{"id":233628,"date":"2026-05-05T14:19:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T00:19:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=233628"},"modified":"2026-05-08T16:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T02:55:13","slug":"kapiolani-cc-grad-naomi-ellison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/05\/kapiolani-cc-grad-naomi-ellison\/","title":{"rendered":"Kapiʻolani CC<\/abbr> grad: ‘Where you start does not determine where you can go’"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]
\"Naomi
Ellison will graduate with an associate degree in nursing from Kapi\u02bbolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

A journey shaped by resilience, loss and determination has led Naomi Ellison to a defining milestone. The Kapi\u02bbolani<\/span> Community College associate degree in nursing graduate will cross the commencement stage in May 2026, marking not just an academic achievement, but a powerful personal transformation.<\/p>\n

Overcoming early doubts and personal loss<\/h2>\n
\"Ellison
Ellison and her father, early childhood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Raised in Ha\u02bbik\u016b<\/span>, Maui, Ellison describes her early academic experience as uncertain. \u201cI struggled in high school and didn\u2019t take full advantage of learning opportunities,\u201d she said. Low placement scores initially discouraged her from pursuing nursing, a field often seen as highly competitive. \u201cI was told those scores might define my path, and for a time, I believed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A mentor\u2019s encouragement helped shift her outlook. With renewed determination, Ellison began rebuilding her academic foundation through courses at Windward and Kapi\u02bbolani<\/span> Community Colleges while working full time at Hawaiian Airlines. Her progress was tested in 2020 when she lost her father to pancreatic cancer, a moment she describes as both devastating and life-changing.<\/p>\n

\"woman
Ellison began taking courses while working full time at Hawaiian Airlines.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt taught me how to keep my head above water and push through the pain, even when life feels uncertain,\u201d Ellison said. She credits supportive faculty, including Kapi\u02bbolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> physiology Professor Rachel Lindsay, for helping her persist during that time.<\/p>\n

Ellison earned her practical nursing certificate in 2022 and passed her licensure exam on the first attempt. While working in a post-acute rehabilitation facility, she continued her education, applying multiple times before being accepted into the licensed practical nurse to associate degree in nursing transition program in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat acceptance represented years of persistence,\u201d she said. \u201cI refused to let rejection define me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commitment to service and future goals<\/h2>\n

Meet more amazing UH<\/abbr> graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond academics, Ellison has remained deeply committed to service. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she volunteered with the Maui nonprofit Feed My Sheep, helping package food for families in need. At Kapi\u02bbolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>, she served as vice president and later president of the Student Nursing Association, leading community outreach efforts including health screenings, blood pressure drives, and partnerships with local organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving back is how I stay grounded,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"Ellison
While working in a post-acute rehabilitation facility, Ellison continued her education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ellison is concurrently pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing through Boise State University and plans to graduate later this year. Her long-term goal is to become a labor and delivery nurse in Hawai\u02bbi<\/span>, with aspirations to advance as a nurse practitioner and participate in global humanitarian work.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on her journey, Ellison offers a message that resonates beyond her own experience, \u201cWhere you start does not determine where you can go.\u201d<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A journey shaped by resilience, loss and determination has led Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> nursing graduate Naomi Ellison to a defining milestone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":233648,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[234,63,189,71,66],"class_list":["post-233628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-commencement","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-nursing","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t