Before Siera Alaibilla-Lagundino graduated from Waimea High School in 2015, college wasn’t part of her plan. Without a strong support system guiding her toward higher education, she saw few clear pathways. That changed during a high school field trip to Kauaʻi Community College, where she was introduced to the Waiʻaleʻale Project—an experience that would alter the course of her life.

“I was the first person in my family to attend college, which is why I didn’t initially plan on going,” Alaibilla-Lagundino said. “But the Waiʻaleʻale program encourages local students to just give college a chance.”

Removing barriers, building confidence

Starting college was still a leap into the unknown. Like many students, Alaibilla-Lagundino had to learn how to balance school, responsibilities and finances, all while adjusting to a completely new environment.

“Our motto is ‘hānai aku, hānai mai’ [caring for others and being cared for],” said Program Coordinator Lahea Salazar. “In the first year, we provide intensive support. In the second year, students begin to give back, helping lift the next group coming in.”

Earning the Opportunity

While financial aid is a critical component of this support, Waiʻaleʻale flips the traditional scholarship model on its head. Funds aren’t simply dispersed; they are earned.

Students must demonstrate progress and complete specific requirements—such as attending the early August “Success Camp”—before their tuition is funded. By requiring students to take active ownership of their educational journey, coupled with rigorous financial literacy and time-management training, the program ensures students learn how to manage both their time and their funds wisely.

From student to mentor

Today, Alaibilla-Lagundino is part of the system that once supported her, serving as a student success navigator for the Waiʻaleʻale Project and Kīpaipai Program, for first-year students.

“The program’s support was crucial for my ability to complete college, and it inspired my entire family’s generation,” she said. “I helped pave the way for three of my younger cousins who are now pursuing their own degrees, with one set to graduate this May. The program doesn’t just change one student’s life; it changes family histories.”

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For Precious Kahokuloa, Kauaʻi Community College is more than a place of learning—it’s a place of transformation for the mother of four and her ʻohana (family).

Kahokuloa started working in the hotel industry soon after graduating from Kapaʻa High School, and had three sons by the time she was 21. College wasn’t even a consideration.

Decades later, it was her own children who inspired her to pursue higher education. Her two younger sons attended Kauaʻi CC through the Waiʻaleʻale Project, a UH initiative that supports non-college-bound and first-time students with financial assistance and wraparound services. Her oldest son Cadence had gone straight to UH Hilo.

“My kids encouraged me,” she said. “They’re the ones that helped me to feel like I can do it.”

Waiʻaleʻale Project help, inspiration

Kahokuloa saw firsthand the difference the Waiʻaleʻale Project made in her sons’ lives—creating a path to college they may not have otherwise taken. Inspired by their example, she enrolled at Kauaʻi CC in 2023.

“When I came into Waiʻaleʻale, and saw all the support that they gave them, it was unreal,” she said.

Lahea Salazar, program coordinator for the Waiʻaleʻale Project and Kīpaipai Program, said there was something special about Kahokuloa from the first moment she met her.

“Precious is exceptionally creative…and is always giving back with an authentic care for others around her,” Salazar said. “Now she is a peer mentor for our Waiʻaleʻale Project and Kīpaipai Program (which supports students in their first year of college), where she is a guiding light helping others succeed in their lives.”

Kahokuloa said, “Now I can help better. I understand it more, and I know how important it is to go to college first.”

‘Almost like family’

Son Matthew Kahokuloa, Jr. will earn a master’s degree in botany from UH Mānoa this summer and has his sights set on a PhD. He, his brothers and his mother also serve as role models for her youngest child, daughter Tierra, who will be a sophomore at Kapaʻa High School in the fall.

As a liberal arts major, Kahokuloa is thriving academically, and has created a new logo for the Waiʻaleʻale Project. She is on track to graduate in 2027 and plans to continue on to UH West Oʻahu’s Creative Media program, offered online through Kauaʻi CC.

“I’m so grateful to UH and Waiʻaleʻale, just for everything,” Kahokuloa said. “You just have to try. People might be intimidated, like how I was, but it’s like a warm support and almost like family.”

—By Kelli Abe Trifonovitch

Anson Lazaro is graduating from Kauaʻi Community College this spring with a Certificate of Achievement in Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology (EIMT). His next step is joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) apprenticeship program. The union will then cover the cost of his continued training and certifications—paving the way toward his dream of becoming a licensed lineman.

After graduating from Waimea High School in 2022, Lazaro initially left �鶹��ý to play college baseball but returned home after realizing the cost was unsustainable. That’s when he connected with Kauaʻi CC’s Waiʻaleʻale Project, a scholarship program that gives eligible Kauaʻi and Niʻihau residents an opportunity to try college.

“The Waiʻaleʻale Project helped me be able to afford classes at Kauaʻi CC,” Lazaro said. “The beginning goal was just to learn the foundation of what to expect in the electrical field.”

Saving time and money

That foundation quickly grew into a clear path forward, thanks in part to new EIMT instructor Veronica Rose. A 47-year veteran of the IBEW local 640 in Phoenix, Arizona, Rose has brought valuable union connections and opportunities to Kauaʻi CC students.

This semester marked the first time the IBEW director of apprenticeship flew from Oʻahu to meet with Kauaʻi CC students, along with the IBEW local business rep—creating a direct pipeline from Kauaʻi CC to apprenticeship programs.

“The certificate [in EIMT] gives students a door open into the apprenticeship that is not available to the normal person,” said Rose. “It allows them to skip the first year of apprenticeship classes and bypass testing preliminary qualifications.”

First-generation graduate

Attending Kauaʻi CC has required commitment. The drive from Waimea to the Līhuʻe campus is about one hour each way. Lazaro also works two jobs—averaging a combined 32 hours a week—as a crewmember for Blue Ocean Adventure Tours and as a ramp agent for Alaska Airlines.

Meet more amazing UH spring graduates

“Graduating means a lot,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to finish college, and I hope my younger sister sees that and follows her own path to college.”

Waiʻaleʻale Program Coordinator Lahea Salazar said, “Anson possesses the right combination of drive, intelligence and interpersonal skills to excel and make a difference in this world. Truly, as a first-generation Native Hawaiian male, he has worked hard to stay committed to his college education with the determination to change his life, and it is with no doubt that he is a bright light for others in his family and all those he meets!”

—By Caitlin Fowlkes

Two endowments have been established in support of the groundbreaking at . This life changing program has served almost 800 students since it started in 2010. Dr. Roberta Weil and the LaFrance Foundation have established the innovative program’s first endowments.

“As endowments, these scholarships will perpetuate the special legacy of their namesakes for generations and help shape the futures of many families working hard to get the education they need to forge a stable future,” said Kauaʻi CC Chancellor Joseph Daisy.

The Waiʻaleʻale Project seeks out non-college-bound students through community partners and referrers. In addition to scholarships and academic support, Waiʻaleʻale provides a supportive learning environment with peer mentors to help participants succeed, creating a multi-generational movement.

• Read more UH News stories on the Waiʻaleʻale Project.

The Waiʻaleʻale Project has achieved the following successes since its inception in 2010:

• Served 781 students, ages 18–66.
• 273 students have earned bachelor and associate degrees and/or certifications.
• 391 degrees/certificates have been awarded.
• 60 percent of students in Waiʻaleʻale return for the second year, while 44 percent of the non-Waiʻaleʻale student body returns.

Weil ʻOhana Waiʻaleʻale Scholarship Endowment

Roberta Weil established the Weil ʻOhana Waiʻaleʻale Scholarship Endowment. Supporting non-traditional students has been one of her lifelong passions. After starting a family, she enrolled in community college in her late twenties where she was the oldest student in her class. Managing family and school responsibilities was challenging but she took one class at a time, ultimately earning an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s in American studies, and her master’s in education. She was awarded her PhD in higher education when she was 50 years old.

Weil’s career included teaching in an elementary school; working with young men in a youth prison; and serving as assistant dean of community services at Coastline Community College in Southern California. She later served as the director of admissions and academic affairs for graduate students at University of California at San Diego. Once retired, Weil and her late husband Paul moved to Kauaʻi.

“After marriage and children, I returned to college and was one of the earliest nontraditional students at Rio Hondo Community College,” Weil said. “The Waiʻaleʻale project allows me to help other nontraditional students succeed in college. These students face many more hardships than I did, and I hope this endowment will enable them to fulfill their dreams and educational successes.”

LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda

Anela Kapaka-Rhoades established a foundation to honor the memory of her mother LaFrance Kapaka-Arboleda and to help �鶹��ý’s youth access higher education. Kapaka-Arboleda of Anahola, Kauaʻi was a respected cultural resource and very active in the Hawaiian community. She was a champion of the underprivileged and served on numerous nonprofit and government boards and commissions addressing issues from affordable housing, economic development, restoration of cultural sites and land preservation.

Kapaka-Rhoades pledged $42,000 to establish the LaFrance Foundation Waiʻaleʻale Endowed Scholarship. “My mother was a courageous visionary who championed causes that she believed would benefit all the people of �鶹��ý,” she said. “The Waiʻaleʻale Project represents what she stood for. She vowed to take care of our children on Kauaʻi. She was an amazing woman who believed in the Hawaiian people, and she wanted nothing but the best for them. This scholarship is my way of keeping her legacy alive.”

Related UH News stories

• Waiʻaleʻale Project celebrates 10 years of transforming lives at Kauaʻi CC, August 12, 2019
• Waiʻaleʻale Project changes hundreds of lives at Kauaʻi CC, July 21, 2019
• Waiʻaleʻale Project celebrates its first graduate, January 12, 2016

The black and white letters dangling from the ceiling that spelled “Waiʻaleʻale Celebration“ contained a surprise. At the end of a joyful gathering in July to mark the pioneering project’s 10-year milestone, the words expanded into pastel paper chains featuring the faces of hundreds of students whose lives have been forever changed by the Waiʻaleʻale Project.

Since 2010, the transformational project has served 786 students, ages 18–66, who would not otherwise have gone to college due to financial, personal or academic obstacles. The project seeks out non-college-bound students through community partners and referrers. In addition to scholarships and academic support, Waiʻaleʻale provides a supportive learning environment with peer mentors to help participants succeed, creating a multi-generational movement.

Lisa Rapozo lost her government job in 2008 through a reduction in force. She joined the Waiʻaleʻale Project’s first cohort in 2010 and earned her associate’s degree in liberal arts from Kauaʻi CC in 2013. Rapozo said she had been out of school for many years and feared she would not be able to balance everything out. The project put her fears to rest.

• See more about Rapozo: Students in college thanks to Waialeale, October 9, 2012

“It just gives us a sense of belonging, a sense of purpose, a sense of ʻohana. It’s like my second family,” Rapozo said. “Without the project, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

She is currently working on a master’s degree in social work from the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa and expects to graduate in May 2020. Her son, Jaimie Kaimi Gonzalez, is a member of the Waiʻaleʻale Project’s Cohort 8 and is also on track to graduate from Kauaʻi CC in 2020 with his associate’s degree in liberal arts.

“This project has actually brought us closer,” Rapozo said. “I have a younger son, heʻs 10 and he’s already talking about college. I bring him to campus. He knows what school is. He’s so excited that Kaimi is in school.”

Waiʻaleʻale students persist to their second year of college at a higher rate than their non-Waiʻaleʻale peers. Almost 300 Waiʻaleʻale Project students have earned a bachelor’s or an associate’s degree and/or a certificate. Thirty one are currently pursuing baccalaureate degrees, and Rapozo and another student are pursuing master’s degrees.

More about the Waiʻaleʻale Project.

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

A former teen mother and recovering addict. A young man who thought his lifetime work would be bagging groceries. A Niʻihau native with a six-year gap after graduating from high school. These are just several of the hundreds of lives that have been transformed through the groundbreaking Waiʻaleʻale Project at Kauaʻi Community College, which celebrates its 10th year in 2019.

Since its inception in 2010, the Waiʻaleʻale Project has positively impacted the lives of almost 800 Kauaʻi residents ages 18 through 66. Nearly 300 students have earned a bachelor’s or associate’s degree or a certificate.

Established through a generous donation from philanthropist Jim Lally, and with ongoing support from Kamehameha Schools, the Scheidel Foundation and numerous other benefactors, the Waiʻaleʻale Project encourages and finances non-college-bound high school students and adults to attend, and successfully complete, their first year of college.

The Waiʻaleʻale Project has been life-changing for individuals and their families. Here are some of their stories:

Joana Rodriguez, finding a future

Joana Rodriguez dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, but planned to get a nursing degree. At 16, she was told she was too young and to wait a year to come back. She didn’t come back. Instead, she got pregnant and fell into a drug addiction that lasted six years. During that time, she had a second child and was hospitalized for two months for illness related to her drug use.

While attending an outpatient substance abuse class, she saw an old friend who was in the Waiʻaleʻale program and who helped Rodriguez get an application the next day. She never looked back.

“They helped me to see that I have a purpose. I can succeed in life. I can do good in school,” Rodriguez said. “In my first semester, I got a 4.0 and that just built my confidence.”

She is planning to earn an associate’s degree in business technology and hopes to become a substance abuse counselor.

“In my addiction, I found myself at my lowest point. I thought I was going to die an addict,” she said. “I’m so grateful. My life has changed tremendously and I’m three years clean.”

Rodriguez added, “Waiʻaleʻale is just not a scholarship to help you with your college tuition. It’s also a great program to help people see that they have a future.”

Austin Manipon-Hamada, realizing potential

“Waiʻaleʻale is my family. This is where I learned my self-worth, where people really come to fulfill their dreams,” said Austin Manipon-Hamada, who, like Rodriguez, now also serves the program as a peer mentor.

“Whatever your past may be, it doesnʻt define your future. You can be whatever you want and Waiʻaleʻale will support you through thick and thin,” he said. “We are like your best friends, your family, the people you can count on.”

He says when he graduated from high school he did not really think he had a future.

“I thought I would be like the best grocery bagger ever,” recalled Manipon-Hamada. “But Waiʻaleʻale showed me you have more potential. You have more than just being the best grocery bagger.”

Francine Niau, building confidence

The Niʻihau native and charter school graduate has a quick, hearty laugh to go with her sunny smile. The future wasn’t always so bright. After graduating from high school in 2006, Francine Niau didn’t do much of anything for years, until she ran into a friend at a local shopping center. She was accepted into the Waiʻaleʻale Project and enrolled at Kauaʻi CC in 2012.

“Wow, they made a really big difference,” Niau said. “I’m usually shy and a quiet person. But being part of Waiʻaleʻale and coming to Kauaʻi CC made a big thing, because now I stay all confident.”

She now serves as the assistant for student activities and says the most important aspect of Waiʻaleʻale is the support, which, like the others, she describes as being like a family.

Niau has this advice for Kauaʻi residents: “Take advantage of all the program is willing to help you out. No be scared. Education is the key.”

Lahea Salazar, filling gaps in the community

Waiʻaleʻale Program Coordinator Lahea Salazar said they want folks who are NOT college bound to come and give college a try. They can start slow, even if it’s just one class.

“We are trying to fill the gaps in our community,” Salazar said.

The program can be most effective with individuals who may be going through a transition, and who don’t have extra support at home or in their lives. Salazar says the Waiʻaleʻale students do as well and oftentimes better than the mainstream Kauaʻi CC students.

Salazar took over the program three years ago from the first program coordinator, Kimo Perry, who is working to replicate the Waiʻaleʻale Project at all seven University of �鶹��ý Community College campuses.

“It’s really nice that we’re changing generations,” Salazar said. “Now that we’re at 10 years, it’s the mom and the son, or the daughter and her mom’s with us, the cousins with us. And so we’re changing the whole family.”

—By Kelli Trifonovitch

In May 2015, student Thomas Iannucci graduated with a bachelor of arts in history. He is the first student who participated in Kauai Community College’s to achieve this goal.

Iannucci says he was an underachiever in high school and had no plans to attend college, especially because he was unable to afford it. His school counselor, Joyce Ballesteros, saw his potential and encouraged him to apply to the Waiʻaleʻale Project.

“I failed a few classes in high school and was a very inconsistent student,” Iannucci shared. “The Waiʻaleʻale Project was a great source of motivation for me. In college, I consistently made the dean’s list and finished my last year with a 4.0 grade point average. I’d never dreamt that was possible!”

Helping non-college-bound students succeed

Established in 2010, the Waiʻaleʻale Project finances non-college-bound students to attend, and successfully complete, their first year of college. Statistics have shown that, in comparison with those who have never been to college, people who have attended one year of college make 35 percent more money, are 28 percent less likely to be unemployed and live seven years longer.

“The results of having these individuals attend college will directly impact our economy, community and the overall quality of life for the students and their families,” said Rebecca Yund, Waiʻaleʻale Project Coordinator.

Iannucci credits the Waiʻaleʻale Project for making a huge positive impact on his life. “For one thing, it gave me the opportunity to go to college and get my degree—something I’d never have been able to do on my own,” he said. “I made some family history last month because I am the first person in my family to graduate college with a four-year degree. That was a very special moment for my family and me.”

Iannucci is currently the day manager at his father’s pizzeria, Pietro’s Pizza, in Harbor Mall. “Being a part of this business venture has been very exciting, and I’ve been able to use many of the skills I learned in college and through the Waiʻaleʻale program in my new job,” he stated.

Iannucci is also pursuing his passion for music as a rapper under the name Illtalian. He recently released his first EP on iTunes and is working on his next album.

Growing Impact

This fall, the Waiʻaleʻale Project welcomed its sixth cohort to Kauaʻi CC and has served more than 450 students from ages 18-66. Many of these students attend college while working and raising families. To date, 100 Waiʻaleʻale Project students have earned 210 certificates and associate degrees. Eight students are currently pursuing their bachelor’s degree.

“On behalf of all the Waiʻaleʻale Project students, I would like to extend a big mahalo to all of the individuals and organizations who have contributed to the program to make these scholarships available,” said Yund. “Without the Waiʻaleʻale Project, these students would not have attended college. We hope to be able to provide this opportunity to an increasing number of students in years to come, and we welcome additional donations from anyone who would like to support this worthy program.”

—A Kauaʻi Community College story, photo and video courtesy of the

—By Camilla Matsumoto

The recently presented with a gift to fund scholarships for students enrolled in college through the . Representing their family, Sam Pratt and Melinda Walker presented the college with the gift.

“Waiʻaleʻale appreciates the generosity of the E.H.W. Broadbent Foundation,” said Kimo Perry, coordinator of the Waiʻaleʻale Project. “Each contribution that we receive helps students attend college who might not otherwise have the opportunity.”

He added, “It’s especially gratifying to know that our program is being supported by local organizations who recognize the importance to our community of higher education.”

• VIDEO:

The E.H.W. Broadbent scholarships will be available for the fall 2014 semester to students enrolling in the project’s fifth cohort of students. Funding will support the full cost of tuition, books and fees for students to study full-time in a program of their choice. The Waiʻaleʻale Project began with a vision of supporting individuals who did not consider college as a viable life option.

According to Perry, the performance level of Waiʻaleʻale students is on par with other students and their initial persistence rate is actually higher. Since the project’s inception, 317 students have enrolled.

—

Kauaʻi Community College’s received a $3,000 contribution from NF Kawakami, HS Kawakami and Minoru Furugen family funds administered by the .

Kawakami family representatives Alice J. Kawakami, Esther Kawakami-Williams and State Representative Derek Kawakami, along with Darcie Yukimura, senior philanthropic services officer for the �鶹��ý Community Foundation, visited Kauaʻi CC to hear first-hand testimonies from Waiʻaleʻale Project students about their college experiences. These students are striving to obtain degrees in liberal arts, science, education, business education, health education, Hawaiian studies and trades technologies.

The Kawakami family fund, established in 2011, continues the family legacy of helping great causes on Kauaʻi.

“The support from local community-based foundations is very significant because it clearly demonstrates their belief in our program,” said Kimo Perry, coordinator of the Waiʻaleʻale Project. “It’s critical that the community is behind what we are doing, and so we are extremely appreciative of the support given to our students—our residents of Kauaʻi.”

For more, read the .

More about the Waiʻaleʻale Project

The Waiʻaleʻale Project started in fall 2010 and in May 2013, the first group of Waiʻaleʻale students received associates degrees. The program currently services 185 students.

“These students move from not even considering college to thriving in this environment. This opens doors for them and their families for the rest of their lives,” said Chancellor Helen A. Cox.