In the Hawaiian language, haʻaheo means pride, dignity and self-respect earned through responsibility. For the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Spring 2026 Commencement student speaker, it’s also his middle name — and the focus of his message.
Diego Haʻaheo Ortiz will earn his bachelor’s degrees in political science and sociology from the College of Social Sciences and address graduates and guests at the May 16 morning Commencement at the Stan Sheriff Center.
“The main thing that I want people to take away is the idea that you don’t have to expect people to be proud of you,” Ortiz said. “As a person that has always wanted to make my parents proud, my mom teaches me and reminds me every day that Haʻaheo is a reminder that they’ll be proud of me no matter what.
“I always want people to know that whatever they go through in life — the good and the bad — you will always have your support with the people that uplift you.”
Ortiz said he is constantly working to improve his address with speech coach and PhD student Sanoe Burgess, who is pursuing her doctorate in Communication and Information Sciences, an interdisciplinary program within the School of Communication and Information.
“I’m very excited,” Ortiz said. “There isn’t a day that has gone by where I haven’t been like, ‘Oh, I’m so ready for this.’”
Ortiz also credited his girlfriend, Sam, with inspiring him to focus his message on his middle name.
“She told me that I should write about something that really is a part of me,” Ortiz said.
Aside from academics, Ortiz is a legislative aide to State Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz. A 2022 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, Ortiz began working at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol through a Hele Imua internship, a state-funded program that places students in public sector roles.
Originally from Kailua, Ortiz balances his work at the Legislature with his studies as he prepares to graduate and pursue law school. He has expressed interest in gaining additional experience through an internship with the state Department of the Attorney General.
At UH Mānoa, Ortiz credits CSS with helping shape his academic and career path, and describes the university as a “second home” that supported his personal growth.
“The thing that really stuck with me was the friends that I got to make, especially during my first year when I was in student housing,” Ortiz said. “I got super lucky because my roommate was my high school friend. Both of us getting away from home, getting to branch out and meet new people, I feel like that really provided us with an environment that gave us the opportunity to learn and grow as people.”
For the full UH News story, see https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2026/05/07/diego-haaheo-ortiz-speaker/
