If mere pedigree were a guarantor of success, Kenji Price could have saved himself thousands of hours of athletic training, four deployments to hostile territory and years of high-stakes showdowns with some of the world’s scariest drug lords.
But the kind of success that means the most to the Mililani-bred Price is the sort that can only be realized through personal sacrifice and commitment.
“My goal has always been to be impactful and to use the leadership ability that God has given me,” Price says. “I’ve always wanted to be in a position to help my community.”
Still, the pedigree is impressive. Price’s father, Ellis, played basketball for the University of Hawaii and is a successful artist and photographer. His mother, Carol, holds a doctorate in educational administration and used to be principal at Wahiawa Middle School. His sister, Keiko, was an All-American swimmer at UCLA.
Price himself was a standout swimmer in his youth and the Oahu Interscholastic Association West player of the year in basketball for Mililani.
Price’s basketball abilities were enough to earn a college scholarship, but he opted instead for the military, which he felt would take him farther.
As an Army Ranger, Price served three deployments in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.
“In movies about Special Ops, you see tough guys shooting guns and jumping out of planes,” Price said. “There’s that, but it’s more about taking care of people and working with people. It’s about relationships.”
Price, who earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Gonzaga University, went on to earn a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania and later landed a position as assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York, focusing on international narcotics and money laundering, high-level drug cartels, domestic drug distribution and gangs.
Price thrived on the challenging work, but a trip home to Hawaii for a wedding altered his career path.
During the visit, Price met financial adviser Julia Sandborn and was immediately smitten. The two stayed in contact and quickly fell in love.
Two months ago Price moved back to Hawaii to be with his new fiancee.
Price admits that leaving his job was difficult, but he said he’s found the perfect landing spot in local law firm Carlsmith Ball, where he’s been able to expand his legal skills by working on white-collar criminal cases, complex civil litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
He’s also active at New Hope church and is looking forward to getting involved in programs that serve veterans and children of incarcerated people.
“I’m happy to be back in the community and to have the opportunity to give back,” he said.
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Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
