Val Aquino Okimoto graduated from Brigham Young University–Hawaii in 1999 with a degree in accounting. Today, the devoted single mother of two daughters balances family, faith, and public service while representing District VIII on the Honolulu City Council. From ten years as a special education teacher to serving in the Hawaii House of Representatives, Okimoto’s journey reflects her courage, conviction, and spirit.
Certain She Was Seen
Growing up on the small island of Kauai, Okimoto remembers looking up at the sky from her backyard, cane fields stretching behind her family’s home, and feeling certain that God knew exactly who she was. “That has really helped me throughout life,” she says, “because there are going to be times where nobody’s going to understand you, but knowing that God does is a gift.”
Raised in a humble, faith-centered home as the third of four children, Okimoto says her family “didn’t know what we didn’t have but always knew we had what we needed.” She grew up with a strong sense of hard work and service, both in the community and at church. Characteristics she witnessed daily from her parents. Though neither parent obtained a four-year degree, education and faith were always prioritized in their home. When it came time for college, BYU–Hawaii felt like a natural choice. Her older siblings had attended before her. “My choice to come here was definitely based on my faith and testimony,” she says.
After graduating high school in 1993, Okimoto left Kauai for BYU–Hawaii. “I actually was homesick, even though it was just a plane ride away,” she says with a laugh. Even so, she remains grateful for the sacrifices her parents made to give her opportunities they never had.
Learning to Lean on the Lord
Okimoto arrived at BYU–Hawaii unsure but quickly found mentors who helped shape her path. One of them was Elder Peter M. Johnson, who was then teaching accounting at BYU–Hawaii. Okimoto later worked as his teaching assistant. It was Elder Johnson’s optimistic outlook on life, wit, and unwavering faith that helped Okimoto to take educational chances that she may not have otherwise.
While at BYU–Hawaii, Okimoto was also blessed to have been placed in the “8th Ward” with Bishop Bobby Akoi. What began as a simple church mentorship has turned into an endearing lifelong friendship to today. Okimoto recalls Bishop Akoi challenging her with seemingly difficult church callings, ranging from Gospel Doctrine teacher, as a freshman, to Relief Society President, post mission. At the time, Okimoto felt inadequate and often overwhelmed; however, she always accepted the invitations extended.
Looking back, she recognizes how those service opportunities were critical in her growth and prepared her for future callings that would come later in life. “There were times where I thought, ‘this is too big of a responsibility for me’,” she says. “But I never turned down callings, even if I felt that it was too hard. And it's in those callings that I leaned on the Lord.”
Forever grateful for the relationships she built at BYU–Hawaii, she noted how she had many mentors over the years, but these two were meaningful relationships in her early college career.
More than academics, Okimoto says it was the spirit of BYU–Hawaii that changed her. Meeting students “not just from Hawaii, but from all over the world” became one of the most meaningful parts of her time on campus and later helped prepare her for public service. She also treasured the connection between faith and learning. “That’s such a blessing that you can’t find anywhere else,” she says.
During her junior year, Okimoto received her mission call to the Philippines Cebu Mission, where she learned Cebuano. “I still say my prayers in Cebuano,” she says with a smile. Okimoto says her mission deeply shaped her faith and taught her how to recognize the Spirit. “I worked really hard to identify how He talks to me and what it feels like.” While in the Philippines, Okimoto fell in love with the people and their examples of Christlike charity. Most importantly, she gained a firmer testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His love for us. Looking back, she adds, “I know that the Lord’s hand was there the whole time.” Okimoto credits much of who she is today to that one choice of serving a mission. The trajectory of her life pivoted from her service mission.
Following the Pull of Passion
After returning from her mission, Okimoto began questioning her career path. Even so, she finished her degree and was hired by a local CPA firm through BYU–Hawaii’s accounting networking events. “I told the partner I didn’t think accounting would be my lifelong passion,” she says. “He wanted to hire me anyway.”
“I did work for a year knowing that I wanted to give it my all,” she adds, “but really my heart wasn’t in it.” Okimoto would leave the CPA firm and later completed a two-year teaching certification program. All culminating in spending the next ten years teaching special education with the Department of Education. “It really helped me understand the impact of education and teaching,” she says. Okimoto once again recognized, "I look back on all the steps that led me to my public service now, and I know once again that the Lord was guiding me for where He would need me in the future."
Holding the Line for Her Daughters
For Okimoto, motherhood has become one of the most sacred parts of her journey. “I have two daughters,” she says. “I’m really grateful for them. They’re now 18 and 13. They were 10 and 5 when I first ran for office, so they had to grow up quickly. My daughters give me purpose and are the reasons I get up every day and serve in the capacities I currently do.”
She is candid about the fact that life did not unfold the way she once imagined. She married in the temple with hope for the future, but after her marriage ended, she found herself navigating life as a single mother while serving in public office. Through it all, she held tightly to the values she wanted her daughters to grow up with. “You stand up for what is right, whether no one is watching or even if everyone is watching,” she says.
What brings her peace now is seeing her daughters choose good paths for themselves. “My girls are active in church, and they’re choosing the paths that I had hoped they would,” she says. Her oldest daughter, now attending Brigham Young University, is preparing to serve a mission, and will be leaving to serve in Japan soon. “I couldn’t be more proud of both of them,” Okimoto says.
Looking back on the unexpected turns in her life, Okimoto says her faith carried her through. “If you have a plan sometimes, you know, it doesn’t always work out that way,” she says. “I think the Lord is just wanting us to trust in Him. And that’s what I learned throughout this whole process.”
Faith in the Face of Opposition
In 2018, Okimoto was approached about running for the Hawaii State Legislature despite having no political background. At the time, she was a retired teacher and a stay-at-home mom. “I was terrified out of my mind,” she says. “I can’t even express to you how scared I was to do it. But I knew the Lord called me to do it.”
Okimoto says previous Church callings had quietly prepared her for the challenge. “I struggled when He called me to be a Relief Society president, and I struggled when He called me to do this,” she says. “But those opportunities built me to where I am now.”
She decided to run and won that and two subsequent elections. Now in her eighth year of public service, consisting of service in both state and city government, Okimoto serves on the Honolulu City Council as the chair of the Committee on Budget. She says her goal has never been popularity, but doing what she feels is right. “I’ve stood up to things even when it wasn’t popular,” she says. “I feel like I’m trying to do it the Lord’s way. I do it because I believe it's the right thing to do. It's never for me.”
“I'm just thankful that through everything, I've stayed strong,” Okimoto says. “My world is so much bigger than it used to be, bigger than I ever imagined it to be.”
After eight years in office, what she is most grateful for is that she is still herself. “While it is easy to allow the titles and the accolades and the power dictate what we do, that's never going to be me,” she says. “And I'm grateful that the Lord has blessed me with a heart that's stayed true to that.”
She speaks honestly about the cost of standing firm in public life. “I've had my personal and my professional life targeted and attacked. And, you know, it's hard,” she says. “But I want to say that I'm just grateful that I've stood up. I do it because I believe it's the right thing to do.” Through it all, her faith has only deepened. While going through hardship is never comfortable, nor desired, Okimoto stated “My relationship with God has never, ever wavered. In fact, it's probably gotten stronger the more trials that have been placed in my way.”
Holding On to Your Light
Okimoto encourages students to stay close to the Spirit and trust the Lord’s plan, even when the future feels uncertain. “You do whatever it takes to hear His voice,” she says. “That’s how you can be close to the Lord.” She believes the opportunities and callings students accept now will prepare them for the future.
Looking back on her path into public office, Okimoto says she never imagined where life would lead, but she always tried to stand for what was right. She knows today’s world can feel overwhelming. “Your world now, it’s much different than it was when I was growing up!” she says. “You can let the world really influence who you're supposed to be (for good or for bad).” Still, she believes a relationship with Heavenly Father is the strongest compass one can follow. “Don’t let anybody ever take your light away,” she says. “If you know who you are, Heavenly Father will provide opportunities for your light to shine.”
Whenever Okimoto returns to campus, BYU–Hawaii still feels like home. Though she once feared public speaking, she says the university gave her space to grow. “BYU–Hawaii allowed me the space to leave my tiny island, stretch my wings a little bit, and discover who I am and who the Lord needs me to be.”
