Pacific Islander Trailblazer: Isabella Vaka’s Journey from CC to D.C.

🎙️ Just wrapped an inspiring Money Misfits episode with Isabella Vaka, a former student of mine who’s charting an incredible path.

From community college at CSM → transfer to Cal Poly → internships in D.C. → now on Capitol Hill, Isabella shows what’s possible when you mix grit, financial discipline, and a willingness to pivot.

We dug into:

Why she chose community college during the pandemic — and how financial aid, scholarships, and support programs shaped her journey.

The challenges of being a Pacific Islander in spaces where few looked like her — and how she let her work speak for itself.

Landing internships through persistence (even unpaid at first), then turning them into meaningful opportunities in advocacy and policy.

How budgeting, overspending on food (we laughed at this one), and slowly building credit all became part of her real-world money education.

Choosing fulfillment and impact over a big salary — with her eyes set on law school and political campaigns in the near future.

💡 Isabella’s story is a powerful reminder: community college can be the launchpad to Capitol Hill.