Political Science Professor Christina Akanoa shared her desire to empower students and her love for humanity while balancing her career and home life. Along with being the Human Rights Club advisor and founder, Akanoa is also the Political Science internship advisor, United Nations professor and advisor here on campus.
Getting to know Professor Akanoa
Ever since high school graduation, Akanoa has been on Oahu. She said she left Western Samoa and came to BYU–Hawaii in Fall 1996. Arriving as an undeclared major with a competitive kick in her step, she said she knew she had more to offer in this world than besides being a wife and a mother in Samoa. She said her competitive spirit helped her sail through her bachelor’s degree, two master’s programs, a master’s certificate, and now is taking her through her doctorate degree in international relations.
Akanoa was born and raised in Samoa, and she explained her roots hit close to home and inspired her to work closely with Pacific Island students here at BYUH. A large majority of the students she takes to the United Nations are from the Pacific. She said, “I was born and raised in Samoa and growing up I saw a lot of things happening around me that I didn’t agree with. Getting involved with politics is a way to help change things that are happening in your home country and can help you make a difference.”
After Akanoa received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from BYUH in 2000, she took a year off to study for the GRE and was accepted into the University of Hawaii-Moana and received her master’s degree in Pacific Island studies and a master’s degree in political science.
Before graduate school, Akanoa was an intern at American Samoa’s at-large congressional district, which inspired her to return to school. Akanoa said, “I realized I was constantly looking for more and trying to figure out my career - and then I took a step and realized I needed to be here. Something was always drawing me back to BYU–Hawaii. I have started my family here, and my husband and I were fortunate enough to buy a house here. I love my job and I love teaching. I hope to make an impact on every student I teach, but even making an impact on one or two students is enough for me.”
Along with teaching political science classes, she is the advisor for the Human Rights Club. She decided to start a Human Rights Club in 2012 instead of having the students travel to UH-Moana’s club. In the Human Rights Club, they follow the United Nations calendar and hold awareness booths and raise awareness about these issues. Per semester, the Human Rights Club have four-to-five booths and highlight some important issues going on in the United States and all over the world. In October 2018, the Human Rights Club had a refugee awareness booth outside the Aloha Center. At the end each semester, the Human Rights Club also does a service project either on campus or in the Laie community.
How did you get involved in the United Nations?
Akanoa had a friend who was taking his students to the United Nations and she felt this would be a great opportunity to students here at BYUH. In 2013, with a little research on how to get involved in the United Nations, Akanoa submitted a proposal through the U.N. forum on indigenous issues. She wrote about how this relates well to students at BYUH and why it is important for the students to be able to be involved. Akanoa said, “I submitted the proposal and I received a confirmation that we were going to be able to participate. Now we can participate every year. Once we got our foot in the door, we were in. We are building up our relationship with the forum and they remember us and recognize us every year.”
McKayla Caress, a senior from Nevada studying political science. is one of the students interning at the United Nations for the United States in New York. Caress said, “When originally deciding what I wanted my focus to be, in terms of a career with my degree in political science, I was led to human rights and work done at the United Nations. I come to find out that there is a class held at BYUH on the U.N. and there is an amazing Human Rights Club.
“When I told Sister Akanoa of my interest, she helped me get involved and took me under her wing. She met with me, answered my questions and shared her love for human rights and the U.N. with me. She has been so dedicated in expanding the opportunities for BYUH and its students in this area. With my own internship and experiences at the U.N., she has been very excited and supportive of me. She gives me great advice and encourages me to enjoy this time here in New York and to take advantage of what I am surrounded by daily. I am so grateful for Professor Akanoa.”
Before going to the United Nations every year, Akanoa contacts it and schedules times where students can talk to the representatives working in the United Nations. from their home country. Doing this allows students to be aware of what these representatives are doing for their country and how they are helping out with issues concerning their countries. “A lot of my students write papers on how nothing is being done in their country. Then they go to the U.N. and see these people are actually dealing with hard issues and are actually helping their country a lot more than they realized.”
Akanoa said when students see this happening, they gain a sense of pride and patriotism for their home country. She said it inspires them to want to go back to their home country and do whatever they can to help out. They realize what they can do to stop corruption and push for good governance.
Akanoa said she believes in empowering students. Her belief in her students has allowed several of her past students to succeed in top tier internships. Aporosa Babakobau, a 2017 BYUH alumnus, is currently working for the Embassy of Fiji in Washington, D.C.
Babakobau said, “Prior to working in DC, I was an intern here, which Sister Akanoa helped me get. Sister Akanoa has helped me tremendously throughout my years at BYUH.” Babakobau was one of the seven students who were able to go to the United Nations with Akanoa in 2015. “Going to the U.N. in New York really opened up my perspective to the international relations area. Sister Akanoa is a great professor and mentor who always inspires us to excel beyond our limits.”
One of professor Akanoa’s main goals she said is to empower her students to do more than just get a degree and go back and work. She said she thinks a degree is great—but she is a firm believer in empowering her students to do more and go above and beyond.
Akanoa said taking these classes and gaining hands-on experience at BYUH allows the students to really know what is happening around them and hopefully spark a desire to make a difference. Whether her students end up working in a little cubicle or office, or they are out in the field, she said, these issues happening around them are going to affect them either way.
Choosing to be a mom first
When she isn’t teaching at BYUH, helping students get internships, traveling to the United Nations and working on her doctorate degree, Akanoa is doing the one thing she loves more than anything, and that is being a mom. “I am proud to be a mom. I absolutely love it. I choose to be a mom above all. I know that it is my responsibility, and I do not mind it whatsoever. I love doing the cleaning and supporting my daughters at their volleyball games. I love helping them with their homework and just being a mom in general.”
Akanoa is the mother of five. She said she thrives when a lot of things are happening and she always has something to do.
Writer: Mackenzie Beaver