What’s in a name? When it comes to Gard’s summer intern, Mahina LaBoy, a lot.
“Mahina is the Hawaiian word for moon,” she says. “It goes hand and hand with one of my middle names, Pukanaokalā, which translates to ‘the opening of the sun.’ My family gave me this middle name because I was born at the time when the moon was setting and the sun was rising – connecting both the sun and moon to my name.”
An MBA student at Portland State University, Mahina joined Gard in June through The Script internship program. She’ll be with us into September. To get to know her a little better, we asked her about where she grew up – Hawaii – why she likes marketing (partly because it doesn’t include kinesiology) and what makes her unique – she’s been dancing Hula since she was five years old!
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am born and raised in O’ahu, Hawaii, graduated from high school in 2020 and started my college career from Zoom at Pacific University. I moved to Forest Grove in fall 2021 to pursue my bachelor’s in business administration with a concentration in marketing. I graduated from Pacific in spring 2024 and went straight into getting my Masters of Business Administration at Portland State University. While I am at PSU, I am also getting certifications in enterprise data analytics and athletic and outdoor marketing.
How did you get interested in marketing? Any specific fields you are interested in?
When I graduated high school, I thought I wanted to go into kinesiology to become a physical therapist. But when I thought about it, I knew I did not enjoy learning about science. Therefore, a kinesiology degree was not for me. I reflected a lot on my time as a sales lead at Pacific Sunwear (Pacsun), and I really enjoyed working in sales in the retail environment. That is one of the big reasons why I decided to major in business. I decided to focus on marketing because of my passions for social media, pop culture and how this field is constantly evolving. It was always a field I was really interested in, and the fact that there are so many job opportunities and fields within the world of marketing makes it even more interesting to me. Right now, I am interested in social media marketing, advertising, PR, digital marketing and sports marketing.
Why were you interested in the Script’s internship program?
I was interested in the Script’s internship program because of how devoted they are to supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds. I thought it was a great opportunity to make connections and expand my network in Portland, while having access to career development events, participate in mock interviews and just be very invested in supporting my professional growth.
What appealed to you about working for Gard?
What really appealed to me about Gard was the work culture. When I was searching through the website, I liked how small and close-knit the team is. My feelings were immediately validated after I had my interview and met CEO Liz Fuller for the first time. Everyone was so sweet, and I knew they would be extremely supportive of my journey and it would be a great environment to work in.
What do you hope to learn during your time with Gard?
I hope to learn more about working in public relations and public affairs. This is my first internship, and I have only had experience with social media marketing, so I am so excited to see what else I can learn about the world of marketing and communications. Within my first few weeks, I have already learned so much, and I can’t wait to be a part of more projects and learn so much more.
What do you like to do when you’re not working at Gard?
When I am not working at Gard, I enjoy reading, specifically romance, fantasy and thriller novels. I would say my favorite author right now is Abby Jimenez, but my favorite book is probably “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Other than reading, I am really into fitness. I love working out, whether it is weightlifting, workout classes or hiking. I haven’t hiked much in Oregon, so if anyone has good suggestions, please send them my way – preferably with a waterfall or a place to swim at the end! I am also a huge reality TV fanatic, a big foodie and I love to travel. I have been blessed with flight benefits, so I am a big fan of weekend trips and going to fun places around the world.
What would you say is something unique about you?
Something unique about me is that I have been dancing hula since I was 5 years old! It is one of my favorite hobbies to choreograph dances, teach others and perform as well. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work gigs when I am home and get paid to dance hula, which is so crazy to me. I also have been able to be a part of Pacific University’s Lū‘au and Hō‘ike for three years, where I was able to choreograph and teach others my passion and see my vision come to life on stage.