Celia Ko was bom in China, raised in Hong Kong, and attended college both in Taiwan and in Hawaii. She received her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and Master's degree in Religion from the University of Hawaii. She is a watercolor and oil painter as well as a published author in Chinese. She has been the Treasurer of the Hawaii Chinese Writers' Association since 1997, and also currently serves as Vice President of the association, as well as Vice President of a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization named Hawaii Xing Yuan Tang (Realizing Your Will). This organization offers meditation and yoga classes to members twice a week.