“ʻAʻohe puʻu kiʻekiʻe ke hoʻ¨¡ʻo ʻia e piʻi”—“No cliff is so tall that it cannot be scaled.”
That message of perseverance now greets students inside the student lounge, where third-year student Tatiyana “Tati” Nero transformed a blank wall into a colorful celebration of Native Hawaiian culture, campus pride and determination.
Symbol of resilience
The ʻ¨lelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian saying/proverb, is at the heart of Nero¡¯s mural in the section of the Campus Center student lounge known as the Box Office. The design features the koaʻe kea, Kauaʻi‘s CC¡¯s mascot, along with tribal-inspired designs and naupaka kahakai, a native coastal plant.
Nero chose the ʻ¨lelo noʻeau specifically with the koaʻe kea in mind. The native seabird is known for soaring and nesting along steep sea cliffs, making it a fitting symbol for overcoming challenges.
“I wanted this to be a reminder of perseverance to students at Kauaʻi CC,” Nero said.
Stepping beyond comfort
The mural represents a major artistic leap for Nero. Although she has long been known as an artist, her previous work focused almost exclusively on black-and-white hyper-realism.
“At first I was hesitant because I don¡¯t paint or work with color,” Nero said. “This was definitely a learning experience for me.”
Nero was first approached about creating the mural in summer 2025 as part of an effort to make the student lounge a more lively and welcoming space. She spent nearly a month developing the final design, and the project took about seven months to complete. With help from her art instructor, siblings and student government colleagues, the mural was unveiled February 4, 2026.
“I was given the space, and I kind of just wanted to bring life to the campus,” Nero said.
Born and raised in Anahola, Nero is pursuing a degree in Hawaiian Studies and plans to enter the nursing program. She also serves as an at-large senator in student government, where she works to empower Native Hawaiian students, veterans, students with disabilities and international students.
She said, “I’m committed to voicing the concerns of our students and ensuring that their college experience at Kauaʻi CC is gratifying.”
