Punahou School · Wo International Center
Stella Sonali Stake
A senior at Punahou School documenting cultural immersion, environmental service, and leadership toward the Distinction in Global Education.
Aloha! I’m Stella Sonali Stake, a senior at Punahou School. I love exploring my curiosities and embracing new challenges, like this summer when I conquered the Mountaineers Route of Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States at 14,505 feet — one year after a major surgery to repair my ACL, MCL, and meniscus.
Through cultural immersion in Japan and Senegal, environmental service in the British Virgin Islands and Hawaiʻi, a sustainable agriculture internship at Carman Ranch in rural Oregon, and leadership experiences ranging from Race4Good and COP28 to Punahou’s Sustainability Fair, I have had several opportunities to step outside my comfort zone.
The portfolio
A path across cultures, land, and leadership
Japan
Language, homestay, and exchange in Chino and Tokyo — and hosting a Hiroshima Peace Scholar in Hawaiʻi.
Senegal
West African homestay, Wolof and Pulaar, and soccer as a universal language.
British Virgin Islands
A month aboard a sailing boat, mangrove restoration, and a Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
Hawaiʻi Food Summits
Student voice at the University of Hawaiʻi and the State Capitol on how islands feed themselves.
Carman Ranch
A grass-fed ranch internship in Wallowa County, from fence work to branding day.
Sustainability Fair
Three years on the leadership team, designing recycled arts and crafts that teach Punahou’s youngest students how to care for the islands.
Race4Good
Winning designs for a family in Nepal and a youth climate campaign broadcast at COP28.