Steve Laulu, Sharing the Spirit of Aloha with the world

Steve Laulu is definitely a ‘Jack of all trades’. Not only does he manage and guide our Island Villages, Steve is a talented singer and musician, a master of ceremonies, and an inspiring leader. Born in Tapueleele, Savai’i, Samoa, Steve has 6 brothers and 8 sisters. He has worked at the Polynesian Cultural Center for a total of 16 years. His first position was as a restaurant cleaner, working late into the evening after the doors closed each night. He and his wife, Wendy have 2 children and 12 grandchildren.

How are you filling your days?

At work, my team is working hard every day to upkeep the islands, making sure that the islands are kept clean and ready when the PCC reopens. I must say that the islands are looking beautiful with the work my team is putting forth, not only in cleaning, but planting and farming as well. We are also working on putting together our plans to address the social distancing, sanitation and comfort of our guests once we open up again.

I’m also quite busy with my calling as Stake President of the Kaneohe Hawaii Stake. In fact, my evenings after work are filled with interviews and meetings more frequently than before. I’m not sure why, but there just seems to be a lot more to do now and I’m finding myself meeting more often with my stake leaders, conducting stake business via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc.

What do you do to keep your spirits up?

I enjoy watching the news a lot, a good movie, and spending time with my wife and our children and grandbabies. Daily scripture studies, Come Follow Me, and Temple and Family History work are always uplifting activities for the spirit.

Can you tell us about another time in your life where you may have utilized your Polynesian culture and practices to guide you through challenges?

Growing up, my parents always taught my siblings and I to be the best we can be, but especially to be good people to others through consistent attendance of our church meetings, building strong testimonies of the restored gospel, and to be Christlike in all of our actions. To be like the Savior, we were taught to be respectful, obedient, kind, honest, trustworthy, humble, meek, caring and above all to love unconditionally. Respect (fa’aaloalo) was taught to me at a very early age. One of the ways that you as a young man or young woman show respect in the Samoan culture is through obedience to your elders and those in authority without expressing your own opinion or disagreement about anything and everything. Some may say that this is blind obedience, but to me it was the best way of learning the value of respect. This is a lesson that I still continue to value in my life.

What are you looking most forward to doing once the Polynesian Cultural Center reopens?

Those things will soon return to normalcy. I look forward to seeing the Huki show on our beautiful and clean lagoon. I look forward to interacting with our employees and guests again. But above all I look forward to sharing the Spirit of Aloha with everyone.