Lucena “Lucy” Gaceta has become the first University of �鶹��ý student from the (LEC) to earn a bachelor’s degree from UH Maui College. She completed her degree in this spring, marking a major milestone for both the small center and her personal academic journey.

“I’m the first in my family to ever get a bachelor’s, and the [LEC] admin staff have always been very, very supportive, especially when I had to apply for classes overseas,” Gaceta said. “They’ve had a huge impact on my success.”

LEC Director Pamela Alconcel said, “Lucy was tenacious and made a commitment to finish her bachelor’s degree. She would come to the center on her days off of work and study diligently—and she did it!”

In the beginning

After graduating from Lānaʻi High School in 2013, Gaceta began her studies at the UH center just across the street.

“It was the easiest option,” she said. “And it’s also very forgiving—I took really long breaks, and then I came back to it, and it was very easy to re-enter.”

She earned associate’s degrees in liberal arts and business management from UH Maui College in 2019. Her academic path was far from traditional. Gaceta paused her studies multiple times, lived abroad in Israel and New Zealand, and even got stuck overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was visiting [New Zealand] over Christmas break, and then in March [2020], they closed the borders,” she recalled. “I did on-and-off online, but I didn’t make real good headway.”

However, she persevered. “I think having this degree has made me realize that I am not always consistent, but I am very tenacious.”

Already in management

Gaceta did not participate in UH Maui College’s commencement on May 15, because she was working at her job as the site manager for NAPA on Lānaʻi.

“It’s helpful that I do have this degree,” she said. “It makes things a lot faster than if I didn’t have this degree and I didn’t know Excel.”

Looking ahead, she’s considering further studies in data analysis and exploring how AI will impact the business world. For Gaceta, the Lānaʻi Education Center made it all possible.

“The aunties there are very, very helpful, and they have no judgment,” she said. “They’ve had a huge impact on my success.”

—By Kelli Abe Trifonovitch

A first-of-its-kind “Shark Tank” style event at the resulted in five student-led business ideas earning $1,000 or $500 prizes, and dozens of students gaining real world experience in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The inaugural program, hosted by the (PACE) in the , culminated in a live pitch event at the state-of-the-art Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center in October 2023.

Teams from UH ����ԴDz� and received the top prize of $1,000 each, and three other teams won $500 prizes.

The top two business ideas were:

• Hawaii NutriNative is an app designed to intertwine culture and nutrition while addressing food insecurity and the undervalued richness of Native Hawaiian foods. This project was by Dongjun Xie, a food science and nutrition student at UH ����ԴDz�.
• ResQ Drone Innovations is a more efficient and humane way of finding survivors and recovering bodies using drones. This project was developed by UH Maui College (ABIT) students Cody Hankins, Joshua Bushe, Bryson Uehara and Sang Bui.

The members of the UH Maui College team are students of Debasis Bhattacharya, associate professor and program coordinator of the UH Maui College Applied Business and Information Technology program. Bhattacharya aligned his class with the Kalo Grants program and encouraged his students to apply.

“The PACE Kalo Grants program was a great opportunity to apply what was learned in the classroom in a competitive setting, including a live pitch, at the Walter Dods, Jr. RISE Center and to showcase the ABIT capstone students’ business ideas,” Bhattacharya said. “Seeing all of my ABIT students come home with a PACE Kalo Grant to continue pursuing their ideas to support the Maui recovery efforts is very meaningful.”

Before making it to the live pitch event, students were tasked with submitting a business narrative. Entries that demonstrated high potential were invited to pitch to a live audience that would help to determine the awardees. Leading up to the event, the students were provided with coaching to prepare for their presentations. Scores from the audience were tallied, and results were announced at the close of the event. Attendees had the chance to celebrate with and meet the awardees.

“We’re always looking for new ways to support students,” PACE Executive Director Sandra Fujiyama said. “With this new Kalo Grants program, we’re providing students with a little bit of cash to take their ideas to the next level. We’re also hoping that by participating they gain the confidence to keep going down the startup path. For many of them, this will be their first taste of entrepreneurship, and hopefully the beginning of an extended journey with PACE.”

Students helping students

Kalo Grants is a program organized for students by students. It is a special focus of PACE to increase the number and frequency of student-led events. A team of five students from diverse backgrounds ran Kalo Grants (four undergraduates and one graduate student from Shidler college, travel industry management, social sciences and information and computer sciences).

Get involved, earn funding

The Kalo Grants program is open to all UH students, from any program of study and any UH campus. The intent of the program is to provide small amounts of seed funding to students who wish to pursue an idea for a business. Participants are challenged to research market opportunities, identify customer segments, and build a minimum viable product, as well as hone their presentation skills. The deadline to apply for the next round of Kalo Grants is October 31, and there will be monthly chances to apply for both grant levels ($1,000 and $500). For more information, .

Column by University of �鶹��ý Maui College Chancellor Lui Hokoana was published by the

It was certainly a Spring Semester and graduation like no other. We hope many of you were able to join our streaming June 6th “virtual” graduation. Everyone—faculty, staff, students, parents, families, and friends—would, of course, have preferred the traditional ceremony and festivities. But, rest assured the graduating class of 2020 made us all proud. These students persevered under difficult circumstances, came through with flying colors, and continue to move forward.

“Bittersweet” is the word Mikiala Maynard uses to describe her final semester and graduation from our nursing program. “It was disappointing but understandable that graduation had to be ‘virtual.’ Every graduate has something to be really proud of and I wish I had been able to express that to all my classmates in person. The school really did pull through. The drive-through celebration meant my parents got to see me get my diploma and take pictures with the chancellor. The school’s huge effort made me feel very special.“

Like all our graduates, Mikiala is special. Four years ago, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. “As a child I had a sticker on my dresser that I had gotten at a doctor’s visit. It was shaped like a band aid and said ‘Nurses Make Everything Better.’ Nurses give a tender touch when you need that care. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.” She was accepted into our nursing program in 2018, just two months before her daughter was accepted into Kamehameha Schools. “2018 was a great year for us,” she says.

A single mother, she is what we call a “nontraditional student,” starting her college career in her 30s. “I wanted to show my daughter Kanoelani how important it is to get an education,” she says, “and that you can accomplish anything.”

Mikiala is a Phi Theta Kappa Honors graduate and she received the Nursing Program’s volunteer service award. A full–time student and a full-time mother who performed more than 45 hours of community service during the 2019–2020 year. We’re so proud and happy that Mikiala is already taking UH ����ԴDz� classes and will get her bachelor’s degree of science in nursing next spring. She’s planning to apply for a nurse residency program at Maui Memorial Medical Center. We think we’ll be pretty lucky to have her taking care of us right here at home.

Meili Jahja is our 2020 Outstanding Baking Award recipient and also a Phi Theta Kappa Honors graduate—with a 4.0 average. Our Leis Family Class Act Restaurant Chef Instructor Tom Lelli calls her one of the best students he’s had in his 17 years of teaching. And Culinary Arts Program Director Pastry Chef Teresa Shurilla adds that it’s very unusual for a student to have Meili’s high level of skill in both cooking AND baking.

Before Covid-19, Meili had been excitedly planning to head East to Johnson & Wales, one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country. She had been offered a generous scholarship of $14 thousand dollars a year. But then…

“I’ve decided to defer until the fall 2021 semester,” says Meili. “Fortunately, the scholarship will still be valid.” She will not be sitting around. Right now, she’s finishing up some baking class work that had been interrupted and then she’ll assist Chef Shurilla with the summer intermediate baking class. In the fall, “I’ve decided to spend one more year here at UHMC and get a certificate in Hospitality,” says Meili. “The extra year gives me time to save money before I move. And it’s reassuring to be home with my family during the pandemic and attend classes with my close friends for another year.” We’re happy she’s sticking around. And after she does receive her degree from Johnson & Wales, we know the sky’s the limit!

The transition to virtual learning was probably easiest for our ABIT (Applied Business and Information Technology) cohort. By its very nature, the program already had a good online presence. And we had a bumper crop of ABIT graduates this year—eleven in all, the largest class ever.

Our 2020 Regents Award winner is Brian Leeper. He is a U.S. Army veteran—he served as a medic in Alaska—and was also an EMT first responder before enrolling in our ABIT program. Program Coordinator Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya describes him as a “leader with humility.”

Brian is already hard at work at the Pacific Disaster Center, a world-class, global science and technology center based right here on Maui. According to PDC Director Ray Shirkhodai, “Brian joined us as an intern and besides having technical background, he proved to be a valuable team player and a quick learner. So, we were happy to offer him a full-time position on the day of his graduation.” Brian is a junior test engineer working on quality assurance and quality control of the center’s applications used by global partners to help to increase disaster management capacity and embolden more effective decisions, policies, and actions for a safer world.

He has some advice for current and future ABIT students, all college students really. “Networking is part of the college experience. I got my internship through networking. Don’t just go to class and go home. Get to know your instructors and your peers, as well. Help them. You never know how you might be able to help each other in the future.”

Bright futures, we believe, for all our 2020 grads.

We encourage everyone thinking about pursuing a college education to visit to see all our program offerings. You’ll find we have something for everyone!

*Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is chancellor of the University of �鶹��ý Maui College. Kaʻana Manaʻo, which means “sharing thoughts,” is scheduled to appear on the fourth Sunday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.

The has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in cyber defense education, through the 2024 academic year, for its four-year .

The designation is given by the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security to promote higher education and research, and also for producing professionals in cyber defense. UH Maui College is one of 200 universities nationwide that has been admitted to the CAE program.

UH Maui College was approved after meeting a rigorous criteria, including multiple assessments, comments and mentorship. The approval validates that the courses offered align with national standards in cybersecurity by experts in the field. The designation opens up opportunities for scholarships, grants and other avenues to develop the curriculum, such as hosting conferences.

The initiative was led by ABIT Program Coordinator Debasis Bhattacharya, who oversees activities under UH Maui College’s Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research. The center has engaged the local community with cybersecurity education and workforce training throughout the years.

“Current and future students of our cybersecurity programs can be more confident about the training they receive at UH Maui College,” said Bhattacharya. “Not only is it an impressive thing to have on a resumé, but the center is committed to providing a competitive and resilient workforce to help address vulnerabilities in our community’s security.”

To learn more about the ABIT program, UH Maui College will host a spring open house from 5–7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at the student lounge in Pilina Building.

For more information see the .

—By Kit Furukawa

About a year ago, Information Technology (IT) faculty at discussed the digital dexterity and business acumen of their students. They knew it was time to look beyond the college’s associate in science degree in information technology.

Beginning in fall 2019, students can work toward a new bachelor of applied science degree in (ABIT) from the . The curricula for this online degree emphasizes business and stresses the importance of using the skills and knowledge of information technology effectively. The ABIT program also includes an interdisciplinary focus on liberal arts courses in the humanities, social sciences, English, communication and mathematics.

Chancellors of Kapiʻolani CC and of UH Maui College signed a memorandum of agreement to create the first baccalaureate degree program that integrates the curricula between two community college campuses in the UH System. Under the agreement for the online degree, students who earn an associate in science degree in IT from Kapiʻolani CC transfer to UH Maui College to earn a bachelor of applied science degree in ABIT.

Lori Sakaguchi, a counselor for Kapiʻolani CC’s Business, Legal and Technology Department, said, “We are excited to offer this pathway to a bachelor’s degree for our information technology students! The students have an incredible skill set coming out of our program (including data science and cyber security) and now they’ll add strong business and entrepreneurial knowledge and skills from UH Maui College.”

Several students have been eagerly awaiting this online program. Sean AhLoo said he’s excited about the opportunities and feels the ABIT will enhance his skills as a specialist in IT and business.

“I am excited and honored to be one of the first few students trying out the online bachelor’s program,” student Jaycelyn Ledda said. “I have been talking to some classmates who were interested in the business side of IT, about the new ABIT program. I’m positive when the word gets out about this new articulation there will be more students who will be willing to try this program out.”

Kapiʻolani CC faculty Steven Singer and Lori Sakaguchi, and Debasis Bhattacharya from UH Maui College were the principal developers of the new degree.

—By Louise Yamamoto

In �鶹��ý high schools, students who are college-bound take advanced placement (AP) classes in topics ranging from English to biology. The goal: to pass AP exams while in high school and be exempted from introductory coursework at the university level and reap possible scholarship money.

Now 14 teachers from nine public high schools on four islands are missing part of their summer vacation to be trained by University of �鶹��ý personnel to teach the state’s newest AP class in the fall: computer science principles (CSP). UH secured the $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s STEM+C program for the , which ran June 18–22 at .

“The more our students and our youth can learn these skills, they’re going to be transferable and applicable to their careers,” said Steve Auerbach, the director of at who serves as project co-investigator.

Educating more computer science savvy students will have the added benefit of increasing the pipeline of STEM and cyber-educated young people flowing into the workforce. Said Auerbach, “The more our students and youth can learn these skills, they’re going to be transferable and applicable to their careers.”

Auerbach said the soon-to-be AP–CSP teachers learned subjects such as programming, data sciences and cybersecurity. “They’re getting lesson plans, the curriculum, and they’re going to be very successful in taking the teaching back to their classroom environments.”

Thrilled to be one of the first teachers to get AP–CSP teacher training is ʻAiea High math teacher Alicia Nakamitsu. “I’m really excited to bring this back to our school and also to increase the diversity of professionals in computer science, to even out the girls and the boys, and the different ethnicities that are represented in the field,” said Nakamitsu. “And I just want to let students know that computer science is for everybody, because it touches everybody’s lives.”

Dodi Pritchett, a special education teacher at King Kekaulike High on Maui, said she and fellow teacher Loren Ayresman are also looking forward to leading the new AP–CSP class. Said Pritchett, “One of the goals that Loren and I have been brainstorming during this training is to collaborate together and really make the computer science course really accessible for all students, including those with special needs.”

Teachers in the first cohort:

• Oʻahu schools: Castle High – Dan Johnson; ʻAiea High – Ken Kang, Alicia Nakamitsu; Leilehua High – Brent Yamagata, Darren Kojima.
• Maui schools: King Kekaulike – Loren Ayersman, Dodi Pritchett; Maui High – Keith Imada; Lahainaluna High – Tad Luckey; Baldwin High – Casey Watanabe.
• Kauaʻi schools: Kapaʻa High – Liz Steiner, Richard Sypniewski; Martin Antonio.
• �鶹��ý Island schools: Konawaena High – Paul Daugherty.

This first summer training of a planned three-year program benefits from a brain trust leadership involving multiple UH campuses. Principal investigator Debasis Bhattacharya is the program coordinator for applied business and information technology at . Co-investigators are Auerbach; Jodi Ito, UH chief information security officer; Gerald Lau, assistant faculty specialist at UH ����ԴDz�’s in the ; and Debra Nakama, vice chancellor of student affairs at UH Maui College.

For more information, see .