As a child, Miss Hawaiʻi Volunteer 2024 Makenna Kinsler first became aware of the hardships in her island home when she walked through Kakaʻako with her mom to help the homeless. Now a double major at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Kinsler is still impacted by that experience.
“Seeing those vulnerable parts of our community that needed upliftment was really eye-opening,” Kinsler recalls. “I always remember to be grateful and give back where I can because recognizing what I have made me want to help others.”
Driven by her dedication to serve, Kinsler participated in Miss Hawaiʻi Volunteer, a scholarship program that promotes community service, academic excellence and leadership. Raised in Mānoa Valley and educated at La Pietra School for Girls, she remains closely connected to her community, from working knee-deep in loʻi kalo (taro patches) to mālama ʻāina (care for the land) to feeding the hungry.
Merging science with ʻike Hawaiʻi (Indigenous knowledge)
Kinsler is pursuing degrees in global environmental science and Hawaiian studies and is determined to merge both disciplines into her future career as an urban planner. Her vision is to create communities that are sustainable, resilient and rooted in Hawaiian values.
“In Hawaiʻi, we give a lot of importance to places and wahi (locations). I’m taking an ahupuaʻa (land division) class right now and it’s an interesting perspective of how we can model our communities today looking at the urban side of balancing nature and city as Hawaiʻi really rapidly grows our population,” said Kinsler.
- Related UH News story: Miss Hawaiʻi Teen Volunteer developed platform at UH West Oʻahu, June 21, 2024
Pioneer professors
Currently, Kinsler is immersed in researching climate change impacts for her global environmental science thesis. She finds inspiration from professors at UH Mānoa who are leading innovative projects addressing challenges such as sea level rise in the islands.
“It’s really cool to be in the same room as the pioneers of Hawaiʻi’s future and just seeing firsthand all the cool projects that they’re working on,” Kinsler said.
Hula is life
Kinsler said she is grateful for the opportunity to have stayed in Hawaiʻi for college, not only because it’s just blocks from her home, but it ensures she can continue another long-standing passion, hula.
The trained ʻōlapa (dancer) has studied under kumu hula Hiwa Vaughan and Hālau Hula Ka Lehua Tuahine since she was five. Kinsler has competed in the Merrie Monarch Festival two times, and she performed a hula for the talent portion of the Miss Volunteer America pageant in Tennessee this summer.
“Hula is such a big pillar of my life,” Kinsler said. “I really just wanted to transport people to Hawaiʻi and show my love.”
This fall at UH Mānoa, Kinsler plans to apply for the Combined Bachelor’s & Master’s Degree Pathway or BAM program, which enables students to start on their master’s during their senior year.
