Laina Leota, a Spring 2020 graduate in exercise and sports science from Australia, shared the aloha felt here in Laie is a unique spirit that made her want to do better and be better. As she reflected on her time at BYU–Hawaii, she offered advice to students on being willing to learn and grow.
“I never felt alone here,” said Leota, who is married and a mother of two. “What I love most is that my family of four grew into a family of countless cousins, brothers, sisters, aunties and uncles.”
Leota said her best experiences at BYUH involved meeting others who had come here to gain an education while also managing family, work and everything else in life. “There is a special spirit that is only found here in Laie.” That spirit is what made her experience at BYUH memorable, she said.
According to Leota, while people are here, the aloha is felt, given and lived. “The atmosphere is one such that anyone who enters here feels it, and automatically wants to be better and do better.”
Her advice to students is to remember there is a reason each person gets accepted to BYUH. Leota said, “You are here not only [because] you want to be here, but because Heavenly Father needs you here.
“If you are willing to learn not only from your professors but also from Heavenly Father, you will become who the Lord wants you to be at BYUH.”
If you are willing to learn not only from your professors but also from Heavenly Father, you will become who the Lord wants you to be at BYUH.
Laina Leota’s husband, Dallin Leota, said, “I am so proud to see my wife excel and achieve.” He said the sacrifices she has made during her time in school are an example to their children and have inspired their family.
Both Laina Leota and her husband were accepted into the Master of Public Administration program at BYU in Provo.
Christina Forrester, a senior from Florida majoring in political science, said, “Laina and Dallin have become my family at BYUH.”
Forrester said Leota’s example as a friend, sister and mother has been very inspirational. “She’s doing school all while raising a family and has such amazing goals for her future,” said Forrester.
After graduation, the Leota family will pursue their passion for helping those in the Pacific have a better quality of life through work in the public health sector.
