{"id":231310,"date":"2026-03-26T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=231310"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:53:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:53:18","slug":"national-marketing-gold-uh-community-colleges-student-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/26\/national-marketing-gold-uh-community-colleges-student-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"National marketing gold for <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges\u2019 powerful student stories"},"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><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_42667\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QOQfsYGQlRY?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Fulfill Your Kuleana: Maui College gives students purpose\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>The University of <span lang=\"haw\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Community Colleges have earned a gold 2025 <abbr>NCMPR<\/abbr> Paragon Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (<abbr>NCMPR<\/abbr>)&#8212;underscoring the quality and impact of the marketing work being done across the seven community colleges currently serving almost 24,000 students.<\/p>\n<div style=\"float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 0 15px;\"><figure id=\"attachment_231333\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-231333\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-2-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Student working with blazing frying pan\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-231333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-2-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-2-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-2.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-231333\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Stevie Puna<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>The award, in the Video Shorts Series category, recognizes the <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges&#8217; marketing team for showcasing the transformational journeys of Native Hawaiian students across the state. Centered on themes of resilience, identity, and opportunity, the <em><span lang=\"haw\">E &#699;auamo i kou<\/span>: Fulfill Your Kuleana<\/em> series features seven compelling student narratives&#8212;three of which were submitted for award consideration: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/QOQfsYGQlRY\"><span lang=\"haw\">&#699;Ale&#699;a<\/span> Kimokeo, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College<\/a>&#8212;bridging traditional knowledge and modern science through sustainable practices rooted in caring for the land<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/19-WQHSqoI4\">Stevie Puna, Leeward <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr><\/a>&#8212;overcoming doubt to pursue culinary arts while discovering confidence, cultural connection, and community<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/TlNRdxl16r4\">Melanie Camat, <span lang=\"haw\">Kapi&#699;olani<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr><\/a>&#8212;channeling her passion into respiratory therapy to address healthcare disparities and give back to <span lang=\"haw\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&ldquo;These student stories reflect the transformative power of an Indigenous-serving education,&rdquo; said Lui Hokoana, interim vice president for the <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Community Colleges. &ldquo;We are deeply honored to receive this national recognition, as it speaks to the deep connections between education, culture and community that truly define our colleges.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 0 15px;\"><figure id=\"attachment_231332\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-231332\" style=\"width: 214px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-3-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Student practicing on a medical dummy\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-231332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-3-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-3-93x130.jpg 93w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-3.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-231332\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Melanie Camat<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<h2>Transforming lives<\/h2>\n<p>The award-winning videos were produced in partnership with the Honolulu-based marketing agency Hyperspective Studios and are part of a broader institutional effort to highlight and share the compelling stories of <abbr>UH<\/abbr> Community College students.<\/p>\n<p>The Paragon Awards are recognized as the only national competition of its kind, honoring excellence exclusively among marketing and public relations professionals at community and technical colleges throughout the U.S. The 2025 competition drew 1,585 entries from 216 colleges across the country and was judged by 67 industry professionals.<\/p>\n<p><abbr>NCMPR<\/abbr> President Patrick Stone said, &ldquo;This year&#8217;s winners stood out in an extraordinary field of entries, demonstrating that when community colleges invest in creativity and innovation, they amplify their mission and transform lives.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_231334\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-231334\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-1.jpg\" alt=\"Student looking through an instrument\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-231334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-1.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-1-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-231334\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span lang=\"haw\">&#699;Ale&#699;a<\/span> Kimokeo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Centered on themes of resilience, identity and opportunity, the series features compelling student narratives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":231334,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1193],"tags":[61,33,62,63,64,65,911,71,60,947,56,66],"class_list":["post-231310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-administrative","tag-hawaii-community-college","tag-hawaiian","tag-honolulu-community-college","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-program-recognition","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-maui-college","tag-uh-system","tag-video-2","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uhcc-marketing-award-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231310","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=231310"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231310\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":231488,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231310\/revisions\/231488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}