Samantha Aolani Kailihou is originally from Mānoa, Oʻahu and currently lives in Puna, Hawaiʻi. She is the Senior ʻŌiwi Research and Design Consultant for Hālau Kupukupu, Kamehameha Hawaiʻi Campus and is an advocate for Hawaiian education and the sustained growth of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as a living language.