Kishimoto was inspired to pursue a career in public education by her childhood teachers.

Kishimoto was part of the A Better Chance program, which she moved from the Bronx to attend school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, as a sophomore.

[3] Kishimoto became superintendent of the Hawai'i Department of Education in August 2017 with a salary of $240,000.

[3] In early March 2021, she has announced that she'll be stepping down as the superintendent due to poor job performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[4] Kishimoto is married and has one daughter and lives in the Ala Moana neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii.