those who are underrepresented in their community . Matapuna ’ s world views continued to develop when she served a church mission on the Navajo Reservation . She saw a population that struggled with many issues , admired the resilience in them , and recognized the system fighting against them . As a social worker these two main events in her life is what kept her grounded and rooted to the cause .
Puna studied at BYU-Hawaii , where she earned a bachelor ’ s degree in Social Work with a minor in Sociology . Afterward , Puna moved to Utah with her husband , leaving behind her immediate family and friends .
In Salt Lake City she interned at the International Rescue Committee , a refugee resettlement agency , and was a case worker and mental health intern . These were enriching experiences that helped Puna apply new skills to her commitment to care for the community .
Now in her role as Salt Lake Area Family Justice Center Guide & Case Manager at the YWCA , she works out her belief that everyone ’ s life is unique and that everyone deserves compassion . She is particularly aware of the needs of Asians and Pacific Islanders in Utah . She sits on the Utah Independent Living Center Board of Directors and the YWCA ’ s Young Women ’ s Council . She is the Veteran Chair for the Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition and the Utah Pacific Civic Engagement Coalition . She leads with a warm-spirited heart to better her community and family . All of these positions have taught Puna that everything is relative and she learns all she can to help her community and meet their needs .
Puna works deliberately to be a voice for her community , which doesn ’ t often get its voice heard . The Pacific Islander community has a sizable population in parts of Utah , but their needs are rarely met by the larger systems in place . To attempt to remedy this , Puna utilizes her nonprofit background to educate Utah ’ s Pacific Islander community about the resources available to them .
Puna loves Salt Lake City and the diversity that she sees and interacts with on a daily basis . An important topic that arose was that communities of color need to collaborate and unite to empower the ethnic community as a whole .
As a grassroots organizer , she sees importance in the support that is needed from everyone . She is hoping to hold a huge event for the community with speakers who will rally the community to vote and become aware of social and health resources and services .
As an advocate for women and women of color in particular , she hopes to create her own nonprofit that intersects social justice , direct services , and advocacy work . She wants to host conversations that question beliefs and push people to critically think about their world .
To inspire is to create new paths , and Puna does that for women and her community everywhere .
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