Keenyn Irene Kehaulani Santiago blends Native Hawaiian health, recreation, and student affairs to develop culturally sound approaches to wellness in higher education
Keenyn Irene Kehaulani Santiago
By Hoku Tiwanak, CLA Student Writer - October 28, 2025
Growing up in the small rural town of Kahuku, located on the north shore of Oahu, Keenyn Irene Kehaulani Santiago learned community, determination, and the value of service. Kahuku is a tight knit community where neighbors look out for one another and culture is passed down through daily life.
Sports have always been a big part of her community. Growing up playing basketball, Santiago began to notice gaps around her. “There was a need for health and wellness that wasn’t really emphasized, especially for Native people,” she explained. Later as a student at Kamehameha Schools (a private school exclusive to Native Hawaiians), education gave her a broader perspective on what opportunities could look like beyond Kahuku.
Those lessons from her early years on Oahu continue to shape her journey as she finishes her master’s at the School of Language, Culture, and Society’s College Student Services Administration (CSSA) program. As the current Business Operations and Membership Coordinator for OSU’s Recreational Sports, Santiago is weaving together Native Hawaiian values, recreation, and student development into a vision for healthier, more connected communities.
Santiago had always imagined basketball would carry her into college. But during her senior year of high school, tearing her ACL changed everything. “I was devastated,” Santiago said. “But that injury opened up a new path for me.” Her months of rehabilitation sparked an interest in physical therapy, which motivated her to enroll at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa to study exercise science.
What started as a student job at the Warrior Recreation Center turned into a passion. “Working there, I found myself loving the leadership side of it,” she said. “Supervising students, building programs, and seeing people grow became more exciting to me than the thought of working in kinesiology."
Encouraged by her mentor, BonnyJean Manini, faculty director of the Office of Student Life & Development, she pursued more opportunities within the rec center, eventually becoming a manager as an undergraduate. “My mentor really pushed me. She saw something in me I didn’t fully see in myself yet.” That mentorship ultimately led Santiago toward graduate school and a new career in student services.
Now in her second year at OSU, Santiago is using her academic work and her role in recreational sports to create environments that support the whole student. Her master’s portfolio blends Native Hawaiian health, recreation, and student affairs. She’s researching culturally sound approaches to wellness in higher education, focusing on ways to support Native and Indigenous students by revitalizing traditions and preserving cultural practices through their educational experience. “It’s about creating balance,” Santiago said. “Helping students not just survive in college, but thrive. Building community, promoting wellness, and supporting them as whole people.”
At OSU, approximately 100 students identify as Native Hawaiian. For many of those students, finding cultural connections and relevant programming can be difficult. Santiago sees that gap as both a challenge and an opportunity. “The first step is letting students know higher education is possible,” she said. “The second, which is just as important as the first, is giving them the tools to survive and succeed once they’re here.”
For Native and Indigenous students navigating higher education, her advice comes straight from her own experience: “Take any opportunities wherever they come. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs, internships, clubs, scholarships, etc. even if you don’t think you’re ready. Bring purpose into what you do, and let go of the limiting stereotypes.”
After she graduates next spring, her long-term vision is clear: to invest in the longevity of her people by blending health, culture, and education. “I want to bring back what I’ve learned and use it to create opportunities that didn’t always exist when I was growing up,” she said.
Santiago’s journey has been defined by resilience, mentorship, and a strong passion for her culture. By bringing Native Hawaiian values into student services and recreation, she not only supports students at OSU today, but also lays the foundation for healthier, stronger communities back home in Hawai‘i.