Government Association (SGA) leader, initially approached the icebreakers session with skepticism but came away with a newfound appreciation for public speaking techniques. “I thought we were just learning about icebreakers until the presenter revealed to us that we weren’t learning about icebreakers but rather how a professional speaker holds activities and presents their topics to different audiences. This was an extremely interesting take on public speaking and the skills that separate a good speaker from an unconfident one will stick with me for a long time.” 

Beyond the workshops, Hurtado also reflected on the importance of cultural engagement, commenting, “Being in a private school with a large international student population, it’s easy to lose sight of cultural importance. This experience challenged me to reassess my values and made me stop worrying about what outsiders think. I plan to continue working with the community and properly include myself in giving back to the aina, because this experience showed me that when in Hawaiʻi, it is all of our kuleana to show aloha no matter your background.” 

Robyn Serge, Director of Student Engagement in the Office of Student Life, emphasized the lasting impact of this experience on HPU’s student leaders, stating, “Hoʻopili Hou is more than a leadership conference for students in Hawaiʻi, it’s a transformative experience that deepens our students’ connection to community, culture, and the values that define leadership with Pon, Kuleana, and Aloha. Our HPU student leaders returned from this experience with a renewed sense of purpose, a stronger commitment to mālama ʻāina, and a drive to lead with pono. They are not only enhancing their leadership skills but also embracing their kuleana to foster inclusive, engaged, and culturally grounded communities on campus and beyond. Memories were built, and the students will remember this trip they took with HPU.” 

Armed with new perspectives, skills, and motivation, HPU’s student leaders are eager to apply what they’ve learned to their leadership roles on campus. “I want to make sure QSA is not only a space where LGBTQ+ students can come and connect, but where students can come and learn about our community and who we are,” Kwong emphasized. “One goal I have after this experience is to make sure I talk to people, specifically the people I lead, before jumping to conclusions or making assumptions. You cannot be a leader without people to lead, so why not make sure to connect and listen to them?” 

Hurtado echoed the sentiment, setting a personal goal to be more intentional in leadership. “I want to challenge myself to think about the intentionality behind every scenario I experience. I think that by always asking the ‘why’ I will have a much better understanding of how to maximize the good when faced with the bad.” 

From cultural stewardship to leadership growth, Hoʻopili Hou 2025 left its mark on HPU’s student leadership, emphasizing the power of meaningful engagement, active listening, and shared responsibility. These student leaders are poised to take action by fostering connections, building inclusive spaces, and leading with pono. And in doing so, they honor the spirit of Hoʻopili Hou: reconnecting, learning, and growing anew. 
 
The 2025 Hawaiʻi Pacific Å·ÃÀAƬ student leaders who were selected to participate in the Hoʻopili Hou Student Leadership Conference are 

• Trinity Bradford, Campus Activities Board Event Coordinator                        

• Delaney Brummer, Residential Honors, HUI SRC and SGA Chief of Staff                         

• Cassandra Damask, Campus Activities Board Event Coordinator                                            

• Zoe Donofrio, Campus Activities Board Event Coordinator                                                           

• Hunter Hurtado, Student Government Association Senate Speaker                              

• Kelsey Kwong, Queer Student Alliance Vice President                                   

• Foxy Ramos, HPU Dance Club President and office assistant in Student Engagement, Residential Honors                                       

• An Vo, Campus Activities Board Administration Director 

• Kalli Wiitala, Student Government Association School of Nursing Senator