Wailau Storytellers and Hosts: Fall 2022

ʻAnoʻai me ke aloha, my inoa is Taecia Kukuikūhoʻokahilehuanokaʻala Yuen-sin Akana. I hail from the Limulīpuʻupuʻu wind and channel that flows through Waimānalo, Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu, also lovingly known as “God’z Country.” I am a kanaka ʻōiwi (Native Hawaiian) of this paeʻāina, carrying the hopes of my ancestors’ prayers, and dreams of my ʻohana and community, as I pursue a double major bachelor’s degree. My first major is Hawaiian studies at the Hawaiian studies school of Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani at UH Hilo. My second major is communications, with a minor in history of the Pacific; and I’m also pursuing a Pacific Islands Studies certificate. I am a DJ for KUHH and an intern at Ka Haka ʻUla in the Ulumāhiehie māla; I have aspirations for a future music career and a social working career of some sort. I hope to go to law school after my bachelor's to study Family law and hopefully a second law. My passion is to help others and be a resource to those around me to uplift their struggles, break intergenerational traumas, and aspire towards a positive future, much like the ʻōlelo nōʻeau, "ʻIke aku, ʻike mai, kōkua aku, kōkua mai; pēlā ihola ka nohona ʻohana." Mahalo nui nō.

Tiffany is an editorial adviser for UH Hilo's Ke Kalahea student newspaper and an 8th grade U.S. history teacher at Keaʻau Middle School. She is married with two children. Hunt served as a news reporter, publisher and blogger, prior to transitioning to a career in education. She has a master's degree in educational leadership from Chaminade University and a bachelor's degree in communication and mass media from the University of Wyoming. When not working, Hunt enjoys beaches, biking and books. For most of her adult life, she has also enjoyed writing. But in recent years, she has suffered from writer's block. Her piece "Lava Drama" is a writing breakthrough, at the same time that it is a chance to use dramatic communication as a source of healing. Hunt and her family were among the many Puna residents who lost their homes and neighborhoods in the 2018 Kīlauea lava eruption. Reach her at newswoman@mac.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanyedwardshunt

Dayva Escobar graduated from UH Hilo in the Spring of 2021 with a double major in Communication and Gender & Women’s Studies, and a minor in Performing Arts. She is a former co-host for Wailau and is currently working as an (aspiring) actress. She has collaborated on various local film projects, such as Mermaids’ Lament, an independent feature film, and is currently working on two new local short films. She enjoys finding ways to evoke thoughtful political and societal change through art.

Janice Ikeda is the executive director of Vibrant Hawaiʻi, a grassroots organization whose mission is to dismantle silos and advance equitable opportunities to contribute to our collective vision of a vibrant Hawaiʻi. Her experience in nonprofit administration was developed during her tenure at Hope Services Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Island United Way, and ‘Aha Pūnana Leo. She holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University, a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and an associate’s degree in information technology from Hawai‘i Community College. Janice is a mother of 5 and "māmā nui" to 1 granddaughter.

Classically trained on piano from the age of 7, Wendell played the organ for Honolulu churches as a teenager. After matriculating with a B.A. in English from Princeton and J.D. from NYU Law School, he turned to a career in music, playing in bands since the 1970s, primarily with Illusion and C&K.

After a 15-year stint as a lawyer in the 1980s and early 90s, he started a new beginning, switching to teaching music at Hilo High for another 20 years. He was voted Best School Teacher in 1998 by readers of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Since that career switch, he has served as musical director for a number of plays for UH Hilo, Hilo High School (PALC), Volcano Arts Center, and Kilauea Drama and Entertainment Network (KDEN). His original music recordings have been nominated for Na Hōkū Hanohano Awards four times, and he has won Hōkū Awards with Diana Aki for her debut album, Moments With You. His environmental protest song, The Lake, was featured on the first Homegrown album in Hawaiʻi. His songs have also been recorded by the Cazimero Brothers, Cecilio & Kapono, and Diana Aki. He performs live occasionally, as a solo artist or with his group, The Ing Crowd.

Tori Matsumoto is an undergraduate English major at UH Hilo. She loves cringy poetry, piano, improv, cute rings, and - most recently - the stars. She says, “Stars are everywhere, and not just the literal flaming orbs in the sky. Stars twinkle in our eyes, course through our veins, and glow in our hearts. It's our hope for the future, passion for our interests, and unconditional love for others that makes being alive so incredibly special.” She likes to think that storytelling helps us share these qualities with the world, building each other up and spreading this love into our own souls, too.

Dane Dupre is a sophomore performing arts major at UH Hilo with dreams of becoming a professional actor. He is passionate about acting, filming, and the theater/movie industry. He fell in love with acting in his freshman year of high school. Since then, he has been part of many acting opportunities, such as Scary Scenarios, Valentine Vignettes, "The Savior of My World" for Lā Makuahine, and “Douglas” for Banyan. He hopes to fine tune his acting skills, make it on the big screen, and become an inspiration. He says, “I want to leave my trail of footsteps on this world, in hopes that someone will find it, and continue the path.”

Douglas Nam Le serves as the Disaster Recovery Officer for the County of Hawaiʻi leading the recovery effort from the 2018 Kīlauea lava eruption. The County’s disaster recovery program includes a voluntary housing buyout program, community planning, grant-making to support community projects and economic development, and infrastructure investments in communities across the Puna district. Before taking this position he was the Administrative Services Officer for the County’s Planning Department. Prior to relocating to the Island of Hawaiʻi, Douglas served in the New York City Office of the Mayor where he held senior positions with the Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the Climate Policy and Programs team working at the intersection of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Douglas previously worked in community development, community-based planning, policy advocacy, and resident leadership development with working-class, immigrant communities in New York City. Douglas received a Master's of Urban Planning degree from New York University and a Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from Columbia University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.