We are thrilled to introduce the cohort of scholars participating in CHLD. They are all students in the UHM Dietetics Program. They started the CHLD program in 2020 and 2021. Spend a few moments getting to know them!
Aloha, my name is Lianne Aukai. I was born and raised on Oahu and the Big Island. I graduated from Konawaena High School on the Big Island. I am currently residing in Kaimuki on the island of O’ahu. I am a Junior attending the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa pursuing a bachelor of science degree in dietetics. I decided to pursue dietetics to learn more about eating behaviors, disease prevention, and promote a balanced lifestyle and improve people’s diet, including myself.
My passion and career goal is to help the local people of Hawaii with their diet and well-being by educating them on eating behaviors to prevent and manage diseases and improve overall health. It would mean a lot to me to become a Registered Dietitian (RD) for Native Hawaiian people since there is a limited number of Native Hawaiian dietitians. Native Hawaiians used to eat healthily with the traditional Hawaiian diet, however, nowadays, they do not.
I love doing outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, running, gardening, and outrigger paddling.
Click here to view Lianne’s profile on the CHLD Scholar website
Aloha! My name is Kiari Aveiro and I am a recent graduate of Kamehameha Kapālama high school ℅ 2021. I was born and raised on the Windward side of Oahu in Kaneohe. I am now a freshman at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa on the pathway to majoring in dietetics. I’ve always been interested in all things food but I realized dietetics was right for me when I learned how much the Native Hawaiian community has struggled with food and weight-related issues and how it can affect their quality of life. Our Hawaiian ancestors thrived in the way that they have lived in the past, which was by utilizing the ahupua‘a system but now there is a lack of affordable/available nutrition in Hawai‘i.
I hope to educate and raise awareness within my lāhui on how our lifestyle can directly affect our physical, mental, and emotional health. As a future RD, I would like to become a positive influence/advocate for the Native Hawaiian lāhui by working in community-based nutrition. As a Native Hawaiian wahine, I feel that it is important to bring diversity and a different point of view to the dietetics community. I am so excited to see what the future holds!
In my spare time, I enjoy experimenting with new recipes, baking for my friends and family, staying active outdoors (dancing for fun), and spending time with my dog Kipu!
Aloha, my name is Jade Makua! I was born and raised on Oʻahu and graduated from Moanalua High School. A few reasons why I am pursuing dietetics is because I love learning about the properties of food and the impact it has on our bodies. Also, I just really love food! Furthermore, there are medical conditions in my family that can be treated or mitigated with nutritional modifications, and going into this field would give me more knowledge on how to help them and others too.
I hope to serve the lāhui as an RD in Hawaiʻi by considering community nutrition or pediatrics as a field of interest. Pursuing this career pathway as a Native Hawaiian wahine is important to me because I want to represent my Native Hawaiian heritage properly. I want to help implement more diversity into our diets, such as helping to expand and be more inclusive of incorporating foods that are commonly consumed in the Pacific.
Lastly, one fun fact about me is that I sneeze obnoxiously loud whenever I first bite into chocolate!
We would also like to wish our previous cohort of scholars good luck on their endeavors!
Kawailani Arasato
Teah Forsythe
Anela Howard
Melina Ramirez
Victoria Ready
Kaimalie Stensgaard
Nathan Villarreal