Kainalu Barsana-Szewczyk ‘24 Graduates from the Centers for Tomorrow’s Leaders Fellows Program

Let's rewind and revisit his inspiring story from last year - a true testament to hard work and dedication. Congratulations, Kainalu!

Repost from @ctlhawaii:
We are back with Fellows Friday featuring Kainalu Barsana-Szewczyk!  CTL Fellows is our advanced leadership program for select seniors from both public and private high schools. Fellows have the opportunity to learn from C-suite community leaders and give back to Hawai'i through work on projects that have an island-wide impact.

"Hello! my name is Kainalu Barsana-Szewczyk. I am 17 years old and was born and partially raised in Hawai'i. At around the age of 8, I moved to Singapore and stayed for a handful of years, eventually returning after an inspiring 6 years in a foreign land. I primarily take part in athletics, with myself having a hand in 4 different sports at the moment. On top of that, I find it important to always find time to give back to the community and try to take part in community service events at least once a month, with a huge value of mine being protecting and preserving the 'Āina.

I decided to join the Fellows program not only to grow as a leader, but as a person as a whole, whether it be through the program itself, or the connections I've made through it. This year, outside of the obvious goal of becoming a better leader, I also seek to improve my social skills with new people and understand the differing perspectives of our society.

I truly hope for Hawai'i to achieve a level of self-sustainability. Our state relies too heavily on the assistance of foreign powers, whether it be the tourists fueling our economy or the imported foods we buy without an alternate option.

Although it may sound cliche, I am heavily inspired by my Mom. I was lucky enough to have her good influence on my life, instilling values in me that will remain strong throughout the rest of my life. She exemplifies hard work against all odds, whether it be her gender, race, or position, she has always found ways to succeed not only for herself but for her family as well."