Camille Hampton
Name Camille Hampton
Social Media @hoomahua
Age 43
Town/Moku Waiʻanae
Island Oʻahu
Leadership Category Education
Nominated by Shannon Bucasas
Share with us a little about yourself and what you do. I am born and raised in Waiʻanae and have been an educator in the community for almost 20 years. Currently, I am an instructional coach at Waiʻanae High School where I get to support teachers in better meeting student needs. My colleague and I also started a nonprofit in September 2019 called Hoʻomāhua Foundation. Our mission is to foster learning environments where students, teachers, and community can thrive.
Why is the work that you do important to you? The community? I believe developing strengthened senses of pilina, kuleana, po'okela, and aloha in our haumāna is the most promising way to bring about positive change in our community. Wai'anae is ʻāina momona full of strong and resilient kanaka, but we have struggled with socio-economic, health, and educational challenges for so long. Helping our ʻōpio to learn about who they are and this place we come from can help them become kanaka leaders who know how they can contribute to the moʻolelo of our community.
Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life. I was introduced to the concept of transformational leadership defined by Santamaria and Santamaria (2012) while doing my doctoral studies. What resonates with me most is the notion of collaborative leadership from a strengths-based perspective. I feel that everyone has strengths they bring and as a leader my role is helping to facilitate and coordinate so everyone is able to contribute efficiently and effectively and feel successful. I believe leadership comes from serving others and the work, not from a position of authority or a title. I have found the DOE's HĀ framework to be an important tool for me as a leader. I try to be grounded in the hopena in what I do; starting with building pilina and fulfilling my own kuleana as a servant leader. Accomplishing a goal is not really fulfilling if those doing the work with you do not feel like they are learning, growing, and valued.
Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing? Iʻve been so fortunate to have had an amazing village in my life. My ʻohana is my first inspiration. My papa and grandma did not have high school educations, but they knew the value of learning and worked hard and sacrificed so my father, his siblings, and my siblings and I would have a good education. They didnʻt have a lot of money but were always willing to give to others. Their house was always open to those who needed a safe place. When I had my own children, their love for learning and exploration, and their vastly different personalities, fueled my desire to help them and my students discover their own "best" path. As an educator, I know the best way for me to do that is to push for learning spaces where students can thrive. I have amazing colleagues who have that same passion, and their continued support pushes me to keep working even when with all the obstacles we face in our current system.
What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui? ʻōpio
What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui? equity