REPRESENTATIVE AMY PERRUSO

Patricia interned for the 2020 session, when she was a senior at Waipahu High School (Academy of Professional and Public Services). She was recognized as Magna Cum Claude with academic honors, early college credits, and multiple scholarship offers. Apart from academics, she was also heavily involved in community service as an active member and officer in Key Club, as well as in her school's newspaper as a staff writer and editorials editor. 

Her focus was on political writing, as evidenced in various articles, including her piece in the Star-Advertiser titled, "The Fight to Fund Hawai'i Public School's Remains an Outstanding Issue" (Nov. 2019.) In the future, she hope to continue to feed her passion for writing and helping others. In fall 2020, she will be attending Willamette University to major in communications.

Eileen Roco was a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa student intern in our office for the Spring 2020 session. She recently graduated this past Spring with double BAs in Communications & Chinese and double Certificates in Peace & Conflict Studies and Peace Corps. Post-graduation, she plans to travel across Asia to support Project LOHI, an NGO dedicated to developing sustainable long-term economic relief plans for struggling families. Eileen sought an internship with IMUAlliance to bring meaningful awareness to human trafficking, an issue close to home and especially prevalent on Hawaiʻi shores. Through the internship, she designed and illustrated a Trafficking 101 bifold comic titled ‘Kayla’– a graphic piece localized for Hawaiʻi audiences, to be used for both advocate training and print distribution for at-risk communities. Aside from advocacy, Eileen enjoys singing, bonding with her Beta Beta Gamma (BBΓ) sorority sisters, and expanding her graphic design & illustration business. She hopes to bring the awareness, empathy, and dedication learned from this internship experience into all of her future projects and passions.

Kezia, a high school intern from the Hawaii Technology Academy, was motivated by curiosity about the world and her passion for problem-solving to apply for this internship. As someone whose ultimate goal is to influence people for good, she wanted to "learn about how lawmakers can use their influence to help sway society for the better.” She participated in various programs that focus on finding solutions to problems, both locally and globally, including PAAC (Pacific and Asian Affairs Council) club, Speech and Debate team, church youth group, National Honors Society, and service trips to Mexico and Vietnam. She attended workshops about the legislative process, testified against bills, and role-played a senator in her speech and debate class. As someone who cares about the people around her, she was happy to use this opportunity to learn, and ultimately help her reach her full potential as a “problem solver for the planet.”

As a Filipino Public Health student, Anna Davide is interested in the role of policy in improving the quality of life and health of local communities. She is an alumnus of the JABSOM School of Tropical Medicine’s Minority Health Research Training Program, focusing on training minority students in research and foster them to help address health disparities in their future careers. Throughout high school and college, she has help to testify for bills, attended rallies at the capitol, and has learned about the legislative process alongside various mentors. She is passionate about voting and promoting other young adults in participating in democracy. 

Anna ultimately plans to earn her MD/MPH and serve Hawaii as a primary care physician.

A university intern for the 2020 session, Nisa is a proud graduate of Political Science and Philippine Literature from UH Manoa.

Her motivation for getting involved in politics?

"Youth involvement in politics paves the way for progressive ideas and more open conversations as the youth are the future leaders of our society. We must encourage them to have awareness of genuine issues that benefit the public and pay attention to government accountability."

Kamalani, an undergraduate intern for the 2020 session, was inspired by the issues surrounding Micronesian families and education. As a Micronesian woman, she recognized the importance of being a voice for her people by  increasing her knowledge of the political process, which gave her greater confidence in participating in government. She participated in the Manoa Mentors club, tutoring and mentoring Micronesian students at Palolo Elementary. As a college ambassador, Kamalani advocated for Micronesians through a concurrent resolution bill, in addition to advocating for more cultural sensitivity on the UH Manoa campus. This internship provided her with the opportunity to enrich her interdisciplinary skill set while providing her with “a strong sense of commitment and drive, but also fueling her desire to challenge herself in every unique pursuit.“