Hawaiʻi’s values are needed in places of power so that our voices are heard.

I recently completed my year as a White House Fellow, and I have been reflecting on what this experience has meant not just for me, but for what it says about the kind of service our country needs right now.

I was born and raised in a multigenerational household in Kailua, surrounded by my extended family and grounded in local Hawaiian values of aloha, kuleana and mālama. I never imagined I’d one day be walking the halls of the White House, let alone advising senior leaders on challenges like national security and economic diplomacy.

A Special Commentary Project Civil Beat is focusing on transparency, accountability and ethics in government and other institutions. Help us by sending ideas and anecdotes to su

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