“The irony is I had to go far away to Washington to get the best advice which is to go talk to Aunty in Wai’anae.”
As the internship coordinator for Kamehameha Schools Kapālama Kiʻekiʻe, Kumu Sally Nhomi has helped high school students achieve valuable experiences for their life.
Kumu Nhomi’s professor in “Olympia, Washington” led her back to Hawaiʻi to find Puanani Burgess or “Aunty in Waiʻanae.” This wahine accepted Nhomi’s request to talk with her about Sally’s notion to reach students in the Hawaiian community and give them opportunities to succeed. After a couple years of seeking out examples in communities like “in India and in England,” Kumu Nhomi was stunned to find her “doctoral research on education and social justice surpassed” in “10 minutes” by Aunty Burgess, “who quoted teachings on Pono, by her mentor, Pilahi Paki.” Burgess asked “heart-wrenching questions” on why communities aren’t thriving and how to help them thrive. From Burgess’ philosophy about identifying, “own[ing],” and sharing one’s gift, Kumu Nhomi was able to grasp that “most people do their best when it’s about something they care about.” Leading to the care and development of the students she assists as an internship coordinator, Kumu Nhomi explains that she helps the kids connect to others who share the same “passion.”
KS ‘23 grad, Mokihana Paik, started drawing during the pandemic and when asked by Sally Nhomi what she liked to do in terms of finding an internship in 2021, Paik said she liked to draw. Nhomi found that “Chris Caravalho had a zoom presentation” and Paik went and saw she connected to Chris Caravalho’s descriptions of being a “shy kid who liked to draw,” and started creating his own comics. Paik showed some of her drawings to Caravalho and he had her on as an intern. The first issue of “Mana comics” depicting “Kamehameha I” were complete with an “alternative cover art” made by Paik, growing her to fame on KHON2 News. After she graduated, “Paik earned a seat at her dream school: University of Michigan as an art major.” Assessing skills like “trying something she loved doing,” showing a good “work ethic,” and a “willingness to try things,” ultimately, “impressed the people at Michigan.” According to Nhomi, “her passion shows that she’s good at what she does when she chooses to” and “whatever she puts her heart into is 1000 percent.” Sally Nhomi has a process to helping her students find internships: first is to “help students prepare a resume and cover letter to introduce themselves,” give them a “20 minute chance to talk story with someone in the community, carve out a short-term project, two or three things “to contribute within a limited time.” In this same way, Sally Nhomi has helped students “attain opportunities to serve the mayor for two years” like Elijah Moniz, protect “white monk seals” like Nohi and Huki, learning how to handle the change in technology at “ThriveHI” like Noah Kanahele, make posters to teach the “Kumulipo” like Kaimana, work at a “veterinary clinic” like Kalaʻikū, and others. With a flexible schedule, these students work on weekends during the school year or for elective credit during the summer. Soon this month, medical internship opportunities will be available to students in hope that Kumu Nhomi will help more students than just the “external internships” they find available to clubs and classes alone.
Look at the ʻŌIWI LEADERS category on the Ka Mōʻī website to see her pupils’ achievements & please email her if you are interested in acquiring an internship at: [email protected]
