Acts of Wellness: Leilani Kupo

Aloha mai kākou. My name is Leilani Kupo, and I serve as the Associate Dean of Students for Educational Access and Equity, Learning Support, and Transition Programs.

The unit I am responsible for provides direct service for student scholars who identify as first-generation, low-income, foster youth, homeless youth, undocumented, transfer, returning, and/or veterans. Services and support are also provided for scholars who are differently abled and in need of accommodation, as well as those who are in academic recovery.
In addition to advocating for and with student scholars who come from historically under-resourced communities, I serve as the cultural advisor for Ohana, the Polynesian dance club on campus.

As a kānaka maoli — a Native Hawaiian, mixed-race, indigenous woman — who grew up in a low-income household and struggled academically throughout her collegiate experience, I feel both responsible and obligated to advocate for educational equity and access. This comes from the values instilled in me by family: the value of community, the responsibility to be a better ancestor, and the responsibility to leave a place better than how I found it.

When I first started this study, I was exhausted. I experienced a lot of stomach pain, migraine headaches, jaw pain, and muscle pain. I was also experiencing significant bouts of anxiety and feelings of isolation, anger, and rage.

I am always questioning whether I will be losing my job. I am always fearful that advocating for student scholars’ needs and for transformative change will create a hostile environment — both for myself and for those I advocate for and with. However, I continue to do this work because I ask myself: if I don’t do it, who will?

What I’ve learned most about myself during this process is the need to prioritize goal and intention setting. I found that clarifying my intention for the day made me feel more stable. Setting goals made me feel like I would be able to have some sort of structure to my chaotic days. I focused on making those goals manageable and attainable.

At times, my intention setting served as the goal itself. I remember one morning I kept saying to myself, don’t be a jerk, don’t be a jerk today, I’m not gonna be a jerk. And though that was part of my intention setting, it was also a clear goal I was able to hold close throughout the day — a reminder of what I needed to do in order to be effective.

I also found that I needed to rededicate myself to creating routines. Though I could not always complete the daily reflections and writing, each day I would debrief with myself and find time to reflect on not only the day’s events, but also prepare for the next day.

One lesson that has stayed with me is the importance of greeting the day with intention. Each morning, I remember to greet the day, clarify my intention, and identify my goals. This has helped me both focus and remind myself about what is important and necessary — not only for me to be successful, but for me to be healthy.

One lesson I encourage others to consider is how advocacy is being received on campus, and how supportive — and/or dangerous — environments feel for individuals who serve as social justice advocates.