Living A.L.O.H.A.: Children’s Author and Global Campus Grad Reflects on Her Hawaiian Heritage and Women’s History Month

By Jeff WIlladsen, WSU Global Campus Senior Writer

For Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, Women’s History Month is more than a month on the calendar. It’s a sacred time that has a deep meaning rooted in her heritage and worldview.

“Women’s History Month is a sacred pause in our collective journey—a time to honor the carriers of life, the keepers of knowledge, and the weavers of future possibilities. It is not simply a month marked by dates on a calendar; it is a ceremonial remembering.”

Ebalaroza-Tunnell, known by many simply as “Dr. G”, is the author of Let’s Live ALOHA, an award-winning children’s book emphasizing qualities such as empathy and adaptability.

Dr. G, who proudly weaves her Hawaiian heritage into her work, graduated from WSU Global Campus in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences. She would go on to earn a Ph.D. in transformative studies and consciousness from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

“In the traditions of my ancestors, women are taught to be the first teachers and leaders,” she said. “Our bodies are the original vessels of creation, and our stories are the maps for humanity’s survival.”

“This month is an opportunity to honor the profound kuleana—Hawaiian for responsibility and privilege—that women have always held, even when erased or diminished by systems that sought to silence us. It is a time to lift the veil and see clearly: We are not reclaiming power; we are power.”

In her book, Dr. G taps into the wisdom found in Hawaiian culture, using the acronym A.L.O.H.A. to encourage readers to Ask, Listen, Observe, have Heart-focus, and Adapt. She takes a similar approach to the way she thinks about April as a time to remember the history and impact of women in our world.

“Women’s History Month is a time to sit at the feet of my own lineage. I breathe deeply into the knowledge that I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams made flesh,” she said. “My mother, my grandmothers, and the women before them carried both grace and grief in their bones so I could stand here today, walking freely on this ʻāina (land), speaking words once forbidden and embodying truths once hidden.”

Along with her heritage, she also uses the month to reflect on the lessons of her own personal past.

“My greatest teacher walks in my bloodline—my mother. She was not adorned with titles or degrees, but she carried a deep, unwavering love for her lāhui (community) and ʻohana (family),” she said. “She moved through life with humility, generosity, and a quiet strength that shaped my understanding of

leadership today. Her legacy is one of service and aloha, showing up for others even when no one was watching. She taught me that authentic leadership is not measured by recognition but by how deeply we love and care for those around us.”

There are many other women who also inspired her.

“And then there are the wāhine (women) who have shaped my path beyond my ʻohana—Pilahi Paki and Puanani Burgess. Pilahi Paki gifted us the guiding principles of A.L.O.H.A. as a law of life, reminding us that aloha is the breath of connection capable of healing and transformation,” she said. “Puanani Burgess, with her gentle power, taught me that we build beloved communities by first establishing peace within ourselves. These women carried wisdom that has rippled through my life like waves upon the shore—steady, enduring, and transformative.”

“Their legacies call me to action. They remind me that my kuleana is to continue weaving these teachings into everything I do so that future generations may know who they are, where they come from, and how to walk in this world with compassion, courage, and grace.”

To Dr. G, this observance is about the past, but it is also about the future.

“Women’s History Month also encourages me to reflect on my kuleana to future generations. What seeds am I planting through my work of aloha and leadership that will nurture the daughters, sisters, and aunties yet to come?”

She has a bit of advice for women who are seeking to find their place in the world, especially through higher education.

“My advice is simple and profound: Know who you are and where you come from. Your roots will guide you when the winds of doubt and fear blow hard,” she said. “As you earn your degree, remember you are not just gathering credentials—you are gathering tools to heal, uplift, and transform the spaces you enter. Stand firm in your values.”

“Do not shrink to fit into rooms not built for you. Instead, arrive as the architect of new spaces where others will one day find belonging because you dared to be the first. And always, always lead with A.L.O.H.A.—Ask, Listen, Observe, have Heart-focus, and Adapt. These principles will never fail you.”

She also has a few words to say when it comes to the observance of Women’s History month.

“Women’s History Month is not just a reflection of the past. It is a portal to our collective future. Whether you identify as a woman or walk alongside us as kin and allies, this is a time to honor the sacred feminine energy that exists in all of us—the energy of creation, nurture, intuition, and fierce protection.”

“Take this time to uplift the women in your lives and examine how we can co-create systems where equity is the soil and justice is the harvest. Celebrate this month by living it and embodying the values of aloha, compassion, courage, and community that women have modeled across generations.”