Brandiann Tartios

“The People.” That’s what Brandiann Tartios, a custodian here at Lahainaluna, said when asked what she likes about working here. Confidently but with a serious tone, she added that without the people, Lahainaluna would be “Just another place to work.” Tartios thinks that “The people here make Lahainaluna.”

Tartios has worked here for over 10 years. She jokingly emphasized the amount of time by mentioning that she’s worked under 7 principals. Originally from Oahu and a town somewhere between rural and urban, Tartios prefers being at Lahainaluna, an “Isolated from town." She enjoys the fact that it’s “kind of laid back.” Community is important to her and that’s why she likes Lahaina and Lahainaluna so much. “Community makes Lahaina. Period.”

Tartios spends most of her free time with her family. She explained that she is passionate about “appreciating who I have in my life.”

Like others at Lahainaluna, she lost a great deal in the recent fire. Like many in Lahaina, she’s also “passionate about trying to get back home and try to rebuild.” 

I asked her again what she is grateful for and she said that she’s “Grateful for waking up.”  Even though she now drives from Kihei to come to work, she uses this time to reflect and “concentrate and think about the past, you know, and what I'd like to accomplish in the future.” 

“Lahainaluna is like a second home,” said Tartios.