WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
LACEY KALAHIKI, YOUTH TOUR 2009
by Allison Young

For this issue, we talked story with Lacey Kalahiki, a 2009 Youth Tour alumnus. Lacey grew up in Kapaʻa, graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama High School on Oʻahu, and UH West Oʻahu with a degree in Social Sciences. She now lives on the Big Island with her husband and sons and works as an Investigator for Child Welfare Services. For fun, she enjoys travelling, taking naps, or going camping. 

Aloha Lacey. What’s your favorite memory from Youth Tour?
My favorite memory was at the Newseum. I can still picture walking into the exhibit of each state's front-page article of the attack on 9/11. It still gives me chills down my spine. I actually experienced that day - to think my children will be reading about it in a history book one day!

Tell us about your path after graduation.
I lived in Waikiki and worked on getting my Associates in Liberal Arts because I wasn’t sure what career path I wanted to take. I worked at Payless Shoe Source in Waikiki, made my way up to store manager and transferred to the Kailua-Kona store in 2013. I’ve been on the Big Island ever since. I had the opportunity to be a stay at home mom in 2015, so I went back to school and earned my Bachelors’ degree in Social Sciences completely online through the University of Hawaiʻi at West Oahu. I worked my way through case management positions and in June 2020, I finally landed at my current job at Child Welfare Services as an Investigator.

What is it like being an Investigator?

The most rewarding thing about my job is that I get to help children by placing them into safer and healthier homes. I can help connect families who are trying to make the best of what they have with knowledge, resources and support. It is also really rewarding to help families be reunified with their children.

The most challenging part is being the only Investigator covering the west side of Hawai’i Island. I struggle the most with having no control over when investigations are assigned to me. Time management is very important.

What is most rewarding about being a mom?
I have two sons, Brixen and Daxton. The most rewarding thing about being a mom is seeing these boys flourish and absorb information about the world. They’re always so happy and it makes me appreciate the good things in life. They recently learned about the presidents and can name each one in order. They are so interested in U.S. history and if it wasn’t for Youth Tour, I wouldn’t have been able to experience the rich history our country has. I am looking forward to taking them to Washington, D.C. one day very soon.

Do you have any advice for young people who aren’t sure yet what they want to do? 
Sometimes I wonder “What if?” I went to Alaska for air traffic control school, or the military, or expanded my horizons to go to the mainland for college? Now it’s difficult to leave my family to go to training on the mainland for weeks to gain the training for a different profession. The best advice I can give is to really be open to exploring your options and don’t let distractions get in the way - totally easier said than done!

Which one of KIUC’s shared values most resonates with you?

Ho'ohiki because I believe strongly in accountability. In any situation, blame can easily sneak itself into someone's heart, and being accountable and responsible for your own words and actions can truly show others how true and pure of a person you are. It is so important to own up to something you said or did, even if it was wrong.