Kūhiō Fellows

Kanoa Jacang

Office of Representative Jill Tokuda (HI)
Home State: Ewa Beach, Hawaiʻi
School: Arizona State University
Degree: Sustainability, College of Global Futures, Minor in Urban Planning, School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning (BS ‘25)
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Kanoa Jacang was born in San Jose, California, and raised in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaiʻi. Kanoa is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (ʻ21) and Arizona State University (ʻ25). He received a B.S. in Sustainability, with a minor in Urban Planning, from the College of Global Futures.

As a fourth-year undergraduate student, Kanoa documented the effects of uranium mining on overall water quality in Arizona and the health of Native American populations in Arizona, with a specific focus on the Havasupai people living near Red Butte, also known as Wii’i Gdwiisa. Along with two teammates, Kanoa created Us Against U(uranium), a short-form documentary. Kanoa was drawn to this story because of its similarities to Hawaiian issues, with the most recent incident being the Red Hill fuel leak.

Us Against U(uranium) was recognized by several organizations and received three awards: a Mark of Excellence for Science/Environment/Climate Reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ); an Award of Excellence in the Student Micro-Documentary Competition from the Broadcast Education Association (BEA); and a Southwest Chapter Rocky Mountain Emmy Award in College Non-Fiction from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

In the spring of 2025, Kanoa worked in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives as a legislative researcher for the Office of Representative Tarnas, the 2025 Chair of the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs. His experience working for the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives deepened his understanding of what can be done at the local level for the betterment of Hawaiian communities.

As an alumnus of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Kanoa understands the power of legacies and the impact that an individual can have on generations. He aspires to leave behind a Hawaiʻi with strong ecosystems that can support local food production, comprehensive support programs that allow local communities to remain at home, and a generation of people committed to leaving behind an even better world.

In his free time, Kanoa enjoys photography, digital editing, and karaoke singing.