Wailau Storytellers and Hosts: Fall 2021

Bonnie Irwin began serving as chancellor at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo in July 2019. Chancellor Irwin previously served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University Monterey Bay. Irwin also served as dean of the Honors College, and then dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, at Eastern Illinois University. She started at Eastern Illinois University as a tenure-track professor of English specializing in world literature and folklore before moving into administration. Irwin has given dozens of presentations and led roundtables and panels at major higher education conferences on topics such as the role of honors, transforming campuses into centers of engagement, student success initiatives including first-year experience, student success in computer science, innovation in higher education, and open access colleges as a pathway to upward mobility.

An expert on oral traditions and folklore, Irwin is the author of articles, book chapters and reviews on the topics, and has also written several encyclopedia entries on women’s and medieval folklore. She remains active in this field of study through writing, giving invited presentations, conducting workshops, and participating in distinguished lecture series.

Watch Bonnie's story: “Getting Lost ”

Catherine Kalama Becker is an Associate Professor of Communication. When she was eighteen, she discovered her birth certificate was fake and that she was a black-market adoptee. The following year, she set off on her motorcycle to find out who she was and where she belonged. Her forthcoming memoir, The Mother Road: A Black Market Baby, A Motorcycle, A Search for Real Across Un-United States, documents her quest. To this day, she continues to explore the ways that communication intersects with who we are, the ways we relate to another, and the natural world. While on her motorcycle trip, she rode through radioactive tailings from the Church Rock uranium mining spill on the Navajo Nation, the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history. After returning to Buffalo, she designed her own undergraduate major in Native American Studies and Public Relations to raise awareness about indigenous issues and the environment.

While in Hawaii pursuing a graduate degree in American Studies, she was given the name Kalama. She collaborated with Patrick Kaʻanoi, author of The Need for Hawaii, and Maui artist, Doya Nardin, to create Mana Cards: The Power of Hawaiian Wisdom, to foster connection through Hawaiian symbols and stories.

Watch Catherine's story: “Lessons from the Mother Road ”

Jon Sakurai-Horita was born and raised in Hilo. After high school, he attended University and graduate school on the continent. He then started his career and remained there for the next 40 years. 5 years ago, he returned to Hilo to retire, but got bored with retirement and found a position at UH Hilo as the Career Advisor in the Advising Center. The Covid pandemic hit and in 2020, Jon decided to give retirement another try. His journey from ”Point A to Point B” has definitely been filled with new adventures, changes, challenges and some disappointments. Jon has used his own story to advise students to have a plan to get from “Point A to Point B” but not be locked into that plan. ”Point B” will constantly change throughout that plan. Jon’s “Point B” is still out there and he is still enjoying the journey.

Watch Jon's story: “The Journey is the Reward ”

Nikki Gour began her career as a performing artist at the age of 11. The performing bug bit her and never let go. From Anaheim to San Francisco, California, she has performed, directed and crewed in various stage-productions. After receiving her B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Education at San Francisco State University, Nikki developed and implemented an after-school theatre arts program for the YMCA of San Francisco. Since moving to Hawaiʻi Island in 2014, she has worn a lot of different hats but currently is a Business Marketing Consultant for Resonate Hawaiʻi radio group and the Morning Show Drive Time Host for The Wave@92fm. She mostly survives off of bread, butter, cheese and homemade kale chips.

Watch Nikki's story: “Embracing Opportunity ”

Tori Matsumoto is a freshman English major at UH Hilo, though she’d love to minor in journalism or Japanese language as well. Nothing’s ever set in stone, but her current goal is to work in newspapers or broadcasting, focusing on women empowerment, LGBTQIA+ rights, and environmental activism. Today’s world is one in which a monumental portion of our safety, respect, and societal worth is based on the color of your skin, thickness of your wallet, length of your clothes, etc. She’d like to help change it into one that doesn’t discriminate against one for existing; for being human. She says, “Who knows? Maybe my tiny, 17-year-old voice will do some good.”

Watch Tori's story: “Puzzle Pieces ”

Kuʻuhiapo Jeong is an undergraduate student pursuing his B.A in Psychology and Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo with hopes to enter the PR and advertising fields. He is passionate about the performing arts, specifically contemporary theatre and dance. He is a student of Kumu Hula Johnny Lum Ho at Hālau O Ka Ua Kani Lehua and a dancer of Center Stage Dance Alliance Hilo, focusing primarily on the style of hip-hop. Theatre was never a love in his life until being cast in the 2016 - 2017 touring Hawaiian opera cast of “Hāʻupu,” which was performed and received special recognition at the AHSTF Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as NPR’s nationally syndicated radio show “From The Top”. Selected theatre credits include “Biloxi Blues” as Eugene M. Jerome; the title role of “Aladdin”; “Tale of a Tail: Moʻo Huelo” as Kama. Offstage, he served as a dance choreographer for the “Hawaiian Nutcracker” and “Moku Aʻe Ka Pawa”. His more notable personal achievements include earning the runner up Master Keiki Hula 2012 placement at the Queen Lili’uokalani Keiki Hula Competition and winning the title of Master Keiki Hula 2013 at the E Mālama Mau I Ka Hula Competition. He is an aspiring polyglot who enjoys learning languages and takes interest in the geological branch of volcanology. IG: @kuuhiapojeong

Desmon Antone Haumea was born in Hilo and raised in Keaukaha and Puna. He is a member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha, and the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and has journeyed across oceans on the famous deep sea voyaging canoe, Hōkūleʻa. As part of the ʻOhana Waʻa, he has helped to educate many of Hawaiʻi’s keiki on the teaching canoe Makaliʻi, Hiapo-o-Ke-Alii-Kai and Kaihekauila. Kumu Aʻo Haumea has devoted decades to perpetuating Hawaiian cultural practices and sharing those with succeeding generations. When he is not on the ocean, he serves nā kūpuna as a member of the Hawaiʻi Island Burial Council, and nā ʻōpio as an Educational Specialist with his Waʻa Curriculum at Ka Umeke Kaʻeo, Mt. View Elementary School, and Waldorf Mālamalama. He is also a Kumu Aʻo at Hālau Mauliola Medical as a Indigenous Traditional Healer, Executive Chef and Cognitive Behaviarol Therapist AND has travelled the world sharing his music and plays with the band: BAMBU. He is married to Dr. Stacy Haumea and they both have raised two keiki: Kukui & Temoananuiahiva, both attending UH Hilo.