Light Within the Wā: Zoë Bell
1st Place Winner Inspiring Learning Contest 2025 Outside Category
In Polynesian cultures, the wā is the sacred “space between”—between people, between islands, even between who we are now and who we can become. During my internship in Tonga, I felt this wā while within feet of humpback whales and while working with the Tongan elderly conducting Alzheimer’s research. As a Native Hawaiian scientist, I was grateful to be welcomed into these spaces. To me, the wā reflects the light of Christ: an invitation to bridge the space between what we know and what we can yet learn, between who we are and who He calls us to become.
