HONOLULU (KHON2) — She’s the consummate teacher, but she wouldn’t tell you that.
After decades of educating keiki to kupuna in Hawaiian studies, ukulele, hula, guitar, jazz and education itself, you can still catch Auntie Coralee Nishi’s hui at the Nuuanu YMCA.
This weekend she’s being honored for her 50 years of service.
“I don’t even know I’m teaching, I just do something and they follow,” Auntie Carolee said.
She doesn’t call it teaching, but she’s shown the way for countless others throughout her life. Auntie Carolee has been practicing hula since she was five. She picked up Hawaiian ukulele, slack key guitar, and language along the way.
“She started this hui over 50 years ago, and in that time she met so many people who taught her things, and she’s the type of person that once she learns something, she just turns around and teaches it to somebody else,” Auntie Carolee’s daughter Robyn Kuraoka said.
Today she’s teaching kupuna, but Hula Hui o Kapunahala started with keiki back in the 1960s in Kaneohe. Auntie Carolee left her job with United Airlines and found something more meaningful.
“It all started back in October of 1968, our executive director said Hey, I’ve got 12 kids, they have nowhere to go,” said Lisa Ontai, the CEO of the YMCA of Honolulu. “And Auntie Carolee said I’ll take care of them and that’s where it all started. She opened up a Hawaiian Studies and culture and Hula lessons and guitar and Ukulele lessons.”
Even though she emphasizes participation over winning, the hui has won many awards, including the halau division at Hula Oni’e 2025.
Many of her students over the years come back to volunteer, helping other kupuna learn and stay active.
The lessons of education, respect and community got through to her students.
“She wanted to make sure she was teaching the youth core values and, most importantly, to be able to believe in themselves and what they can achieve,” Ontai said.
Now the kupuna in her hui are throwing her a party to celebrate 50 years.
“Our kupuna came to me and they said we really want to do something for your mom,” Kuraoka said. “How can we get together, and she’s touched so many lives, and we want to have people come back and visit her. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say she’s touched thousands of lives in her 50 years here at the YMCA,”
Auntie Carolee says there was never a method to the learning, just leading by example.
“If you’re good to people, they’re good to you.”