MY TEENAGE YEARS

I began volunteer work as a teenager, coaching elementary school children at basketball camp and helping the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network rescue and rehabilitate injured birds and small mammals.  At age 16, I entered the wage-earning workforce, working full-time at a movie theater to supplement my mother’s income. Before joining the Navy, I roasted coffee, made pizzas, and even became a police cadet.  The decision to enlist came after attending college for a year and a half while working two jobs to pay for tuition and books.  I signed up for three years with the intention of coming home and continuing my education with the help of the G.I. Bill.

ACTIVE DUTY

After completing boot camp in Chicago, I chose a trade that would extend my enlistment period by one year.  While stationed in Norfolk, Virginia for my first four years in the Navy, I was assigned to two different ships and deployed twice to the Mediterranean Sea.  One of these ships offered an Adopt-a-School program and I was able to volunteer as a teacher’s aide once a month for about a year.  I reenlisted for another four years to further my training and was sent to Diego Garcia for one year.  Over a third of that year was spent deployed to Oman.  Collectively, these tours allowed me the opportunity of visiting about 20 different countries across Europe and the Middle East before coming to Hawaii in 2002.

HOME, SWEET HOME

Upon arriving in Hawaii, I instinctively knew that this is where I belong.  I had never visited Hawaii before, but I felt like I had come home.  Living in Waipahu at that time, I got a second job at the Kunia Walmart and quickly assimilated to local lifestyle.  A year later, I moved to the North Shore and became a volunteer caregiver for terminally ill patients at Hospice Hawaii.  I intended to reenlist again after completing my three year tour, but I was told that I would have to relocate to Seattle.  In 2005, I let my term with the Navy expire and transitioned to the Navy Reserve so I could remain in Hawaii.

LIFE IN PARADISE

I left my Customer Service Manager position at Walmart to become a Senior Information Systems Analyst for Lockheed Martin at Camp Smith.  When Best Buy opened in Aiea, I was hired as a part-time Digital Imaging Specialist.  By the end of the year, I purchased my first home in Makiki.  In 2006, I was hired as the night baker at Volcano Joe’s in Manoa, filling my schedule with four jobs, various volunteer work, school, and quality time with family and friends.

CATALYST: IRAQ

In 2007, I was advanced to Chief Petty Officer.  The following year, I deployed to Fallujah, Iraq with the Naval Construction Force to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure.  Witnessing first-hand how war had devastated Iraq and affected the living conditions of its people made me appreciate, even more, the freedoms that our democracy protects.  This experience facilitated further personal growth and changed my outlook on life.  I came back home to Hawaii at the end of 2008 with a renewed sense of patriotism.  I continued to volunteer my time as Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Hawaii Loa, officiating the Special Olympics, and participating in Children and Youth Day.

LOOKING FORWARD

In 2009, I sold my home and decided to run for political office.  I am still employed with Lockheed Martin, Best Buy, and the Navy Reserve, and I still spend as much time as I can giving back to the community. However, hoping to settle down soon and start a family, I now view the issues that face Hawaii from a different perspective than I would have five years ago.