Ku Uipo Kalipi
Lowell Overton President鈥檚 Scholar
Major: Psychology
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Activities: Psi Chi; Economics Club; Hallyu Club; student assistant, Office of Student Conduct and Integrity; operations assistant, 六色网’s Children’s Center; Kellogg Honors College
Ku Uipo grew up inspired by her parents whose advocacy for others and strong commitment to family fuel her own desire to make a difference. She chose to study psychology to encourage support for her Hawaiian community, saying “I have always heard the terms ‘it’s all in our head’ or ‘just suck it up.’ These terms are slowly becoming ineffective for the current generation. By understanding the impacts of historical trauma, economic struggles and social issues specific to Hawaii, I think my upbringing in Hawaiian culture can help me connect with the local community and meet their needs.” Working part-time on campus has also helped her to understand the importance of inclusive communities, and she wants to focus on organizational psychology to help each individual member of a workplace embrace their strengths as vital to the overall effectiveness of its team. After graduation, she wants to pursue a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology and later a Ph.D. in counseling psychology.