Meet SPIO's Inaugural Academic Excellence Scholarship Recipient, Teiana Rose Uʻimailani Gonsalves
Teiana Gonsalves is the inaugural recipient of the $5,000 USD 2019-20 SPIO Academic Excellence Scholarship.
High School: Kamehameha Schools Kapālama
Intended Major: Bachelor of Science in Political Science
Undergraduate University: Stanford University
Bio: Teiana is a recent graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama and was born and raised on the east side of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. She will attend Stanford University in the fall and plans on majoring in Political Science with a minor in Earth Systems along the Sustainability sub-plan. In her free time, Teiana most enjoys paddling, kayaking, hiking, reading, yoga, cooking, and baking.
“Mahalo nui loa e koʻu mau kūpuna. Thank you very much to my ancestors. I would not be here today without the long line of those who have come before me. Never forgot your roots and place of upbringing; both are integral to one's identity and should always be honored.” Teiana Rose Uʻimailani Gonsalves
Why is it important to have Pacific representation in higher education?
I attended an all-Native Hawaiian college preparatory school for most of my education. I was blessed with an astonishing depth and breadth of resources geared specifically toward the Native Hawaiian community and supplied by the legacy of a Native Hawaiian princess. Yet, most Pacific Islanders don't have this opportunity. Following the illegal occupation of the Hawaiian islands by the U.S. military, and coinciding with a transition to a republic, U.S. territory, then alleged U.S. state, my people have been continuously oppressed and shunned for their native heritage.
The practice of hula was banned much earlier in 1830 and speaking our own mother tongue was banned in the 1890s. My grandparents and great-grandparents experienced a cultural erasure at the hands of colonizing forces. My parents' generation led the beginning of a cultural renaissance and my generation has the honor of propelling our peoples' revitalization forward.
I truly believe the best mode of improvement is through education, navigating not only one's traditional practices and knowledge but also the wisdom of the world. During the era of the sovereign Hawaiian kingdom, the monarchs understood this and pioneered study abroad programs and cultural exchange to advance the Hawaiian kingdom.
It is through this model that I spent most of my high school years with the Ambassadors of Aloha ʻĀina Club at my school, studying the diplomatic travels of Hawaiian royalty and its impact on Native Hawaiian culture, life, and learning. I also had the life-changing opportunity to travel to these places including Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.
I believe it is not a submission to conformity that will result in growth, but rather the ability to navigate multiple identities and modes of thinking. Through cross-cultural exchange, specifically provided in higher education, the Pacific Islander community can become better immersed in global exchange and speak up for our people. Is is integral that we begin with larger representation in higher education to further develop global literacy and a platform for advocacy.
How is this scholarship impacting your education?
I live in a middle income family and my parents have sacrificed so much for my education and passions. Receiving such a generous donation from the South Pacific Islander Organization significantly reduces the burden of my post-secondary education expenses, allowing me to devote my full energy into pursuing a degree in political science with environmentalism studies.
This award broadens my horizons, equipping me with the financial backing to explore my interests without the looming worry of college debt. This opportunity helps foster a stronger desire to strive for my personal excellence and one day help the youth of Hawai’i, and the larger Pacific Islander community, just as the SPIO has helped me.
What are your career and education goals?
I am most interested in subjects in the humanities and social sciences, especially history, economics, and law. I plan to major in Political Science at Stanford because it combines many of my intellectual interests and provides a solid foundation for understanding the world in which I live. I am also interested in studying Earth Systems because my Native Hawaiian culture has instilled in me the importance of acting as responsible stewards, not owners, of the land.
"He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka;" the land is chief, man is its servant. This ʻōlelo noʻeau, or Native Hawaiian proverb, recognizes the land's ultimate power and life-giving nature, illustrating my foundational relationship to the natural world and desire to give back. Following my undergraduate education, I plan on attending law school and pursuing a Juris Doctorate specifically focused in Environmental Law. I desire to come back home to Hawaiʻi and advocate for Native Hawaiian land rights issues and environmental protection.
Any tips to students applying for scholarships?
Besides starting scholarship applications early and receiving revision suggestions on essays, the best advice I can give is to be unapologetically yourself. Donʻt craft you responses based on how you think others want to see you, tell it like it is. Don't be afraid to share your passions, ambitions, fears, and obstacles. Ensure that you write with a voice that is distinctly your own and showcase the foundational experiences, academic and non-academic interests, and diversity of passions distinct to you.