Isabella Aiona Abbott

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, every school day The Cardinal will feature a prominent and historical Asian American or Pacific Islander, living or dead, who has worked toward change, advancement, and/or world peace. Some of them are heroes, and some are unsung heroes, who deserve recognition, and have made a contribution to society.

Kaitlyn Ponce, Staff Writer

May 15, 2026

Isabella Aiona Abbott is an educator and psychologist whose work has had a huge impact on our world.

Abbott was born June 20, 1919, in Hana, Maui, but grew up in Honolulu near Waikiki. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1937 and then earned her undergraduate degree in botany (plant science) at the University of Hawai´i at Manoa. In 1941, she earned her master´s degree in botany from the University of Michigan in 1942 and a Doctor of Philosophy in botany from the University of California, Berkeley in 1950. This meant she became the first Native Hawaiian woman to earn a Ph.D. in science, which inspired many women to do the same or to continue their studies and not give up. She dedicated her life to studying marine plants, especially algae, and became one of the world’s leading experts in the field of marine biology. Her discoveries helped scientists better understand ocean ecosystems and showed how important sea life is to the health of the planet.

Growing up in Hawaii, Abbott spent much of her childhood exploring the beaches and tide pools around the islands. This early connection with nature inspired her passion for science. At a time when women, especially Native Hawaiian women, faced discrimination in education and careers, Abbott worked hard to prove that anyone could succeed through determination and knowledge. Abbott’s research focused on seaweed and algae, but her work had a much larger impact. She helped identify over 200 marine species, with several named after her and wrote eight books and over 150 publications that are still used today. Her work encouraged respect for the natural world.

Beyond her scientific achievements, Isabella Abbott inspired many students, especially young women and Pacific Islanders, to pursue careers in science. She showed that cultural heritage and scientific discovery can work together to improve the world. Because of her achievements, the scientific community gained a deeper understanding of life, and many people were encouraged to protect the ocean for future generations.

About the Contributor

Kaitlyn Ponce, Staff Writer

Kaitlyn Ponce is a 16-year-old junior at Hoover High School. Shopping, music, and vlogging are things that Kaitlyn enjoys the most. Kaitlyn loves listening to music daily, and she listens to different genres each day. Her favorite music artists are Lana Del Rey, Kali Uchis, Mac DeMarco, and Piero Picconi. She loves to find new ways to listen to music, and loves collecting vinyls to play in her record player. Some of her favorite movies are 10 Things I Hate About You, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Clueless. Her favorite food is pasta alfredo, which she loves to eat at Olive Garden, which is one of her favorite restaurants. Her favorite drink is boba. Kaitlyn does ballet, which she has been doing since she was little. One of her goals is to get more serious about ballet and improve her skills further. What she loves about ballet is how elegant it is, and how it feels to dance it, and how ballet helps her to remove any stresses that she may have, bringing peace and warmth. In her free time, Kaitlyn loves to play volleyball, especially at the beach, sketch in her sketchbook, record and take pictures with her camera, and bake. She is part of a club called Youth Council, which is all about taking care of the community(City Heights) and making it a better place. She enjoys going because it teaches her how important it is to provide and care for the community. Kaitlyn plans on going to a university after high school; her dream university is UCSD. She wants to major in dermatology because it has been her dream career ever since she was 12 years old. She wants to help people feel confident in their skin and wants to help people with any skin problems they may have. Kaitlyn has always believed that kindness is very important. She makes sure that every day she spreads kindness to people, no matter what, and expresses ¨Kindness is the greatest gift anyone can have.”