Conventional theories of student development are often used to explain student persistence, attrition, amd marticulation in education and thus formulate the basis for student retention models. Student development theories fail to consider the diverse set of socioeconomic cultural and academic experiences of Indigenous peoples, in this case Hawaiians, as they interface with institutions of higher education. This examination of the Kokua a Puni Summer Enrichment Program will help to identify gaps in student development theory, offer an Indigenous-centered model of student services, and facilitate a discussion on how this model promotes the program goals of leadership, self actualization, and identity exploration.