{"id":215276,"date":"2025-05-06T12:30:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T22:30:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=215276"},"modified":"2025-05-07T09:20:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T19:20:36","slug":"honolulu-cc-rekindles-students-design-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/05\/06\/honolulu-cc-rekindles-students-design-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Honolulu <abbr>CC<\/abbr> rekindles student\u2019s design future"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_215294\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-215294\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-4.jpg\" alt=\"Person working on a white 3 d model\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-215294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-4.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-4-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-215294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dragomanovich working on her <abbr>3D<\/abbr> graduation facility model<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s never too late to return to college and rediscover your path. Shanelle <span aria-label=\"Hokulea\">Hokule&#699;a<\/span> Dragomanovich\u2019s higher education journey proves this. After graduating from Honolulu Community College\u2019s Fashion Technology program in 2007, life took an unexpected turn when her infant son became seriously ill. She paused her academic and professional goals to care for him.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_215293\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-215293\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-2-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Person working on a open weave conical shape\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-215293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-2-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-2-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-2.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-215293\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dragomanovich creating a hand woven pendant light fixture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Years later, with her son now grown, Dragomanovich returned to Honolulu <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr> to pursue new skills in design&#8212;this time with a focus on technology. On May 16, she will graduate with an associate in science degree from Honolulu <abbr>CC<\/abbr>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.honolulu.hawaii.edu\/post\/program\/aec\/\">Architecture, Engineering &#38; Construction Technologies<\/a> (<abbr>AEC<\/abbr>) program, specializing in architectural technologies.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/tag\/commencement\/\">Meet more amazing <abbr>UH<\/abbr> spring graduates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Drawn to the <abbr>AEC<\/abbr> program for its hands-on aspects, Dragomanovich discovered a passion for architectural design. Her background in art, dance, storytelling and fashion informed her studies and offered a unique perspective on the psychological impact and use of space.<\/p>\n<p>The return to school wasn\u2019t without challenges. Dragomanovich overcame her initial technological anxieties by adopting a &ldquo;beginner&#8217;s mind,&rdquo; finding that asking questions helped others too.<\/p>\n<p>Her message to those considering a return to education: &ldquo;It\u2019s never too late.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_215295\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-215295\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-5-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Two people in front of an A E C sign\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-215295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-5-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-5-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-5.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-215295\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: <span aria-label=\"Kaainoni\">Ka&#699;ainoni<\/span>, Dragomanovich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>She emphasized how much she\u2019s grown personally and professionally and is grateful for what she found at Honolulu <abbr>CC<\/abbr>. Dragomanovich credits her professors\u2014especially <abbr>AEC<\/abbr> lecturer Michael <span aria-label=\"Kaainoni\">Ka&#699;ainoni<\/span>&#8212;for his dedication to helping students attribute meaning and purpose to their work.<\/p>\n<p><span aria-label=\"Kaainoni\">Ka&#699;ainoni<\/span> said, &ldquo;As a Native Hawaiian and a woman, Ms. Dragomanovich is a testament that persistence, motivation and intelligence are necessary tools to break through life obstacles and that it elevates you to be a contributing member on campus, in the community and the greater society.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_215291\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-215291\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-3-300x253.jpg\" alt=\"Group of people on a boat in front of the Ko o lau mountains\" width=\"300\" height=\"253\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-215291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-3-300x253.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-3-130x110.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-3.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-215291\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dragomanovich (bottom right) on a <span aria-label=\"huakai\">huaka&#699;i<\/span> with her <span aria-label=\"Poi\">Po&#699;i<\/span> N\u0101 Nalu ohana<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Dragomanovich also found vital support through <span aria-label=\"Poi\">Po&#699;i<\/span> N\u0101 Nalu. The program\u2019s goal is to prepare Native Hawaiian students for employment into high-demand occupations with family-sustaining wages by providing vigorous and culturally appropriate opportunities for academic and professional success.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;[<span aria-label=\"Poi\">Po&#699;i<\/span> N\u0101 Nalu] gave me the opportunity to meet other students from [the Fire &#38; Environmental Emergency Response program] and other programs. [It] was so awesome. It provided a sense of community and place that is rare,&rdquo; Dragomanovich said.<\/p>\n<p>Her final advice to others: &ldquo;Everything you want in life is standing on the opposite side of your fear.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By Iris Greges<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Design meets resilience as a Honolulu <abbr>CC<\/abbr> student returns to transform her future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":215294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[836,234,33,62],"class_list":["post-215276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-architectural-engineering-and-cad","tag-commencement","tag-hawaiian","tag-honolulu-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/honolulu-aec-dragomanovich-4.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215276"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215443,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215276\/revisions\/215443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}