Heritage: Kosraean High School: Kosrae High School College: UH Manoa Major: Public Health Status: Graduate Student Degree Pursuing: Masters Degree
“I aspire to pass on his [Dr. Joakim Peter] legacy, by helping the Micronesian communities in Hawaii thrive. He fought for healthcare coverage for all Micronesian. He once said that he intended to change how people see disability. He wants the world to look at him just like a normal human being regardless of physical well-being. He paved the way for us today, and people remember him with great dignity.”
Srue Wakuk
Community Service
I landed a job at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. I am currently a Community Health Educator. I am involved in various community projects for Pacific Islanders, especially Micronesian women in Oahu. These projects aim to eliminate cancer health disparities among Pacific Islanders, especially Micronesian living in Hawaii. My responsibilities involved raising awareness in the community and healthcare settings, recruiting project participants, forming collaborations, executing projects, and educating healthcare providers through cultural competency training. Since 2016, I have worked with Micronesian women from Kosrae, Chuuk, and the Marshall Islands. I have reached out to hundreds of women and raised awareness about the importance of regular screening with mammograms and pap-test. Micronesian women are prone to breast and cervical cancer, as studies stated. Micronesia’s healthcare system is not well equipped to serve these women’s needs due to a lack of medical equipment and supplies like the mammogram machine. On the other hand, I realized that regular health check-up is not a priority for most of these Micronesian women due to cultural and daily life influences (work, family, community events, church). Many of these women could not make their appointments due to language barriers, insurance, and some expressed difficulties in scheduling appointments.
I went overboard my job duties and responsibilities multiple times to help Micronesian women navigate the Hawaii healthcare system. I helped several applied for health insurance. When transportation was a barrier for participants, I provided transportation. I have served as a medical interpreter when needed. Besides my native language, I can understand and speak very little Marshallese, but I utilized what I have to help these participants. In one of the projects I work on, we collaborated with the federally funded cell phone project and distributed free phones to the project participants. Ineligible participants received free cell phones purchased by our project at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. The goal was to eliminate missing appointments, no call no show, and access scheduling appointments. I can easily relate to these women of my race; therefore, I assist them with passion and understanding. I realized how important it is to advocate for my fellow Micronesian through a complex healthcare system in Hawaii. Currently, I work part-time as a medical interpreter for clinics and hospitals all over the United States. I served as an interpreter for the Pacific Gateway Center in Honolulu.
Leadership Experience
In 2014 and 2015, I mobilized an organization called Women in Farming Kosrae Project (WIFK). I was awarded a scholarship called the Children Healthy Living Program Scholarship during my undergraduate studies. It supports me in giving back to my community by focusing on childhood obesity in Kosrae. I tailored my project to fit into the needs of a newly existed program of WIFK, a grassroots organization for women with hopes. There are multiple goals for this project. First, to have daily and easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables at a relative distance. Second, to motivate women and give them a sense of power and confidence to contribute and provide for their family. Kosrae is a patriarchal society, and women’s voices are not most of the time. Around that time, the first Kosraean woman ran for the FSM congress took place, and she was part of that grassroots. After my interaction with them, I helped and supported them in getting a grant for their project. The project is rooted as witnessed today, with women’s Kosrae movements growing more potent in communities and state levels. In 2018, I organized the Kosrae Women’s Day event in Honolulu. I was an advisor to the planning committee of the first Kosrae Honolulu Women Association. Kosraean women residing on Oahu neighboring islands started doing the women’s day celebration event the following year until now. I utilize women’s day event to reach out to women of the Kosraean community about my work concerning women’s health. In March 2020, I invited to Kona Women’s Day event, where I talked about women’s health projects related to cancer prevention and control.
Last year, I went around Oahu to do cultural competency training in different healthcare settings. I educated healthcare providers about Micronesian culture and ways to mend the healthcare system gaps between the Micronesian community and health providers. During the transitioning period to Obama healthcare insurance, I volunteered to collect stories to support the lawsuit filed by Micronesian people regarding healthcare inequalities for Micronesians in Hawaii. My current job allows me to serve fellow Micronesian women in terms of health services available. I met with care providers in the federally funded clinics around Oahu to advocate for free healthcare coverage for the women of Micronesia in the projects that I do.
Legacy Goals
I am a close friend of Dr. Peter. He was an advisor, a friend, and a great leader. We had hung in restaurants, bars, theater, parks, and libraries when he was here. In many of our conversations, he encouraged me to strive hard in my work and education to help my people in Hawaii. We are aware of the racism against Micronesian that marginalized us at school and in the community.
I aspire to pass on his legacy by helping the Micronesian communities in Hawaii thrive. He fought for healthcare coverage for all Micronesians. He once told me that he intended to change how people see disability. He wants the world to look at him just like a normal human being, regardless of physical well-being. His physical and health condition never limit his dreams in life. He paved the way for us today, and people remember him with great dignity. I am a single mother caring for two young girls myself. When I met Dr. Peter, he motivated me never to stand the thought of giving up with my dreams. The majority of us moved to Hawaii because of healthcare. I am confident that I am among the very few Micronesians serving in the healthcare field in Hawaii. I need your support to guide me and together we will create a strong foundation for the future of Micronesian in Hawaii. Kuloh Ma luhlahp ke sulalah wowo ac nga srui yohk
Srue Wakuk
Meet the Scholars
Sponsor a Scholar
Srue H. Wakuk
A+JOJO Scholar
Heritage: Kosraean
High School: Kosrae High School
College: UH Manoa
Major: Public Health
Status: Graduate Student
Degree Pursuing: Masters Degree
Community Service
I landed a job at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. I am currently a Community Health Educator. I am involved in various community projects for Pacific Islanders, especially Micronesian women in Oahu. These projects aim to eliminate cancer health disparities among Pacific Islanders, especially Micronesian living in Hawaii.
My responsibilities involved raising awareness in the community and healthcare settings, recruiting project participants, forming collaborations, executing projects, and educating healthcare providers through cultural competency training. Since 2016, I have worked with Micronesian women from Kosrae, Chuuk, and the Marshall Islands. I have reached out to hundreds of women and raised awareness about the importance of regular screening with mammograms and pap-test. Micronesian women are prone to breast and cervical cancer, as studies stated. Micronesia’s healthcare system is not well equipped to serve these women’s needs due to a lack of medical equipment and supplies like the mammogram machine. On the other hand, I realized that regular health check-up is not a priority for most of these Micronesian women due to cultural and daily life influences (work, family, community events, church). Many of these women could not make their appointments due to language barriers, insurance, and some expressed difficulties in scheduling appointments.
I went overboard my job duties and responsibilities multiple times to help Micronesian women navigate the Hawaii healthcare system. I helped several applied for health insurance. When transportation was a barrier for participants, I provided transportation. I have served as a medical interpreter when needed. Besides my native language, I can understand and speak very little Marshallese, but I utilized what I have to help these participants. In one of the projects I work on, we collaborated with the federally funded cell phone project and distributed free phones to the project participants. Ineligible participants received free cell phones purchased by our project at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. The goal was to eliminate missing appointments, no call no show, and access scheduling appointments. I can easily relate to these women of my race; therefore, I assist them with passion and understanding. I realized how important it is to advocate for my fellow Micronesian through a complex healthcare system in Hawaii. Currently, I work part-time as a medical interpreter for clinics and hospitals all over the United States. I served as an interpreter for the Pacific Gateway Center in Honolulu.
Leadership Experience
In 2014 and 2015, I mobilized an organization called Women in Farming Kosrae Project (WIFK). I was awarded a scholarship called the Children Healthy Living Program Scholarship during my undergraduate studies. It supports me in giving back to my community by focusing on childhood obesity in Kosrae. I tailored my project to fit into the needs of a newly existed program of WIFK, a grassroots organization for women with hopes. There are multiple goals for this project. First, to have daily and easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables at a relative distance. Second, to motivate women and give them a sense of power and confidence to contribute and provide for their family. Kosrae is a patriarchal society, and women’s voices are not most of the time. Around that time, the first Kosraean woman ran for the FSM congress took place, and she was part of that grassroots. After my interaction with them, I helped and supported them in getting a grant for their project. The project is rooted as witnessed today, with women’s Kosrae movements growing more potent in communities and state levels. In 2018, I organized the Kosrae Women’s Day event in Honolulu. I was an advisor to the planning committee of the first Kosrae Honolulu Women Association. Kosraean women residing on Oahu neighboring islands started doing the women’s day celebration event the following year until now. I utilize women’s day event to reach out to women of the Kosraean community about my work concerning women’s health. In March 2020, I invited to Kona Women’s Day event, where I talked about women’s health projects related to cancer prevention and control.
Last year, I went around Oahu to do cultural competency training in different healthcare settings. I educated healthcare providers about Micronesian culture and ways to mend the healthcare system gaps between the Micronesian community and health providers. During the transitioning period to Obama healthcare insurance, I volunteered to collect stories to support the lawsuit filed by Micronesian people regarding healthcare inequalities for Micronesians in Hawaii.
My current job allows me to serve fellow Micronesian women in terms of health services available. I met with care providers in the federally funded clinics around Oahu to advocate for free healthcare coverage for the women of Micronesia in the projects that I do.
Legacy Goals
I am a close friend of Dr. Peter. He was an advisor, a friend, and a great leader. We had hung in restaurants, bars, theater, parks, and libraries when he was here. In many of our conversations, he encouraged me to strive hard in my work and education to help my people in Hawaii. We are aware of the racism against Micronesian that marginalized us at school and in the community.
I aspire to pass on his legacy by helping the Micronesian communities in Hawaii thrive. He fought for healthcare coverage for all Micronesians. He once told me that he intended to change how people see disability. He wants the world to look at him just like a normal human being, regardless of physical well-being. His physical and health condition never limit his dreams in life. He paved the way for us today, and people remember him with great dignity. I am a single mother caring for two young girls myself. When I met Dr. Peter, he motivated me never to stand the thought of giving up with my dreams. The majority of us moved to Hawaii because of healthcare. I am confident that I am among the very few Micronesians serving in the healthcare field in Hawaii. I need your support to guide me and together we will create a strong foundation for the future of Micronesian in Hawaii. Kuloh Ma luhlahp ke sulalah wowo ac nga srui yohk