#Live#Laugh#Love#Aloha
These words are truly what I try to live by. I have learned so much about the values of the Hawaiian people and culture. I believe that the following values are included in my value statement above.
MALAMA
To care for, protect, nurture
- Malama is a very important part of my work philosophy. It is very important for us to care for not only our a’ina, but each other in order to create a pleasant an inviting work environment.
- I care for our land by picking up after myself while traveling the Islands. I want to leave a place as clean and cared for as I found, or in some cases I will clean up after other less considerate people.
- The idea of Malama goes beyond the land: we have to care for each other as well. I was recently part of a volunteer activity with my husband that raised over $6,800.00 for United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hawaii.
- Caring for others is one of my personal values as well. However, it is important to show this value professionally in order to keep the land clean for tourists and residents as well.
ALOHA
Hello, greeting, farewell, love. It is a way of life, an attitude, a spirit.
- Aloha is the spirit of Hawaii. It is the warm greeting that our guests receive from the moment they step off the plane. It is sharing our love with our visitors. It is taking the time to truly listen to an unhappy guest in order to find a way to resolve the problem.
- The relevance of Aloha in my career/work is I share my spirits, my love with others.
- I applied the Aloha spirit in my academic or professional career by sharing my ideas in my classmates or group mates, in this way I shared my concern and my spirit, my love and passion.
IKE
Knowledge, awareness and understanding.
- One demonstrates Ike by fulfilling one’s responsibilities and understanding your products and services to provide the highest level of service.
- The concept of Ike goes beyond what may in your particular venue; you need to be aware of the surrounding destinations that your customers might be interested in visiting.
- The relevance of Ike in my career is being knowledgeable you can give the customer a 100% satisfaction.
I was asked to choose one person to talk about as “my hero” in my speech class. I chose a lady who lived the values I aspire to every minute of every day. Her name is Kumu Na’i McCarthy. She was my professionalism professor in my first semester in the Hospitality Department at Kapiolani Community College. She came from Kaua’i and worked for many years at Aloha Airlines. Kumu Na’i did not quit when Aloha Airlines shut down their business. Instead, she joined KCC to share her Ike, or knowledge, and Aloha with us. She taught me how to always be professional, but more importantly, Kumu taught me to respect and trust my own voice. She helped me in a lot of ways not to give up on my dreams. She believed that I could achieve my goal in the future. She became my mentor even after I finished her class. Kumu guided me before I went to my job interview. She taught me how to be patient achieving my goals. I remember the words that she told us all the time that “your education is your ladder to your success,” “always keep in your mind wherever you go to always bring your smile and professionalism,” and “do not be scared to start in the bottom.” Those words motivated me to push myself to achieve all my goals. I had low self-esteem before I attended her class: I felt I could not achieve my goal and did not belong here in America because my English was not perfect. Kumu assisted me and showed me that I do belong in this world. She showed me that English is just a language that everyone in the world can learn. Kumu Na’i was also a fighter: she beat cancer once, but sadly she recently lost the second battle. Her loss is felt all through the Hospitality Department. Anywhere her students practice the Aloha spirit, her Aloha spirit will always remain in our soul. Mahalo Kumu, you are with me every day!