“I can picture this island boy at MIT studying nuclear fusion. Even when you sit with Kealoha, it’s as if he himself is a source of energy… And when you first meet him, he leaps out of his chair to shake your hand. It’s not just physical. His mind seems to always be on the move, searching for something new, fresh, and challenging. With his positive messaging, his boundless energy, and his ability to lead and mentor people of all ages, we can’t wait to see what he’s going to do.”
–Leslie Wilcox, President/CEO of PBS Hawaiʻi and former news anchor for KHON-2
Kealoha was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. He spent most of his childhood as a closet nerd, hiding his academic interests by spending most of his time on soccer, basketball, theater, break dancing, surfing, ʻukulele playing, and hula dancing. Although he was enrolled in honors Math, Science, and English classes, only a handful of people knew that he was ranked 9th in the nation in the National Math League, and that he got a perfect 800 in his math SAT’s. Therefore, it came as a surprise to his peers when he announced that he would attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the top school in the nation for science and engineering.
Kealoha lives in Honolulu and makes his living as the Poet Laureate of Hawaiʻi by touring the world, performing in music concerts, and visiting schools, libraries, and community centers (for full life story, click here) He shares stories from his life during his shows. He looks at the world through scientific eyes and Googles everything that piques his interest. He still surfs and hikes a lot. He still eats mangos.
