Meet Our Team: 30 Seconds with Malika Dudley

What is your education background?

Elementary through High School in Hilo where I was valedictorian. UH-Manoa double major in Communicology and French. Study abroad in France 2002. Three years distance learning with Mississippi State to get my Broadcast Meteorology Certificate. Currently pursuing my Masters Degree at UH-Manoa in Communicology (the study of human communication).

What do you love about storytelling?

I recently discovered that my great-grandmother was known to everyone in her village in Algeria as being a great storyteller. I feel like storytelling is in my genes... I love to make a story come to life. I really love human interest stories and I also enjoy telling stories from which people can learn. When weather conditions are severe and times are uncertain, that is when I do my best work. When the stories I tell help people, I feel the responsibility and privilege very deeply.  

What are you up to these days?

I am a mom of two. Jackson is 7 and Waipuna is 4. We live on Maui where I schlep the kids to and from school and all of their activities. Most of my free time presently is spent on graduate school. I took a 15 year "break" and I'm back! The degree doesn't matter as much as what I can do while I'm at the university with the guidance and resources available to me. This year I will begin to work on my thesis project, a documentary film exploring the ways social media is impacting society and presenting research to help people cope, adjust, gain understanding and reveal tools for appropriate use. The hope is that schools can adopt it as an educational tool for students, teachers and parents alike. 

Share an interesting fact about yourself.

I am a martial artist and I love to sing!