My full name is Ikaikaolahui Kanaka Kekaula Onalimapono Hanamaikai Danner, but I go by Ikaika. My full name is Hawaiian and means "prophet who rules with the strength of many nations in his blood." My mother is one-quarter Hawaiian, one-quarter Japanese, and one-half Navajo, and my father is Caucasian. My grandmother is full-blooded Navajo. She was raised on a reservation in Arizona. Eventually, she moved to Utah, where she met my half-Japanese and half-Hawaiian grandfather. I am one-eighth Hawaiian, one-eighth Japanese, and one-quarter Navajo, so quite a mixture of cultures and experiences.

I was born to two parents who were divorced before my first birthday. I have lived in the Orem and Provo area my entire life. Once my parents divorced, I lived with my mom. She got remarried when I was four years old. I saw my dad at least once every other weekend, if not more, but it was hard because I felt like I lost a lot of stability in my life.

My mom was highly stressed about finances, especially since I had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just two years earlier. Imagine the financial burden of a single mom who always made sure to do everything she could to provide for her child, especially one who needed a life-saving medication. It was hard growing up because I felt like a burden to my mom and family.

Growing up, I had many good role models through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had great aunts and uncles who took my brother and me under their wings. At one point, my brother and I had to go live with my uncle and his wife. It was hard not having my mom. She is my role model and always will be.

I lived with them for about a year and then went to live with my grandpa. My family wanted me to have a more significant church influence. Living with them helped me to refocus on my life and what I wanted to do with it. While I was living with my grandpa, he lost his job and had to move to Arizona. I essentially became the man of the house until my aunt's brother and his wife moved in with us. I grew up with a lot of change and many opportunities to be resilient. Not every one of those opportunities was advantageous, but I did grow up with plenty of chances and opportunities to try to be better and grow as a person.

At the age of 19, I started my mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I served in quite a few areas, and I saw a lot of poverty and crime. A lot of people struggled to make ends meet. I felt bad for them, but I think it set me up to continue to help people in a more direct way. The most significant personal growth from my mission was in my interpersonal communication skills. I am an introvert by nature, which means speaking to people in public is difficult for me. I can do it if I force myself, but I wanted to be better at it. My mission helped me focus on turning outward and helped me realize that my desire to help people is more significant than my desire to be comfortable.

After my mission, I worked at the Missionary Training Center, teaching English-speaking missionaries for three years. I loved talking with them, teaching them, learning from them, and helping them directly. My goal was to enable them to become more compassionate and caring,  with a genuine desire to help people in any way they could — not be Jesus's robots. I wanted to help them answer questions like, "How do I listen to people? How do I ask questions? How do I help people, and how do I help people feel loved?" For me, it was not just about helping them become better missionaries; it was also about helping them become better people. It was a fantastic experience to coach them and help them learn how to listen to others.

During this time, I figured I needed to go to school and had already been admitted to UVU through my high school’s concurrent enrollment program. While I did apply to other universities, I ultimately decided that UVU would be a better fit for me because it was closer to home and a little cheaper. When I first enrolled at UVU, I was a business major, but I didn't particularly appreciate how everything was about money and not people. At UVU, I have had so many good experiences. I like being taught by people who care and have enjoyed my interactions with teachers who know their subject. Some of the teachers that come to mind are Dr. Kopp, Dr. Bracken, and Don Homan. Each of them cared about me as a student and wanted to help me succeed. To them, it was not about the paycheck. Early on, I thought a couple of times about transferring to BYU. Still, the teachers' professionalism and ability at UVU led me to stay and continue my degree here.

During my time at UVU, I have been an anatomy student volunteer in the anatomy lab. I wanted to help other students learn the material and get a good grade. Every semester it's incredible to see how students struggle at first, but as they continue studying, something clicks and the lights turn on for them. Anatomy is complex, and authentic learning is a process of time. It's not just something that happens as a “one and done.” Being able to share with students what I have learned has been very fulfilling.

I have also been involved in research with Dr. Eddy Cadet. Our research is based around Utah Lake and how the mismanagement of the lake has affected the water quality, affecting the health of the plants, animals, and residents who live near it. I presented our work in a biology colloquium and at the Utah College of Undergraduate Research.

After graduating this spring with my bachelor’s in biology, I will be starting medical school in the fall at Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine in Provo, Utah. It's a newer school with an excellent program and a lot of really cool people. I am excited to go somewhere with a vision for me and that knows how to help me succeed.

Being diagnosed at the age of ten with Type 1 diabetes piqued my interest in medicine and the ability to help people learn about how to take care of their bodies. It has been a rollercoaster ride for me to figure out how to take care of my body. I am grateful to a nurse practitioner that I saw who helped me develop my plans for how to take care of my health and how to be a better diabetic. This experience and others, such as being a medical assistant at Utah Valley Pediatrics, have bolstered my desire to be a physician. My passion is helping people find solutions for their health and their families' health. My time as a medical assistant has inspired me to continue studying medicine to become a physician.

I am extremely grateful to UVU for all of the opportunities and education it gave me. Utah Valley University is a great place to get an education from people who care about you and want you to succeed. They want you to be here, and they want to help you to achieve your dreams. I would encourage anyone who is wanting a quality education to give UVU a chance.