Q: You published a piece about the actor Ioane Goodhue in the
January 2026 issue of Hawaiian Airlines' magazine Hana Hou. Can you tell us how this idea came about?
A: While taking John [Surico's] and Whitney’s summer course, “From Pitch to Publish,” I was initially struggling to find the right story. During a call home to my parents in Hawaiʻi, they mentioned a short film they’d recently watched called
Kukini. When I watched it myself, I was shocked that such a well-produced piece hadn’t received more recognition. But it was my first conversation with the lead, Ioane Goodhue, that truly hooked me. While I originally thought my piece might be a simple profile of his work in acting, I realized about 15 minutes into our phone call, that there was a more important story to tell – one not just about an up-and-coming actor, but about his commitment to showing real Hawaiian culture and the ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi language to a broader audience. The evolution of the story pieced together from there.
Q: Full disclosure: As you said, you worked on this idea and the pitch in my and John Surico's summer class, Newsroom: From Pitch to Publish. But I think it's a good example of fitting an idea to a very specific publication. Can you tell us how the pitching process went?
A: When I first put together my piece, I decided to pitch it as a Q&A. John and Whitney helped me brainstorm a few Hawaiian and film/arts-centered publications, but after my first quick rejection, I started searching around for more Hawaiian publications that focus on local features. It wasn’t until I came across
Hana Hou Magazine — the Hawaiian Airlines Magazine that I had flipped through many times on my way home for the holidays — that I realized I might have found the perfect spot. After pitching them, I was met with a deal: They didn’t publish Q&A’s, but they were open to taking a chance on me if I re-formulated it into a 2,000-word feature story. It was a daunting switch, but I was honored they challenged me.
Q: What did you learn during editing?
A: Honestly, my editing process with the editorial team was a 10/10 experience. Almost every edit they gave me, I ended up liking – their edits were smart and clearly explained. They even added traditional Hawaiian phrases and references that really elevated the piece to the next level. I quickly learned that the process wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be. They even asked for my input when it came to photography and captions. One of the best experiences of writing this piece was learning from the editors and seeing their process in motion.
Q: What did you learn during this experience that you think would be helpful to other journalists looking to get their work published?
A: I would say don't be scared off by a challenge. When
Hana Hou originally tasked me with turning a brief Q&A into a 2,000-word feature, I thought there was no way. But that’s when I realized I had the content and story to produce that, I just had to try. And thanks to lots of help from the editors, multiple generous phone calls with Goodhue (and his insane intelligence and patience), I was able to pull together something super exciting and more professional than I thought I could.
