Kelsie Kuniyoshi - University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
M.S. Marine Biology, Botany Minor, Marine Option Program
M.Ed. Candidate in Curriculum Studies, STEMS² Cohort 9
My Moʻokūauhau as a Student
August 2015 - May 2019
August 2019 - May 2023
June 2023 - Current
Between 2015 and 2019, I was a student at Mililani High School (MHS). Here, I pursued Graphic Design for all 4 years, and participated in extracurriculars such as SkillsUSA and Science Olympiad. In my senior year of high school, I took Marine Science with Mrs. Kuwahara. At this point in time, I was accepted into UH Mānoa as a Graphic Design student on the Provost Scholarship. Mrs. Kuwahara would eventually encourage me to apply for Kupu HYCC, in which I got the internship and was placed on the Oʻahu E team. Following this experience with Kupu, I changed my major to Marine Biology.
From 2019 to 2023, I attended UH Mānoa as an undergraduate student. In Fall 2019, I joined the Marine Option Program (MOP), and completed my skill project with the Waikīkī Aquarium, earning a certificate in Marine Graphic Design. In Spring of 2022, I added Botany as minor and graduated with a B.S. in Marine Biology in 2023.
My STEMS² journey started in June of 2023 as 1 of 20 members in Cohort 9. This summer, we embarked on a learning journey to give us inspiration for our thesis, unit plan, and advocacy projects. I will tentatively be graduating in the summer of 2024, with an M.Ed. in Curriculum Studies.
The Inspiration Behind This Project
Given my marine biology and botany background, I have always been interested in understanding how Hawaiians classified their natural world. When I eventually began my journey as a STEMS² student in the summer of 2023, we embarked on a learning journey to inspire us for our projects. On the second week of this journey, I had a dream about this project, in which I envisioned myself teaching curricula surrounding this project. My current dream is for this project to continue after I graduate and to develop more resources that are freely available and accessible to students, educators, and the general public.
Heaha ka puana o ka moe? What is the answer to the dream? What will the result be?
ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #510
If you identify as an educator, formal or informal, and are interested in using some of the resources available in your educational setting, please consider scheduling an interview or filling out a survey to help me with my research and improve available resources. Both options will take about 30 minutes to complete, and your identity will remain anonymous. For any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact me!
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