She is a graduate of Kaiser High School and is currently a student in the Department of English at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She’s involved with Pacific Tongues and has competed as both poet and coach for the youth-poetry organization’s events. She is a member of the University of Wisconsin’s First Wave Hip Hop Theatre Ensemble and co-wrote and performed in the collaborative production “Welcome Mat at Capacity” at the 2013 Line Breaks Festival. Joanna’s writing reflects the many voices of the women she has encountered. She uses them to heal, relate, and shed light upon the expectations and stereotypes bestowed upon women. She also enjoys cereal.