{"id":208240,"date":"2024-12-18T12:01:41","date_gmt":"2024-12-18T22:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=208240"},"modified":"2025-05-07T10:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:21:07","slug":"palauan-students-thrive-css","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/18\/palauan-students-thrive-css\/","title":{"rendered":"Palauan students thrive at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u2019s College of Social Sciences"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Shuri Chibana from Palau sits in reflection outside Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Hall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Update May 7, 2025:<\/strong> Shuri Chibana was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Graduating Senior Award from the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa College of Social Sciences for exemplifying scholarship, leadership and service. Read more at the College of Social Sciences website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Original story:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2022, Shuri Chibana had her associate of arts degree in liberal arts from Palau Community College in hand and was pondering her future as she worked in Koror, Palau\u2019s largest city and commercial center. That\u2019s when she learned some life-defining news. Due to an updated U.S.-Palau Compact Review Agreement, residents of Palau could now pay Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> instate tuition at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa, resulting in a savings of thousands of dollars per semester.<\/p>\n

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Students Shuri Chibana, at left, with her younger sister, Shizuka Sophia, both from Palau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today the 23-year-old senior majoring in psychology<\/a> has settled in nicely at the College of Social Sciences<\/a> (CSS<\/abbr>), thanks to the college\u2019s Aloha Pathways program<\/a>. It offers a simplified transfer process for students from partner institutions in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, California, Asia and the Pacific.<\/p>\n

“I looked around my community in Palau, and a lot of our leaders, medical personnel and change-makers are alumni of UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa,” said Chibana. “The university is prestigious, so I took a chance that this investment might open doors for me, because education is the way to success.”<\/p>\n

Leading the way at CSS<\/abbr> is Dean Denise Eby Konan<\/a>, who is a two-time federal appointee to the Palau Economic Advisory Group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“In my visits to Palau, I have come to understand that these educational pathways are vital to economic and workforce development in Palau, and for Palauans residing here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>,” said Konan. “We are gratified that students like Shuri are continuing to strengthen our already strong Palau connection.”<\/p>\n

Educational pathways<\/h2>\n

CSS<\/abbr> and Palau CC<\/abbr> have jointly developed educational plans for students to achieve both an AA<\/abbr> degree at Palau CC<\/abbr> and a bachelor of arts degree at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa in four years. Participating BA<\/abbr> programs at CSS<\/abbr> are anthropology<\/a>; economics<\/a>; geography and environment<\/a>; political science<\/a>; social sciences of oceans<\/a>; psychology; sociology<\/a>; and women, gender and sexuality studies<\/a> (WGSS<\/abbr>). In addition, three pathways are available fully online—economics, social sciences of oceans and WGSS<\/abbr>—so Palauans can earn their BA<\/abbr>s while continuing to reside in Palau.<\/p>\n

Chibana is scheduled to graduate in May 2025. She is keeping busy as a peer mentor in the UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa First-Year Programs<\/a>, an officer of the Micronesian Connections Association student club and a CSS<\/abbr> college ambassador<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In addition, she has been joined at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa by her two siblings, inspired by her successful transition through the CSS<\/abbr> Aloha Pathways program. Sister Shizuka Sophia, 18, is interested in finance, and 21-year-old brother Yuji, is a junior majoring in marine biology and also a transfer student from Palau CC<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

The three make up an entire generation of their family led by their Filipina mother and Palauan\/Okinawan father, Marites and Shinji, who still reside in Airai, Palau\u2019s second most populous state after Koror.<\/p>\n

For more information on the CSS<\/abbr> Aloha Pathways program, contact Jaret Leong at jaretl@hawaii.edu<\/a> or (808) 956-3687.<\/p>\n

View the entire story on the CSS<\/abbr> website<\/a>.<\/p>\n