BYU-Hawaii Vice President of Student Affairs Isileli Kongaika announced October 4 that Lupe Piena, MPA, JD, has been named acting director of International Student Services.
Piena, who has worked in the ISS office for the past three-plus years, succeeds Charles W.H. Goo, associate dean of students. Goo and his wife, Helen, have been called to serve as president and matron of the Hong Kong Temple , starting November 1. He will retire from BYU-Hawaii prior to leaving for their new assignment.
Piena, the daughter of BYU-Hawaii psychology professor Dr. Inoke Funaki, grew up in Laie and graduated from BYU-Hawaii with a degree in English in 1994. After serving a Latter-day Saint proselyting mission in the Marshall Islands, she earned a master's of public administration and juris doctorate degrees from BYU in Provo. Before returning to Laie in 2004, she worked in BYU's Multicultural Student Services office.
She explained the ISS office here "deals with anything that has to do with all the international students," and interacts closely with Counseling Services, academic advisors and other campus offices. "What we do exclusively that no other department does is track the immigration status of international students."
Piena further explained that each of the 70-plus nations from which BYU-Hawaii international students come has unique cultural standards "that we want to be sensitive to, and yet at the same time we hold the students accountable to BYU-Hawaii standards and requirements. Trying to help them make transitions [to the BYU-Hawaii and U.S. lifestyle] is the biggest thing, so that they will benefit to the maximum while they are here. We want them to go home having graduated and feeling more confident about their abilities to make contributions."
She also said she hopes the ISS office can further develop a mentoring program especially for international students, "something that Brother Goo allowed us to dream about. The way we've approached it is to try to get our international students be informed by and connected with as many people on campus as possible who will be resources for them throughout their years here at BYU-Hawaii."
For example, Piena said when she returned to work at BYU-Hawaii she was "overwhelmed with how much faculty and staff care about the students. I am truly overwhelmed with how much the students are loved — how much hope and optimism there is for them to be successful, and most of them don't realize it. That motivates me to help make a difference for them."
She added she loves working at BYU-Hawaii. "This, for me, is the best place to do everything."
In addition to Piena, the ISS staff consists of Dr. Patrick Macy, an advisor, and Marie Paongo, office manager.