User:Surf kmasajo

Kristine Kanani Aguirre Masajo (màĥs-á-ĥo), "Kanani" was born on December 14, 1989. As the fifth of eight children for Danilo Masajo and first child for Norma Aguirre, Kanani currently resides in Westwood, California, where she attends The University of California - Los Angeles. She is majoring in International Development Studies with a focus on humanitarian aid and non-profit organizations with a double minor in Spanish and Film/ TV Media Productions.

Childhood

At the young age of 2, Kanani's parents divorced and her and her mother resided in Westside Long Beach, California where Kanani would attend Garfield Elementary School until 3rd grade. The later death of her father at the age of 7 created an immediate bond with her mother and half-Mexican heritage.

Although she had been traveling to Mexico and Hawaii since the age of 4, Kanani spent every summer on the West Coast of Mexico in a small coastal town named La Peñita, prompting her to attend 4th grade in the small town. It was during this time that she gained an appreciation for life and commenced her non-profit work upon her return to the United States.

Her mother's marriage to Broc Bengard moved the family to the coastal paradise of Hermosa Beach, California where Kristine attended 5th grade in Hermosa Valley School. Her already established passion for the ocean grew even more with the close proximity to the ocean and her appreciation for the well-being of the ocean was further expanded with beach clean ups with Surfrider Foundation.

Teenage Years

As a graduate of South High School, Kanani was fortunate to go backpacking through 7 countries by herself during her summer before college. The time she spent traveling allowed her to network with different organizations and people regarding humanitarian efforts.

Upon her return, she volunteered for the first annual Skate the Coast a 19 mile skateboarding event from Santa Monica Pier to Redondo Beach raising funds and awareness of breast cancer by benefitting B4BC - Boarding for Breast Cancer. The longer event is originally held annually at Lake Tahoe and consists of a 27 mile skateboarding event which was started by Kurt and Chuck.

She attended El Camino College for two years before transferring to UCLA.

Current Life

Kanani continues to be very dedicated with her volunteer work for various non-profit organizations and is a member of UCLA's Pacific Islands Student Association - PISA, which raises awareness of Pacific Island issues and tribulations occurring throughout our communities and the importance of higher education through tutoring, mentorship and peer advising in the Pacific Islander Education Retention - PIER program. Along with other very dedicated Pacific Island students, she visits various high schools in the South Bay to aid with tutoring and peer advising in the efforts of increasing awareness of the significance of higher education in Pacific Island communities.

With her major in International Development Studies and double minor of Spanish and Film/ TV Media Production, she wishes to pursue a career with the Discovery Channel.