The newly crowned Miss �鶹��ý 2026, Carly Yoshida, is a University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu alumna, who earned a bachelor of arts in social sciences with a concentration in psychology in 2023. Yoshida succeeds Miss �鶹��ý 2025 Emalia Dalire, a 2024 UH West Oʻahu graduate.

“The moment I was named Miss �鶹��ý 2026 felt surreal—I honestly just remember being so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude when they called my name,” said Yoshida, 26, of Honolulu. “I’ve been working at this dream for so long, so there are so many different layers of purpose and emotion in this win.”

It was a full-circle moment for Yoshida, who works at KITV4 as the weekday weather anchor for both Good Morning �鶹��ý and Island News Midday. She is celebrating 10 years since being crowned Miss �鶹��ý’s Teen in 2016.

The Miss �鶹��ý competition took place on June 19 at �鶹��ý Theatre. Yoshida competed as Miss Kakaʻako and topped nine other delegates for the title. She was crowned by Dalire.

• Related story: �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu alumna crowned Miss �鶹��ý, June 24, 2025

UH West Oʻahu a ‘formative time’

“It’s really special that Emalia is also a UH West Oʻahu grad!” Yoshida said. “It shows how much the school prepares its students for success, and I’m excited to follow in her footsteps. I’ve watched her grow up, so it’s a very interesting dynamic of her being my big/little sister. We also share the same birthday!”

Yoshida is from Waikoloa Village on �鶹��ý Island and graduated from Kealakehe High School. She earned her associate’s degree in liberal arts from �鶹��ý Community College–Pālamanui, then transferred to UH West Oʻahu.

“UH West Oʻahu was such a formative time for me,” Yoshida said. “It really helped me build the foundation for my career and understand the community better before I started working full time.”

Weather safety platform

During the Miss �鶹��ý competition, Yoshida’s platform, or community service initiative, was “Weather the Future,” which encourages safety and emergency readiness for �鶹��ý. Yoshida said she is looking forward to expanding this initiative during her upcoming reign.

“I believe that this is not just a statewide issue, but a national and global ambition, and I‘ve already planted the seeds by networking with scientists, STEM experts and globally known science content creators who are excited about this initiative,” she said. “So, I feel that �鶹��ý has a really strong suit to bring to the table at Miss America this year.”

She will represent �鶹��ý at the in September in West Palm Beach, Florida.

For more go to .

— By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu has launched a bold new chapter in campus innovation, selecting 10 projects through the initiative to drive student and institutional success. This initiative provides start-up grants covering July 1, 2026–June 30, 2028, fueling groundbreaking, self-sustaining ideas that strengthen the campus.

“I am incredibly proud of the ingenuity displayed by our campus community,” said UH West Oʻahu interim Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza. “When we challenge ourselves to remove traditional barriers and put students at the center of our design, the results are transformative.”

The call for proposals in February drew nearly 50 submissions. Following a peer review process, the 10 awardees were finalized on June 1. The grants range from $55,000 to $100,000.

Peñaloza said, “These 10 inaugural projects represent a powerful mix of modern technology, place-based learning and workforce collaboration. Invest in UH West isn’t just a short-term funding mechanism; it is a catalyst for sustainable, long-term institutional growth that directly enriches the student experience.”

Project Summaries

• ACM + MNHS Synergy Swarm
  Lead: Esther Widiasih
  This two-year pilot creates an AI marketing engine to automate workflows and scale recruitment for Academy for Creative Media and Mathematics and Natural Health Sciences concentrations.
• Classroom Revival and Multi-Use Space
  Lead: Therese Nakadomari
  Renovates a classroom into a versatile, multi-use space designed for hybrid collaborative learning and discussions.
• The HEMIC Academy and UH West Oʻahu Strategic Collaboration
  Lead: Edward Keaunui
  The “Learn and Earn” pipeline offers high schoolers paid insurance apprenticeships, creating a direct path to a UH West Oʻahu business degree.
• Ke Ala Kiakahi
  Leads: Hōkū Kwan and Macie Remular
  Expands a culturally grounded pipeline to boost student access, persistence and workforce readiness through integrated programming.
• Ke Kāī Koi o ʻEwa Transfer Project
  Lead: Amy Bumatai
  Closes the “transfer gap” by transforming the transition from Leeward Community College to UH West Oʻahu into a unified opt-out model, and dedicating physical space at UH West Oʻahu for a co-learning center.
• Mobile Student Success Hub
  Lead: Carrie Larger
  This “Desk in a Box” station uses mobile equipment to support transfer students and boost retention across campus locations.
• Nālimakui – Ke Kula Mau Initiative
  Lead: Kalikolani Correa
  Centers Indigenous innovation and ʻike �鶹��ý (Hawaiian knowledge) to transform the campus into a more rigorous and culturally grounded place of learning.
• Restoring Campus Mana
  Lead: Jayson M. Chun
  Funds active learning classrooms and a professional speaker series to build campus presence and community for students.
• Virtual Campus Tour
  Leads: Brian Miyamoto and Martin Motooka
  Hires an external vendor to produce a modern, professional virtual tour to showcase the campus to prospective students.
• West Invests
  Lead: Kaʻiulani Akamine
  This re-enrollment program targets adult learners who have left college with past due-balances, providing them with debt forgiveness through Hana Hou grants to convert uncollectible debt into active tuition.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

at the University of �鶹��ý–W����� Oʻahu was selected to be a featured contributor to “,” an exhibit curated by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The national online repository tells the story of our country in documents, according to the SAA website. Sourced from institutions across the U.S. and internationally, the collection aims to highlight the full range of America’s documentary heritage and the role archives have played in preserving and understanding our history.

ʻUluʻulu staff nominated , a film from its collection. Produced in 1987, the film features Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) discussing the contemporary meanings of mana (spiritual power) and kuleana (responsibility), and remains a valuable resource, offering profound insights into the Hawaiian Renaissance, its unresolved issues, and its enduring legacy.

“When the call for submissions came for this exhibit, I knew that it was important for ʻUluʻulu to participate so that we could share a perspective of U.S history from the viewpoint of �鶹��ý and our communities,” said Janel Quirante, head archivist at ʻUluʻulu.

The challenge was choosing just one film to represent their collection.

Native Hawaiian voices live on

“ʻUluʻulu staff voted and we enthusiastically selected Hawaiian Soul from the Victoria Keith Productions Collection to represent us and to highlight the exhibit theme of Unfinished Revolutions,” Quirante said. “Hawaiian Soul was produced in 1987, but its message of what it means to be Native Hawaiian in contemporary America still resonates today.”

Filmmaker Victoria Keith produced, directed and edited Hawaiian Soul, which was co-produced by Naomi Sodetani.“I consider the selection of Hawaiian Soul for this special ‘250 for the 250th’ exhibit to be the honor of a lifetime!” Keith said. “To think this documentary, produced nearly 40 years ago, is going to be made visible again for new generations is an amazing experience.”

Keith added, “Mahalo to the ʻUluʻulu staff for such wonderful support, and of course to the amazing people who shared their manaʻo (ideas) in the video. May their voices live on and be shared through this significant historic exhibit! I am thrilled and excited to be a part of it!”

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

Georcelle Lozano’s journey to where she is today and her upcoming graduation from the University of �鶹��ý–W����� Oʻahu began eight years ago and about 5,370 miles away in her beloved hometown of Balaoan, La Union, Philippines. When she was 14, her family immigrated to �鶹��ý in 2018 to reunite with relatives and build a new life in a new country.

Lozano is a first-generation college student and the only fluent English speaker among her immediate family members, who speak their native Ilokano. Over the years, both her academic and familial responsibilities involved trying to figure out unknown processes and systems not only for herself, but others in her family.

Meet more amazing UH graduates

Lozano said the experience shaped her understanding of how access to information and support can significantly influence someone’s ability to succeed.

“Graduation represents years of sacrifice, both mine and my family’s,” said Lozano. “It reflects the journey of leaving home, adapting to a new country, and learning how to navigate unfamiliar spaces.”

Lozano will share her story as one of two student speakers at on May 9.

Lozano earned, with distinction, a bachelor of education in secondary education with a focus on mathematics.

“For me, this moment is not just an ending, but a responsibility,” Lozano said. “It is a reminder that everything I have learned here is meant to be carried forward and used to support others who may be walking a similar path.”

Read more at .

More than 12,000 people attended The Wall That Heals traveling exhibit during its display at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu Great Lawn in January. The three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., along with a mobile education center, served as a powerful gathering space for the community to learn, remember and share.

The Wall That Heals, a program of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), honors the more than three million Americans who served in the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Ken Inouye, assistant to the vice chancellor for administration at UH West Oʻahu, was part of the team that helped bring the exhibit to campus and found the experience deeply moving. He noted that unlike the quiet, often solitary nature of the D.C. memorial, the atmosphere at UH West Oʻahu fostered spontaneous connection and sharing.

Place of healing

“Seeing the effect it has had within our community has been humbling, and the way people just spontaneously shared their stories with me and others was clearly healing,” Inouye said. “People who came to visit The Wall That Heals immediately sensed that everyone there was of the same community.”

Inouye is the son of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who served in the U.S. Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, one of the most decorated military units in U.S. history.

“A woman and her husband approached me to ask for directions and then started talking to me about the Wall,” he said. “After about five minutes of us talking about family members who had served in the military, she realized that her uncle and my father had served together in World War II.”

Nearly 400 volunteers and more than 20 community partners contributed to the event. The display at UH West Oʻahu was the first stop of the VVMF’s 2026 The Wall That Heals . The exhibit will visit a total of 31 communities in 2026.

For more visit .
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The mobile exhibit, , which features a three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is coming to Oʻahu. It will be on display January 14–19 at the Great Lawn of the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu in Kapolei. The exhibit, which also includes a mobile Education Center, honors the more than 3 million Americans who served and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Vietnam War. The exhibit will be open 24 hours a day until it is dismantled on January 19.

“After 30 years displaying in communities throughout the United States, few communities have worked as hard as Kapolei to host The Wall That Heals,” said Jim Knotts, president and CEO of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), the nonprofit that founded The Wall. “Our events in Hilo and Maui were incredible, and we’re excited to bring the exhibit to Oʻahu.”

Community impact

Local efforts were championed by Vietnam veteran Eddie Freeman, co-chair of The Wall That Heals – Oʻahu. He noted that his past experience on other islands “deepened my resolve to bring this powerful memorial to Oʻahu. The selection of Kapolei, �鶹��ý, by VVMF stands as one of the most significant events for the community in 2026.”

A related showing of “Ah Quon McElrath: The Struggle Never Ends” will be held 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on January 16, at the ʻUluʻulu film screening room in the James & Abigail Campbell Library. Presented by the Center for Labor Education and Research, the event will include comments from filmmakers Chris Conybeare and Joy Chong-Stannard on the film’s connection to the Vietnam War and today, along with a historical exhibit.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu recently launched the inaugural issue of (DPP), an undergraduate journal featuring UH West Oʻahu student writers and artists, showcasing their diverse and creative works.

DPP is by and for UH West Oʻahu students, with the mentorship of humanities faculty and the support of the and UH West Oʻahu administration.

“It is so important to have a journal established on our campus,” said DPP faculty mentor Yasmine Romero, associate professor of English and the chair of the Humanities Division at UH West Oʻahu. “We are an Indigenous-serving university, which means we should strive to create spaces for our students to build their archives and create connections to their communities.”

Aloha ʻĀina

Published on December 5, Vol. 1 No. 1 “Aloha ʻĀina” centers on the theme of “love for the land” and includes the work of 11 writers and three artists. The issue includes a by Tanya Hōkūlani Racoma, the fall 2025 DPP editor-in-chief.

“The issue moves from works grounded in �鶹��ý’s memory and everyday life, to creative retellings of familiar stories through local and Indigenous lenses, and then to ethical and critical essays engaging film, media, and social justice,” Racoma said. “It concludes with reflections on writing, identity and ancestral knowledge. Together with cover art honoring land as family, the issue embodies Aloha ʻĀina as love, connection and care for ʻāina and community.”

She believes Da Pueo Press has the potential to grow into a space where Indigenous students feel empowered to publish in their native languages

“Honoring language, after all, is a way of honoring the people and futures they carry,” Racoma said.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

A new partnership between the University of �鶹��ý–W����� Oʻahu and the �鶹��ý State Department of Health (DOH) will provide students with valuable hands-on training while addressing a critical shortage in the state’s public health workforce.

The UH West Oʻahu Public Administration (PUBA) division’s Health Care Administration (HCAD) certificate program equips students and health care practitioners with a broad range of administrative skills needed in the growing health care field. In consultation with DOH, PUBA has developed the HCAD DOH Pathway for practicum placements that prepare students for employment in the public health sector.

“We see it as a win-win for both DOH and UH West Oʻahu,” said HCAD Instructor Linda Axtell-Thompson. “There is a critical and growing shortage in public health staffing—both locally and nationally—that our UH West Oʻahu programs can help address.”

Students in the pathway must complete 120 field hours and 40 academic hours. Participants who meet requirements are eligible for tuition support, book stipends and a $2,000 practicum stipend.

Urgent need

Vacancy rates across DOH and many state agencies are about 30%, according to DOH Chief Policy Officer Lorrin Kim. Nationally, the reports that local and state health departments need an additional 80,000 full-time employees just to provide basic public health services.

“The pathway collaboration between UH West Oʻahu and the Department of Health is a strategic investment in our public workforce designed to expose �鶹��ý’s future health care leaders to essential public health concepts and functions,” Kim said.

“We are incredibly excited and grateful to the Department of Health for this amazing opportunity,” said PUBA Division Chair Kristina Lu, who is also the HCAD Program Director. “Through this pathway, students will complete their administrative practicum with the DOH, gain valuable, real-world experience and be well-positioned for future employment with the department after graduation.”

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The University of �鶹��ý has received a $150,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Public Knowledge program to plan for a social media archive that preserves �Ჹ�ɲ���ʻ��’s digital history and centers on Native Hawaiian voices.

The project, Kaʻohipōhaku (gathering rocks or stones), is a collaboration between the UH West Oʻahu James & Abigail Campbell Library, UH Maui College library and UH ����ԴDz�.

“Kaʻohipōhaku will bring together Native Hawaiian activists and web/social media archivists to start the discussion on what a social media archive, rooted in ʻāina (land) and guided by the lāhui �鶹��ý (Hawaiian Nation), could look like,” said principal investigator Kawena Komeiji, Hawaiian Initiatives librarian at UH Mānoa’s Hamilton Library and the former Hawaiian Pacific resources librarian at UH West Oʻahu.

Komeiji said the effort rebalances how history is preserved, and is significant to UH and the broader �鶹��ý community.

“It aims to put mana (power, authority, privilege) and ea (sovereignty, independence) back into the hands of the Native Hawaiian community. In the past, collections in libraries and archives were created with our ʻike(knowledge) but without our consent or approval; and Kaʻohipōhaku aims to flip that narrative by including Kānaka (Native Hawaiian) voices in the design process,” she said.

With Mellon support, the team will consult with community leaders and web archiving experts, test preservation tools, and establish sustainable, culturally relevant practices for digital archiving.

Web pages, posts are vanishing

“Kaʻohipōhaku is about giving social media creators, audiences and communities agency, especially around these major events in �鶹��ý,” said Alphie Garcia, information resources and collection management librarian at UH West Oʻahu. “Hawaiians and people living in Hawai‘i are having these conversations in social media spaces about the Lahaina wildfires and the Kū Kiaʻi Mauna movement, but these conversations are fragile.”

Garcia said research shows that nearly four in 10 web pages vanish within a decade, and one in five Twitter/X posts can disappear within months, similar to content on other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

“Without active preservation, that history is gone,” Garcia added. “My role is to test tools and identify infrastructure that can help safeguard this digital heritage while working with a team of advisors on ways to accomplish this goal that are sustainable, ethical, trustworthy and community driven.”

The Mellon Foundation also awarded UH $3.22 million to UH ����ԴDz�, UH Maui College, and UH Hilo for Kahoʻiwai: Reclaiming Hawaiian Knowledge Sovereignty, a related project running from 2024 to 2027.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

From campus meetups at 4 a.m. to the national stage in Florida, a first-time team of University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu cybersecurity students impressed the field—winning their regional division in March and finishing 12th out of more than 130 teams at a national competition in April.

“I’m incredibly proud of my team since we were UH West Oʻahu’s first-ever competitors in this competition,” said freshman and team captain Kiana Merez. “To not only take first place at regionals but also represent our school at the national invitational is a testament to our dedication and teamwork.”

Live defense

The UH West Oʻahu squad competed in the 2025 National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Cyber Games Invitational in Tampa, Florida. Representing the university at the national event were Merez, Nyla Boneza, Blix Hazen, Joel Kawamae, Chloe Kurashima, Branden Ramos and Shane Zuls. They were accompanied by Eli Tsukayama, associate professor of business administration.

“During the competition, we defended against a live red team for the first time. It was challenging, but we did our best to use our experience to defend our infrastructure,” Merez said. “This opportunity taught us very important lessons that will stay with us long after this competition, and we are looking forward to participating again next year!”

Senior Blix Hazen called the experience both fun and intense.

“Having to actively defend against a red team was totally new to me,” Hazen said. “Having to keep your services up and scoring really forces you to learn in the moment and teaches how to be proactive against attackers.”

‘Plan to be back’

The team earned its invitation to the national competition by winning the 2025 NCAE Cyber Games Southwest 2 Regional Division. That winning roster included Merez (captain), Boneza, Hazen, Kawamae, Kurashima, Zuls, Ryan Vagay and Kendall Wong.

Cybersecurity instructor and faculty sponsor Anthony Eich, a UH West Oʻahu graduate, thanked the families and faculty who came together to make travel to Tampa possible, and praised the team’s performance.

“Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork have paid off, and it highlights the strength of our cybersecurity program at UH West Oʻahu,” Eich said. “There is so much to be proud of, and we plan to be back next year.”

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The U.S. Department of Justice awarded the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu $2 million over three years to increase the university’s threat assessment and violence prevention capabilities in K–12 private, charter, and public schools and their communities throughout �鶹��ý.

“This award is significant, both in the amount and the scope since it not only continues to build knowledge and capacity of Behavior Threat Assessment and Management within K–12 schools and connected communities, but it helps the state with identifying options for violence prevention to assist with keeping our school communities safer during these challenging times,” said Principal Investigator Bev Baligad, who serves as UH West Oʻahu’s director of compliance, Title IX coordinator and Behavior Intervention Team manager.

The project is titled, “�鶹��ý State Targeted Violence Prevention—School Community and Threat Assessment Team Training and Capacity Building.”

Goals and expected outcomes

• increased threat assessment and violence prevention capabilities on involved campuses
• sustainable violence prevention practices in K–12 schools and its communities
• successful application of bystander intervention techniques by members of school and campus communities
• school Behavior Threat Assessment teams operating under national best practice
• improved cultural perception of threat assessment and violence prevention practices in school and campus communities

Partnerships that will support the project include the �鶹��ý Office of Homeland Security, the �鶹��ý State Fusion Center (HSFC), K–12 private and charter schools, Threat Team �鶹��ý, and other public and private organizations and businesses. Additionally, UH West Oʻahu is a lead implementing partner in the , working closely with Homeland Security and HSFC to achieve state-wide violence prevention.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded targeted violence and terrorism prevention grants to Baligad in and , totaling more than $1.3 million, to help build �鶹��ý state school threat assessment teams and to further state community awareness efforts.

“UH West Oʻahu intends to fulfill its commitment to the prevention of acts of targeted violence in �鶹��ý by working closely with schools and fostering the establishment of sustainable threat assessment teams and practices,” Baligad said.

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

An estimated 8,000 people attended the 9th annual —one of the largest STEM celebrations in the state—on April 5 at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu.

The free, family-friendly event, presented by the , featured more than 100 interactive activities and over 50 in-depth workshops designed to engage participants of all ages in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Booths and exhibits showcased cutting-edge robotics, environmental science experiments, coding, sustainability, Hawaiian culture, career pathways and more.

“Onizuka Day brought people together to build, explore, and imagine what’s possible,” said Blake Parsons, CEO and Scout Executive of Scouting America, Aloha Council. “Thousands of kids and families got hands-on with STEM and honored Ellison Onizuka, a �鶹��ý-born Eagle Scout who showed the world how far courage and curiosity can take you.”

This is the third year that the Onizuka Day of Exploration took place at UH West Oʻahu.

“Mahalo to UH West Oʻahu for hosting us, and to our volunteers, sponsors, and partners who made it all happen,” Parsons added. “This is how we grow bold leaders—by giving them the tools, the inspiration and the space to dream big.”

The Onizuka Day of Exploration continues a legacy that began in 1911 as the Makahiki, making this the longest-running Scouting event in the U.S., according to organizers. The Onizuka Day of Exploration honors the legacy of astronaut Ellison Onizuka, inspiring �鶹��ý’s youth to reach for the stars and explore the endless possibilities of STEM.

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

A $25,000 gift from to the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu’s is a boost to addressing the nursing shortage in �鶹��ý. The will help support students pursuing a career in nursing by covering tuition, books and other related expenses.

The UH West Oʻahu bachelor of applied science, health professions, general health science concentration with a pre-nursing pathway was designed to address the nursing shortage and aims to develop and prepare scholarly leaders from west Oʻahu who are interested in improving the health and wellness of their community through a career in nursing.

“Healthcare and increasing the number of healthcare professionals—especially nurses—is paramount in �鶹��ý,” said Rebecca Romine, faculty director of the .

“These scholarships will help reduce financial stress so our students can focus more on their studies and academic performance,” said Romine, an associate professor with the Division of Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences. “The scholarship funds will help students from the west side of Oʻahu learn and practice the skills and knowledge within the pre-nursing curriculum so that they pursue their nursing career.”

Scholarship criteria and eligibility requirements

• UH West Oʻahu student enrolled in the pre-nursing program
• Undergraduate, full-time
• Graduate of a �鶹��ý high school, preferred
• Resident of �鶹��ý, as determined by the university admissions office, preferred
• Demonstrates academic merit, as determined by the selection committee

Visit the to learn more about the scholarship. Students may apply through the UH System Common Scholarship Application.

Investment in the future of healthcare

Nicole Akana, co-lead of the Pre-Nursing Pathway Program, added that the scholarship is more than financial support for students.

“It’s an investment in the future of healthcare on the west side of our island,” Akana said. “By empowering aspiring nurses, we are addressing the critical nursing shortage and strengthening our local workforce, ensuring quality care for our community for generations to come.”

ʻOhana Health Plan initially created the scholarship in 2016 with a $10,000 gift that impacted 12 students.

“�鶹��ý is experiencing a nursing shortage and ʻOhana Health Plan is committed to investing in our local workforce development,” said Scott Sivik, ʻOhana Health Plan president and chief executive officer. “We are pleased to offer another round of Pre-Nursing Pathway Scholarships at the University of �鶹��ý–W����� Oʻahu to students interested in transforming the health of the community, one person at a time.”

For Jared Kāʻeo McCann, success is also about the journey of overcoming failure. As one of two student speakers at the University of �鶹��ý–West ��ʻ�����’s on December 14, McCann hopes to inspire graduates by sharing his own story of perseverance.

McCann has earned his second degree from —a bachelor of science in cybersecurity with a concentration in cyber operations.

“I’ve struggled with so many different things since I started school in 2019, and I’ve wanted to quit and just give up more times than I could possibly count,” said McCann, who worked through imposter syndrome to rediscover his motivation. “To be able to look back at everything I’ve been through and see how far I’ve come, and to really have something to show for all of it, it truly feels special.

The 23-year-old Kapolei resident transferred to UH West Oʻahu from UH Mānoa in 2022. In spring 2024, McCann earned his first degree from UH West Oʻahu—a bachelor of applied science with a concentration in information security and assurance. He got a job at Hawaiian Electric, where he works as an information assurance analyst.

“Most often, we are the only ones who ever get to see or know our own failures,” said McCann, 23, a Kapolei resident. “Everyone around us just sees our successes. Learn to embrace the praise and don’t dwell on how long it took to get here or how many mistakes you made. Be proud of your achievements.”

• Read more about Travis Antonacci, who was also selected to be a student commencement speaker.

Demonstrating ‘exceptional leadership’

Throughout his two years at UH West Oʻahu, McCann worked for the IT Help Desk and was a member of the Health, Transportation, and Technology Committee. He served as assistant director of the Cyber Security Coordination Center in spring 2024, and assistant director of the Cyber Security Research Lab in fall 2024—both on-campus internship programs.

“Jared consistently demonstrates the highest level of determination and achievement in his academic courses and research,” said J. Burrell, an associate professor of information and computer science. “He also demonstrates exceptional leadership qualities that inspire and empower other students, which are representative of a next-generation cybersecurity professional.”

McCann intends to go to graduate school while continuing to work in cybersecurity.

He said, “In the long term, I would like to come back to UH West Oʻahu to teach as a lecturer to be able to share my knowledge and experiences with the next generation.”

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of �鶹��ý at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu launched a new and . ʻUluʻulu has more than 4,000 searchable titles with video clips available for viewing.

“The new online platforms are our first website and catalog refresh since 2012 and provide a powerful new way to search and view archival footage from our collections,” said Janel Quirante, head archivist at ʻUluʻulu, �鶹��ý’s official state archive for moving images.

With September being Hawaiian History Month, ʻUluʻulu welcomes visitors and recommends these videotapes and motion picture film reels accessible via the new site:

New content management system

The website contains information about ʻUluʻulu‘s programs and services, and provides a searchable gateway to its new catalog and content management system Recollect, ʻUluʻulu‘s online access point to all of its collections and digital videos. ʻUluʻulu worked with �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu Communications for graphics and user experience (UX) design, and with �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu Information Technology to develop the site and integration with Recollect.

For more information about ʻUluʻulu: The Henry Kuʻualoha Giugni Moving Image Archive of �鶹��ý, email uluulu@hawaii.edu or call (808) 689-2740.

For more visit .

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The at the University of Hawaii–West Oʻahu (ACMWO) has created a plan to use creative media as a gateway to engage underrepresented students in STEM concepts—a significant step toward supporting the National Science Foundation’s initiative.

The plan was developed by Sharla Hanaoka, ACMWO director, and Brad Ashburn, associate professor of chemistry with the mathematics, natural and health sciences division at UH West Oʻahu.

Next steps

UH West Oʻahu will offer a new Math 100 course, Generative Art and Science, dedicated to the merge of art and math that supports the BPC plan welcoming all students with basic programming proficiency in spring 2025.

“By merging art into STEM fields, we’re not only breaking down barriers that often prevent students from our communities from pursuing computer science, but we’re also fostering creativity and unconventional thinking, preparing a new generation of problem-solvers equipped with both technical know-how and artistic vision for a future where technology and creativity are increasingly intertwined,” Hanaoka said. “This could lead to a more diverse, inclusive and innovative creative technology industry overall.”

Making art with science

Students Dylan Blue and Aina Kodaira—both pursuing a degree in creative media with a concentration in video game design and development—worked with Ashburn as a mentor on a summer research project that Ashburn will talk about in his upcoming course.

Blue and Kodaira presented their project, “Exploring Emergence with Cellular Automata,” at the UH West Oʻahu Student Research Experience Summer Symposium on August 9 at the Campus Center multi-purpose room. The project challenged them to combine software engineering, science, and design to build a highly interactive web application that generates complex patterns.

“We created an algorithm that creates different patterns; that’s how we blended technology with art,” Blue said. “This is significant because we don’t really see that happening too much, right? There’s always a distinct line between the field of science and creative media. …Being in a place where we havenʻt been before is pretty exciting.”

Both students plan this fall semester to take Ashburn’s new Generative Art and Science class, in which students will level up their creativity through hands-on computer programming, design and engineering projects.

“Many approaches to integrating the arts in STEM involve making art about science, but our approach is to make art with science,” Ashburn said.

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

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Tony Montalto’s voice softened as he spoke about his forever 14-year-old daughter Gina Rose Montalto, a victim of the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. On Feb. 14, 2018, a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School murdered 14 students and three staff members and wounded another 17 people at the school in Florida.

“That day changed my life and my family’s life forever,” Montalto said to a moved audience. “Now, no day will ever be a truly happy one as long as I live.”

Montalto shared a personal and powerful presentation as a guest speaker at the University of �鶹��ý–West Oʻahu’s third annual �鶹��ý Threat Assessment Conference (HTAC) in July. Threat assessment is the identification, assessment, and management of threats to prevent incidents of targeted violence. HTAC focused on national best practices, data and trends.

Turning pain into purpose

Montalto is serving his third term as the elected president of .

“I understand the importance of training and the need to fight complacency,” Montalto said. “The founding families of Stand with Parkland have chosen a path of instrumental grieving, turning our unfathomable pain into great purpose.”

The advanced-level conference drew about 200 attendees, including representatives from nine campuses in the UH System, public and private K–12 and higher education officials, local organizations, and state and federal agencies.

“I’m pleased to be able to present in front of this group,” Montalto said. “People who work on behavioral threat assessments are uniquely positioned to spot someone and get them off the pathway to violence before they resort to that.”

Asking local communities to step up

UH West Oʻahu Director of Compliance Bev Baligad, who also chairs the UH West Oʻahu Behavior Intervention Team, said she hopes HTAC attendees realize there is much to do within this state to prevent targeted violence.

“It isn’t enough to say, ‘We support or engage in threat assessment and management efforts in the state,’” said Baligad, who is also the chair of Threat Team �鶹��ý. “We need more community members to understand what threat assessment and management efforts are, how it works, and to whom they can report issues that are not considered a crime yet. In other words, we need our communities to be a part of this statewide effort.”

Montalto also emphasized the importance of coming together, connecting, embracing all potential partners and working as a team to find solutions and protect students and teachers.

“Please remember the one thing that all communities in which a school shooting has occurred had in common: that was a shared belief that it couldn’t happen to them,” Montalto said. “Please, learn from my experience. It happened to us, and it could happen in your community, too.”

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—by Zenaida Serrano Arvman

The Pueo Gaming esports club now holds a collegiate title. In February, the club received a trophy for winning its first championship in League of Legends in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Emergents West Division in December.

“This championship helped recognize the school and the club at a national level,” said Garrett Lau, president of Pueo Gaming. “Most colleges don’t hold an esports title yet, so it’s nice to still be one of the first schools to do it.”

Pueo Gaming League of Legends team members Melanie Denda, Trey Lum, Ari Nicholson, Cyrus Olivas, Josh Sato, and Darryl Tsutsui represented �鶹��ýWest Oʻahu on December 6, in the finals match against Mid-America Christian University (MACU) from Oklahoma.

Nationally competitive

The NECC Emergents West Division finals match for (LoL)—a team-based strategy game where two teams of five champions face off to destroy the other team’s base—was a best-of-five series that lasted about five hours.

“I have been part of this team for a few years, and each time we played it was so much fun!” said Olivas, Pueo Gaming LoL team captain. “ This time around it seemed like winning was an actual possibility so it became stressful quickly, but that never took away from the enjoyment of the experience.”

The esports club was founded in 2020 and didn’t begin national competition until 2021. Since then, Pueo Gaming has competed in both local and national tournaments in various game titles.

Lau added, “Thank you to everyone who supported us and we hope to keep making all of you proud in the future as we look to bring home more championships to UH West ��ʻ�����!&�����ܴ�;

—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman

Nearly three months after the devastating Maui fires, spring 2022 graduate and alumna Alejandra Guadalupe Ramirez has a renewed commitment to relief efforts in her island home, with a focus on immigrants.

On top of her full-time position at UH Maui College, the Wailuku resident, is a co-founder of , a Maui-based multilingual hub for impacted immigrants, connecting them to whatever aid and resources they qualify for during the long rebuilding process.

“As a Maui resident, I feel as if it is my responsibility to give back and help my community after the fires,” said Ramirez, a daughter of immigrants from Jalisco, México. “Whether it is helping with something big or small, I feel as if I am making a difference in the lives of those who need help the most.”

�鶹��ý Promise at UH Maui College

Ramirez graduated from H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku in 2017, then attended UH Maui College, where she was an �鶹��ý Promise scholarship recipient, and graduated with her associate degrees in liberal arts and public administration.

A , Ramirez continued her college education via UH West Oʻahu’s distance learning program. She graduated in May 2022 with honors, earning a bachelor of arts in public administration with a concentration in justice administration.

Today she works full-time as an outreach program associate with the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) at UH Maui College. The program is dedicated to assisting first-generation immigrants and low-income students.

“A few students have reached out to the program I work for to see if they can qualify for additional assistance through UH Maui,” she said. “It is devastating to see a good chunk of the place where you grew up destroyed.”

Community organizer

As Roots Reborn’s lead coordinator and frontline organizer during the Lahaina fires crisis, Ramirez continues to volunteer when and where she can, mostly assisting with running the Roots Reborn .

She was recently responsible for marketing Roots Reborn’s inaugural celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November, one of the most important holidays in México and a time to remember departed loved ones. Ramirez said this event was created to honor those who lost their lives in the Lahaina fire.

The team has been coordinating and mobilizing a multi-lingual volunteer base to respond to immigrant needs, some of which are still emerging. “Our team really benefits from volunteers who are fluent in Spanish, Ilokano and Tagalog,” Ramirez said.

Interested Maui-based volunteers, should fill out this , and Roots Reborn is also accepting .

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—by Zenaida Serrano Arvman

In a bid to nurture the next generation of educators and tackle the teacher shortage in �鶹��ý, Pearl City High School seniors, Hailey Rodgers and Arisa Yazaki, orchestrated the “Dive Into Education” event, hosted at the on November 3.

“We wanted to organize this event because it is important to have homegrown teachers,” Rodgers said. “I just wanted them to stay here in �鶹��ý and become teachers and have their careers here in�鶹��ý.”

The first-ever event was supported in part by a grant from the �鶹��ý Education Association. UH West Oʻahu and its , a Title III grant that supports the middle/secondary education pathway project, provided financial support to host the event on the campus.

Dive Into Education featured a keynote address with advice from a veteran teacher, a panel discussion and Q&A with current education students from different colleges and universities, and a college fair with information about college and university teaching programs in the islands.

The panelists included three representatives from UH West Oʻahu—Hoʻopūliko Kumu Hou program participants and secondary education majors—Raymart Billote, Joshua Kamalani, and Makayla Rogers-Tivao.

“I was blessed to have really good teachers … great role models,” said Rogers-Tivao a current student teacher at James Campbell High School. “Just being able to help kids out is one of the most important things that I find about teaching.”

The students who attended Dive Into Education were from Campbell, Farrington, Kapolei, Leilehua, Nānākuli, Pearl City and Waipahu high schools. The colleges and universities represented at the college fair included Leeward Community College, UH Hilo—Kahuawaiola program, UH Mānoa, and the host UH West Oʻahu.

“An event like this, at this scale, really reflects how interested students are in becoming teachers,” said Hoʻopūliko Kumu Hou instructional student support specialist Leiʻala Okuda. “When we see presence like this and the effort that’s being put into an event like this, it really shows how passionate this community is wanting to grow teachers, especially our own teachers.”

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—by Zenaida Serrano Arvman