Beyond Boarders
Story by Kealiʻi Rapozo
Graphic by Caleilah Estellah Ah Ye
Photos provided by interviewee
Something so close yet so far–like many of our opportunities in life–we set out to accomplish various goals we have set in place. For many of us like myself, travel is a common factor. Whether it be for leisure or for the experience, the urge to get out there and go see the world lives within us. Experiencing the world first hand can build confidence and a sense of character through lived experiences. For many of my peers, including myself, we tend to gravitate towards being comfortable with where we are when we should be pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone, and set out upon a new journey to learn more about ourselves as individuals and the surrounding world that makes life worthwhile.
Dr. Eddie Johns
Here at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo (UHH), our Center for Global Education and Exchange (CGEE) has amazing programs that set students up for success in achieving personal and educational goals. Along with many others, I was fortunate enough to go on exchange to one of our partner universities at the University of Stirling in Scotland this past Spring semester, which expanded my knowledge on a world scale. Opportunities like this as an undergrad have set a precedence in my life with my future plans and career choices.
Highlighting one of our very own, Dr. Eddie Johns, a UHH alumnus of 2007, is a great representation of how far one can venture out in life as a result of following a passion of traveling and being used to the unknown, while furthering their education. He set foot on this path as the first student worker for the CGEE office, serving under coordinator Carolina Lam.
“Eddie was adventurous, always wanting to make a difference and not afraid to try something new,” says Lam. “He’s actually taken that to a next level as he’s progressed in his career pathway. It’s so amazing watching him continue to grow from the person he was then to who he is now.”
Student worker Eddie Johns as an undergraduate
When asked to reflect upon his time as a student worker during undergrad, he wishes he would have slowed down and known that things will work out for the best. They just take time. “If I could speak to that past version of myself, I would have told him to calm down a bit. I tend to get stressed out about my future and things that are out of my control. As I’ve grown I’ve learned that as scary as things can be, whether it be in my career or personal life, I've realized things have happened by chance,” says Johns.
He received a master’s in Counseling from UHH, was an LGBTA Student Resource Center coordinator at Penn State, and worked as an international school counselor and teacher in Thailand and China, while receiving his doctorate of Education from University of Southern California. Johns is currently an educator at Moreland University, located in Washington, D.C.
CGEE coordinator Carolina Lam (left) pictured with Dr. Eddie Johns (right) alongside other fellow student workers
With the encouragement and support from UH Hiloʻs own Carolina Lam, and Johns being a digital global nomad based in Bangkok and Hilo, he founded The Napua Initiative for Global Learning.
“The purpose of the Napua Initiative for Global Learning is to empower underrepresented and local communities of Hawai‘i through transformative global experiences, giving UHH students an opportunity to experience cultural immersion on a global scale,” says Johns.
Graphic by Caleilah Estellah Ah Ye
This organization was created in April of 2025, named after his late mother Donnalyn Napua Kalei, a former UHH alum, who after years of resilience through trials and tribulations in her career and personal life, was able to create a legacy for herself. Johns credits his work ethic and determination to his mother’s amazing personal and professional life, both globally and locally.
Similar to his mother’s experience of feeling seen, Johns shared, “I want to show local kids the beauty that they have and that being abroad can spark that journey that inspired hers.”
Through his organization and partner ties here at UHH, the BE Global Camp Winter 2025 Program at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand was founded. Johns served as the head of the program, working alongside Dr. Patompong Saengwilai (Khwan) as the Thailand lead, and Carolina Lam as the forefront here in Hilo.
As an educator, he shares that connecting standards and curriculum through all of his work is important for his programs to run smoothly. “You can’t just have a program and magically want everyone to come; it needs to have a purpose. My specialty is my curriculum development, implementing the credit aspect to ensure it fulfills requirements for UH Hilo with their syllabus. It’s not enough of making a program but making sure it connects to all aspects,” says Johns.
As a UHH alumnus he is proud to return back to his community to present these possibilities to students. He shares his experiences and reflects on how these different periods of his life have shaped him into the person he is today. “For me personally growing up in Hilo, I found my place here in Thailand but I think with the acknowledgement and experience I have abroad it allows me to be a brave, intelligent and wise person to take all that information I’ve learned for those back in Hilo. It allowed me to see the different possibilities, because of the lack of exposure (people are) unfamiliar to what is possible,” he shares.
He emphasizes how important it is for those seeking to go out, to always remember where you come from. “People get to appreciate what you have and bring creativity from different places.” “Even the things that will never be possible give us the pathways to make it possible, and we learn how to foster that.”
Graphic by Caleilah Estellah Ah Ye