Where Are They Now: Counselor Sean "Baloo" Allsop-Pukahi

For 25 years, Kesem has supported children facing a parent’s cancer through free, year-round programs and a lifelong community, led by dedicated college student volunteers. To mark the 25th anniversary, we’re catching up with former campers and student leaders to reflect on how their Kesem experiences continue to shape their lives.

Sean Allsop-Pukahi found Kesem in the summer of 2013. That year, he was assigned as a counselor for the teens, an experience that immediately made an impression. “It was absolutely incredible,” he says. “I knew I had found something special.” As someone who had been impacted by a parent’s cancer as a child, Kesem felt personal from the start.

After that first summer, staying involved felt inevitable. Throughout college and even post-graduation, Sean kept finding new ways to stay connected. Some summers that meant cooking in the kitchen. Other years it meant supporting programs, showing up on Visitor’s Day, or helping behind the scenes with smaller projects. He even convinced his husband, who hadn’t been involved with Kesem in college, to begin volunteering.

“I just kept finding ways to help out,” he says. “Staying connected to Kesem has honestly been one of the happiest parts of my life.”

As Kesem has grown over time and Sean’s volunteer roles have evolved, what has stayed most constant is the people. Kesem gave Sean some of his closest and most enduring relationships. “These friendships started as camp family,” he says, “and they’ve stayed family for more than a decade.” There’s a shared understanding that comes with those connections that doesn’t fade with time.

Beyond giving him a lasting community, Kesem has also shaped how Sean moves through the world. “Kesem taught me more than any class I ever took in college,” he says. “It taught me how to lead, how to care deeply for people, how to work through hard things, and how to show up for others. Those skills show up in my career and my personal life nearly every day.”