Maui Iokepa-Guerrero

Name Maui Iokepa-Guerrero

Age 17

Town/Moku Kahaluʻu, Koʻolaupoko

Island Oʻahu

Social Media Handle @igmaui (Instagram)

Nominated by Kaipo Leopoldino, Tasha Castro, Leināʻala Medeiros, Niuli'i Heine

Leadership Category Culture

Share with us a little about yourself and what you do.

Aloha, I am Maui Iokepa-Guerrero I am from Kahaluʻu Oʻahu and a Senior at Saint Louis High School. I am deeply rooted in my culture and from a very young age I was raised in the Hawaiian culture. I am a fluent Hawaiian speaker, Hawaiian is my first language and I attended Hawaiian immersion school until my transition to Saint Louis. I am someone who loves the ʻāina. I participate in many aloha ʻāina activities, services I can. I like working with the ʻāina and giving back to the land that which sustains us.

Why is the work that you do important to you? The community?

ʻĀina is that which sustains us. It provides us with everything we need to survive, without ʻāina we cannot live or survive. Hawaiians believed that ʻāina isnʻt just land, but is a part of us. We are ʻāina, everything that is ʻāina is us and when we think of our ʻāina as a part of ourselves then we have a greater appreciation for it and a better respect for it. That's why I think mālama and aloha ʻāina is important. Without our land we are nothing.

Share with us the qualities of leadership you admire and how you express those in your life.

I think a good leader is someone who leads through his/her actions. I believe that is the best way to lead by doing. When I think of a good leader I picture my father, he is someone that works hard without needing to be told. He take the initiative and has confidence in what he does and his ʻike that he was taught to do and lead. I try to be like him and follow in his footsteps by working hard and leading by example. I admire this because when someone who is the group leader is working with us and putting in effort and sweating like everyone else that is a leader who truly understands his people.

Who has inspired you to do the work that you are doing?

I have many role models that I look up to. Some of them include George Helm, ʻAnakala Earl Kawaʻa, ʻAnakala Francis Sinenci, ʻAnakala Kaipoʻi Kelling, ʻAnakala Jerry Konanui, my Dad Kapono Iokepa-Guerrero and so much more.

What is one word that describes something you are excited about for the lāhui?

future

What is one word that describes a pressing issue that is facing our lāhui?

kānaka