After experiencing PLU’s “Community of Care” first-hand, PJ Morales ’25 strives to reciprocate that care to local high school students.

PJ Morales ‘25 comes from a small town on Maui named Lahaina. Although she loves her island, PJ realized that the “small island life” wasn’t for her and began to look for colleges in the continental United States. When her admissions counselor, fellow Filipino Brandon Bruan, mentioned that PLU has a Hawaii club, as well as easy access to poke, sticky white rice and POG, PJ knew she found the perfect college. “I definitely committed to PLU after hearing that,” she reflects, “and now I feel like I have ‘home’ and an actual home with me here.”

When PJ began at PLU, she quickly connected with other Hawaiian students and joined the Nā Hoaloha O Hawai’i (“Friends of Hawaii”) club, one of PLU’s 50+ clubs. She also took on a job with the PLU Pantry, a free resource for students experiencing food insecurity. While working for the pantry, PJ met her mentor Susan Pavur, who equipped and supported PJwith a strong sense of agency. “Susan helped me utilize all the ideas I had for the pantry and made me feel like I had staff to support me. Now, the pantry is one of the largest resources on campus,” PJ describes. “If you don’t have food, it’s almost impossible to succeed, so knowing others are able to succeed at least a little bit more because the pantry is full is a very fulfilling feeling.”

In August of 2023, fires devastated PJ’s hometown of Lahaina and she turned to Pavur for help.”Susan dropped everything and immediately started asking, ‘What do you need? Who else is affected? What can PLU do to help you?'” PJ said.

Pavur, with help of PLU’s Wellbeing Services and Resources (WSR), was able to provide PJ with invaluable support — everything from tuition assistance, to connecting with alumni to help students get back  to Lahaina to be with their families, to accessing mental health resources.

“It was a huge help knowing that it wasn’t just Susan, but the entire PLU community that had my back,” she said.

PJ says that she wants to be like Susan after graduation. 

“Susan told me ‘You can come to me no matter what your experience or situation and I will be there for you with no strings attached. We will figure it out.’ Susan was that person for me and so many other students, and I want to be that person for others,” PJ said.

PJ’s two majors, psychology and philosophy, are preparing her to be a role model and a counselor for high school students. Through her psychology courses, PJ has learned about human behavior and gained critical thinking techniques that inspire her to constantly search for unique solutions to problems these students may face. 

Similarly, PJ’s philosophy courses and capstone project allow her to find ways to destigmatize mental health for students. During her psychology internship, PJ gained first-hand experience advocating for and supporting students as a TA for a PLUS 100 course.

“I really want to be a mentor to these students, especially students of color, because if they can see that I can be a role model and graduate and be successful, then what’s stopping them from being able to do it too?” PJ said. “I’m ready to be a mentor and a resource for high school students. I’m ready to be that person who shows care and empathy with no strings attached, like Susan was for me.”

Reflecting on her college experiences, PJ confidently says, “My ancestors are all living through me and they sent me here to PLU for a reason. I know that I’m living for everyone who is no longer here and for my mom who had given up her dreams to have me live mine. I’m doing it for them, and I’m going to make them proud.”