For Zoey Kaneakua ’22, data and creativity are not opposites, they work hand in hand, and her talent contributed to developing the first Hawaii Crime Dashboard. The Hawaii Crime Dashboard allows users to explore crime trends through interactive visualizations and customized searches, and replaces traditional Crime in Hawaii print publications.
Kaneakua works as a research analyst for the Hawaiʻi Department of the Attorney General’s Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division, where she helps manage and analyze crime data used by policymakers, law enforcement agencies, and the public. Kaneakua enjoys transforming complex information into something engaging and accessible. It’s an approach that has helped shape both her professional career and her personal passions. One of her proudest accomplishments was creating the Hawaii Crime Dashboard, alongside three Chaminade Data Science, Analytics and Visualization student interns.
“To complete a dashboard of that size takes long hours, dedication, utilizing a lot of Data Science skills, and passion,” Dr. Rylan Chong ’10, data science program chair, said. “The reward for completing this project will impact Hawaiʻi greatly as it will provide data, results, and visualizations that can be used to make data-driven decisions.”
The Hawaii Crime Dashboard has been more than a technical project for Kaneakua. It has been an opportunity to share data that transforms complex information into something engaging and easy to understand.
“I’m a very visual person, so I find traditional black-and-white reports boring and difficult to follow,” she said. “I prefer to create colorful and accessible visuals that invite the user to explore the data.”
Before her career took off, finding her major took time, but with advice from her mom, she looked into the Data Science, Analytics and Visualization program. The choice was supported by the Hoʻoulu Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for Native Hawaiian and local students pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and business degrees. With guidance from her professors, she decided to take a chance on a growing field.
“My favorite thing about Chaminade is how genuinely invested the faculty and staff are in their students’ success in and out of college,” she said. “Being a smaller school, professors take the time to get to know you and your goals, both personally and professionally.”
Along her journey, Kaneakua found mentors who helped her succeed such as Dr. Chong, whose guidance helped pave her path and provided her the opportunities to gain work experience before graduation.
“What makes our Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization program distinctive is our mission to build capacity and an ecosystem of data science leaders that want to work with communities to achieve their goals and make a meaningful impact in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific, nationally, or globally,” Dr. Chong said. “In order to achieve this mission, our data science faculty and family created an environment that cares about students’ career development, empowerment, and their successes.”
In her free time, Kaneakua creates skincare, beauty, and travel content for social media, brands, and businesses. Her interest in digital media began in middle school, when she first started experimenting with photography, graphic design, and video editing. What began as a hobby has evolved into another outlet for her creativity and storytelling.
“As I’ve gained more professional experience throughout the years, I’ve also learned more about myself, my interests, and what motivates me,” Kaneakua said. “I’ve discovered that I enjoy blending creativity with technology and data, which has led me to explore creative opportunities outside of work.”
Looking ahead, Kaneakua hopes to continue building a future that combines both sides of her interests. She plans to expand her content creation work, develop her business skills, and explore new opportunities that bridge technology, communication, and creativity.
“Right now, I’m focused on continuing to grow professionally, staying open to new experiences, and figuring out how to build a future that combines my interests in data science and creative media,” she said.
For Kaneakua, success is not simply about analyzing information. It is about helping share data in new and creative ways so it can inform, inspire, and tell meaningful stories. The Hawaii Crime Dashboard is proof that data can shape and tell stories for the betterment of the community, when the right person helps lead the way.