Pohai Nu’uhiwa ’08 is proof that big things come in small packages. With her petite, 5-foot frame, Nu’uhiwa delivered large results on the volleyball court and in the classroom.

On the court, Hawaii’s 2004 Volleyball Player of the Year helped Winthrop win two Big South regular-season titles and one conference championship. The defensive specialist entered Winthrop’s 1,000-dig club in just two seasons, and her 1,108 career digs rank seventh all-time in school history.

But her hard work in the classroom also earned numerous awards. The 2007 Big South Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year completed her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in three years and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA. Nu’uhiwa received the Tillman Award, the university’s highest academic honor, as well as the conference’s prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence, the highest academic honor awarded to conference student-athletes.

Nu’uhiwa already is passing on her knowledge to the next generation as a kindergarten through fourth-grade teacher at Honolulu’s Kamehameha School. “Teaching truly is a calling. My parents are educators, and I’m thrilled to be back home educating our future leaders,” she said.