Meet Kaleolani
2026 Scholar
Brain Tumor Survivor
Thanks to a generous survivorship program grant from Hyundai Hope On Wheels, twenty-three survivors were welcomed into the 2026 Children’s Cancer Cause College Scholars Program, representing both organizations’ strong investment in survivors and belief in their bright futures.
Each of these students receive a financial scholarship to help with academic expenses, and each Scholar commits to undertaking a volunteer project of their choosing related to childhood cancer advocacy.
“My values are rooted in the idea that a diagnosis shouldn’t just be something you survive: it should be a platform for leadership.
I am committed to bringing the voice of survivors to leadership and creating meaningful impact through advocacy.”
At 15 years old, Kaleolani’s life changed with what first seemed like something minor: a persistent fog in his vision. He thought it was maybe eye strain from too much screen time.
It was a brain tumor, a low-grade glioma on his right optic nerve.
“Suddenly I was a patient defined by a file and a set of symptoms,” he told us. “I spent my teenage years navigating a landscape of IV poles and a specialized medical vocabulary.”
Instead of letting cancer define his future, Kaleolani chose to redefine what survivorship could look like. Between chemotherapy treatments, hospital visits, and mounting uncertainty, he remained committed to his education and graduated high school as salutatorian.
He began college at UCLA while still undergoing active treatment, scheduling classes around medical procedures.
He was declared cancer-free at the start of his sophomore year but has permanent vision loss in his right eye. Rather than viewing that as a limitation, he sees it as a catalyst for purpose and leadership.
“I have transitioned from a patient to an advocate, speaker, and mentor,” he says. “The loss of vision is not a tragedy to me. It is a seal on a period of intense growth.”
Today, Kaleolani is bringing greater visibility to pediatric brain tumors through advocacy, public speaking, and nonprofit volunteerism. He is passionate about improving healthcare policy and access, the driving factor in pursuing a degree in political science.
“I want to thank Children’s Cancer Cause and Hyundai Hope on Wheels for believing in my journey and believing in me, so that I can achieve my legislative policy goals one day.”
Kaleolani’s Advocacy Project
As a 2026 College Scholar, Kaleolani hopes to launch the Champion’s Circle Advocacy Series in his hometown of Santa Maria - a mentorship and storytelling initiative.
Working with an established rodeo group that supports local youth and cancer survivors, he aims to create mentor pairings and host an advocacy workshop that empowers survivors to translate their medical experiences into powerful advocacy narratives.
“This project is meaningful to me because I know exactly what it feels like when the bright lights of the rodeo arena dim and you have to return to the quiet, often isolating reality of being a ‘cancer kid’ in a small town,” he told us.
“By bridging the connection to the Elks’ Rodeo with my passion for public service, I am helping young survivors in my hometown find their voice, just as I found mine.”
