{"id":18725,"date":"2026-02-25T10:41:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/?p=18725"},"modified":"2026-03-20T10:01:44","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T20:01:44","slug":"2026-alumni-spotlight-laiana-kanoa-wong-ke-kula-kaiapuni-%ca%bbo-anuenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/2026-alumni-spotlight-laiana-kanoa-wong-ke-kula-kaiapuni-%ca%bbo-anuenue\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Spotlight: L\u0101iana Kanoa-Wong (Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue)"},"content":{"rendered":"

L\u0101iana Kanoa-Wong<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Laiana-Kanoa-Wong\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Occupation: <\/strong>Hawaiian cultural consultant
What school you grad?<\/strong> Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue \u201802
College:<\/strong> University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa
Location: <\/strong>Waim\u0101nalo, HI<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

L\u0101iana Kanoa-Wong is a proud graduate of the Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian immersion system, beginning at P\u016bnana Leo o Honolulu, continuing at Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo Waiau <\/strong>and eventually Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue,<\/strong> where he graduated as valedictorian in 2002. He graduated with a bachelor\u2019s degree in \u02bb\u014dlelo Hawai\u02bbi and a master\u2019s in education, both from the University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa. He taught \u02bb\u014dlelo Hawai\u02bbi, physical education and science, and also served as a football coach at \u0100nuenue before eventually joining H\u0101lau K\u016b M\u0101na New Century Public Charter School as a teacher. His parents were also both Hawaiian language educators for the University of Hawai\u02bbi and Aha P\u016bnana Leo. He also served as a parent representative on \u02bbAha Kauleo<\/a>, a council of parents, teachers and administrators of Kaiapuni immersion schools across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, he joined Kamehameha Schools as a Hawaiian cultural specialist, where he helps to revitalize the Hawaiian language and culture organization-wide for haum\u0101na (students) and Kamehameha Schools staff on every island. He also started his own business as a Hawaiian cultural consultant for film and television projects based in Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What was your journey like after high school?<\/strong>
A: <\/strong>I went to the University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noa to play football and while there, I dove deeply into Hawaiian language, culture, education and practices. I started working at Ka Papa Lo\u02bbi o K\u0101newai and at Hale Noa, a Hawaiian \u02bbawa bar, and got invited to Kaho\u02bbolawe for makahiki. I fell in love with the island and fell in love with my future wife. We started to grow our family and I got my bachelor\u2019s in \u02bb\u014dlelo Hawai\u02bbi and later my master\u2019s in secondary education. I worked as a kumu at my alma mater Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue, then at H\u0101lau K\u016b M\u0101na, before starting my journey at Kamehameha Schools as a Hawaiian cultural consultant. I later started Ke Ea Consulting, a Hawaiian cultural consulting business and helped launch K\u016bmau Productions, a Hawai\u02bbi-based film production business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What are you up to these days?<\/strong>
A: <\/strong>At home, I am a full-time daddy of five amazing keiki, whose ages range from infant to a college student. My main kuleana is to provide my keiki with opportunities to be kind, grounded and Aloha \u02bb\u0100ina leaders for our \u02bbohana and for our community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professionally, I serve at Kamehameha Schools in the Ho\u02bbokahua Cultural Vibrancy Department. I help to support our organization in strengthening our Hawaiian identity, our connection and understandings of Aloha \u02bb\u0100ina and EA, and working to uplift our Moananui\u0101kea worldviews. In this capacity, I have had the honor of traveling the world to support our voyaging canoe H\u014dk\u016ble\u02bba in arrival ceremonies that help honor the host communities and lands, while helping to weave together our families who are connected by the ocean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my consulting and business ventures, I have worked on many films and television shows including: \u201cHae Hawai\u02bbi,\u201d \u201cHawaiian Soul,\u201d \u201cNCIS Hawai\u02bbi,\u201d \u201cWaterman,\u201d \u201cMoana 2\u201d and \u201cLilo & Stitch,\u201d to name a few. Most recently, my team at K\u016bmau Productions produced the Hawaiian language adaptation of Disney’s \u201cMoana 2.\u201d We translated the entire film and cast Hawaiian language talent to voice these beloved characters and help to bring Hawaiian language to the big screen and into homes, which is now available to stream entirely in Hawaiian on Disney+. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Why did you choose this career path and what do you enjoy most about it?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> I feel like this career path chose me. Growing up in a Hawaiian language and cultural setting with so many great Kumu and mentors, it was a kuleana to share this with our students, with our teachers and with the community. The work in itself is rewarding, knowing that the lessons from our language and culture live on through everyone we reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What makes you #PublicSchoolProud?<\/strong>
A: <\/strong>I am proud that public schools serve so many leaders in our community, and I am proud that I got to grow in my understanding of Hawaiian language and culture while in public school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What was your favorite subject?<\/strong>
A: <\/strong>History with Kumu Keao.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Favorite school lunch or breakfast?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Kalua pig and cabbage for lunch and pizza pockets for breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What type of extracurricular activities were you involved in?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong> Football, basketball, paddling, ‘Aha ‘\u014cpio (student council).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Name of a teacher or mentor you\u2019d like to thank?<\/strong>
A: <\/strong>Mahalo e ku\u2018u mau m\u0101kua \u2018o Laiana Nui a me Lilinoe, me ko\u2018u mau k\u016bpuna. Mahalo nui e Kumu Moani, Kumu Keao, Kumu Wini, Kumu Puhi, Kumu Kehau, Kumu Ke\u0101nuenue, Kumu Kahele, Kumu Kawika a me Kumu \u2018\u012amai, a mahalo nui e \u02bbAnakala Eddie a me ko\u02bbu mau kumu a pau!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What advice do you have for students?<\/strong>
A:<\/strong>  Enjoy being in school, find all the fun ways to learn, to grow and prepare yourself for the world. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

L\u0101iana Kanoa-Wong Occupation: Hawaiian cultural consultantWhat school you grad? Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue \u201802College: University of Hawai\u02bbi at M\u0101noaLocation: Waim\u0101nalo, HI L\u0101iana Kanoa-Wong is a proud graduate of the Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian immersion system, beginning at P\u016bnana Leo o Honolulu, continuing at Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo Waiau and eventually Ke Kula Kaiapuni \u02bbo \u0100nuenue, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":18729,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"856,888,893,1022,1619,1622","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","wp_popup_display_lightbox":0,"wp_popup_suppress":"","wp_popup_trigger":"","wp_popup_trigger_amount":0,"wp_popup_disable_on_mobile":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,22,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni-spotlight","category-hoohaaheo","category-news"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":59,"label":"Alumni Spotlight"},{"value":22,"label":"Ho\u2018oha\u2018aheo"},{"value":21,"label":"News"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Laiana-Kanoa-Wong-1024x512.jpg",1024,512,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Kim Yuen","author_link":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/author\/kimberly-yuenk12-hi-us\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":59,"name":"Alumni Spotlight","slug":"alumni-spotlight","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":59,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":22,"count":15,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":59,"category_count":15,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Alumni Spotlight","category_nicename":"alumni-spotlight","category_parent":22},{"term_id":22,"name":"Ho\u2018oha\u2018aheo","slug":"hoohaaheo","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":22,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":67,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":22,"category_count":67,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Ho\u2018oha\u2018aheo","category_nicename":"hoohaaheo","category_parent":0},{"term_id":21,"name":"News","slug":"news","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":21,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":305,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":21,"category_count":305,"category_description":"","cat_name":"News","category_nicename":"news","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-11 03:51:46","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"post_status","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18725"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18738,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18725\/revisions\/18738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hawaiipublicschools.org\/sm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}