August Greetings

An admission: one reason I selected this month was because I figured, whatever happens, I will have departed Honolulu by August 2014. That would mean that I could use this blog post to share with G12 about the new community where I am living. Well...greetings from Honolulu! I'm still living here...more on that below.

Around Honolulu: Hendrick from APLP G11 is involved in various entrepreneurial activities.
We are pictured here with Oko Guys, the Japanese food truck that he co-owns.

I pursued graduate coursework at UH Manoa in economics, accounting/finance, and urban planning through December 2013. During this time I also completed a marketing initiative for APLP staff. The project focused on increasing awareness of the APLP with top US colleges and universities. One outcome was that more than a dozen top US universities, including Princeton University (http://www.princeton.edu/oip/fellowships/others/) and the University of Miami (http://www6.miami.edu/uglobal/research/external/) decided to incorporate information on APLP into their website.

Around Honolulu: I've been trying to cook more frequently.

I purchased a one-way ticket off of Oahu to roughly coincide with the conclusion of my graduate studies and consultancy work. However, a few days before departure, I was offered an unsolicited full-time opportunity with the EWC president's office. I took the flight off of Oahu, but purchased a ticket back to Honolulu to begin work in a newly created role: Associate for Strategic Plans and Communications, Office of the President.

Departing Oahu: I did not expect to return to Honolulu
when I purchased a ticket to fly on the above plane.

In this new role I work on a variety of initiatives that focus on building understanding about the East-West Center with current and prospective supporters. I look forward to sharing selected thoughts and experiences with you throughout the month of August. 

Please stop by my office and say hello
if you happen to visit Burns Hall in the near future.