Meet our members

Nerissa Imada

What makes you feel good about your community?

“What makes me feel good about my community is that it’s not a city with high-rises and traffic jams all the time. What also makes me feel good about my community is that we are still local and not fully developed.”

What are you concerned about in your community?

“I’m concerned about our community becoming a city like Honolulu. I’m also concerned about our generation not being able to come back and live on Maui because of the cost, jobs or there not being enough room due to developing more houses. Lastly, I’m concerned about our local culture dying our because of people emoving here from the mainland, or when “mom & pop” stores close down due to Walmart and other big mainland stores coming to Maui.”

What do you hope to gain from the Focus Maui Nui Youth Alliance experience?

“I hope to gain a better understanding how our community works and what I can do to voice my opinion and make a difference. I also hope to become aware about community issues and what I can do to help, even if it’s the smallest thing.”