{"id":236628,"date":"2026-06-25T11:06:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T21:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=236628"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T01:26:49","slug":"kauai-meda-commencement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/25\/kauai-meda-commencement\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Kapiʻolani CC<\/abbr> commencement for Kauaʻi medical assisting graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Group
Kapiʻolani CC<\/abbr> leadership and MEDA<\/abbr> Kauaʻi graduates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A special ceremony was held for two Kauaʻi<\/span>-based graduates who were unable to attend Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College\u2019s 5 p.m. commencement ceremony (the final of three) on May 15 because stormy weather delayed their flight to Oʻahu<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a>
From left, Krystle Pascua and Kailee Lapitan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The celebration later that evening reflected leadership\u2019s commitment to put students first, and honored Krystle Pascua and Kailee Lapitan. They were among eight Kauaʻi<\/span> students who completed Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s Medical Assisting (MEDA<\/abbr>) program this spring after innovation and inter-campus collaboration helped save their educational pathway.<\/p>\n

“When the future of our program became uncertain, I felt overwhelmed and worried that my opportunity and pathway for a better future might be put on hold indefinitely,” said Pascua. “What helped me stay committed was our instructors who swiftly welcomed us into their program on short notice and worked tirelessly to accommodate us.”<\/p>\n

Keeping on track<\/h3>\n
\"eight<\/a>
2025–2026 Kauaʻi MEDA<\/abbr> cohort<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Last fall, Kauaʻi<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s medical assisting program lost its director just one week before the semester started, leaving students uncertain about how they would complete their training.<\/p>\n

Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> stepped in to ensure the Kauaʻi<\/span>-based students could continue their education and stay on track for healthcare careers. The campuses worked together closely to transition the students into Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>\u2019s accredited MEDA<\/abbr> program. Faculty adjusted teaching schedules, delivered online instruction and traveled weekly to Kauaʻi<\/span> to provide hands-on laboratory and clinical skills training.<\/p>\n

“We felt it was important to ensure students could complete their education without interruption and graduate on time,” said Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr> MEDA<\/abbr> Program Director Jennifer Au Hoy. “These students had already invested so much into their education.”<\/p>\n

Securing a critical pathway<\/h3>\n
\"five
Kapiʻolani<\/span>, Kauaʻi<\/span> MEDA<\/abbr> graduates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The collaboration preserved a vital healthcare workforce pathway for Kauaʻi<\/span> and enabled the cohort to graduate with a Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting through Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

“The success of these students demonstrates the power of University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> campuses working together as one system,” said Kapiʻolani<\/span> CC<\/abbr>
\nChancellor Misaki Takabayashi. “Kapiʻolani<\/span> Community College is committed to serving as a hub-and-spoke partner in healthcare education. By collaborating in this way, we can expand educational access, strengthen workforce pathways, and help ensure that every community has the healthcare professionals it needs.”<\/p>\n

—By Lisa Yamamoto<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Severe weather did not stop determined graduates from walking across the stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":236636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[234,165,63,64,1284,71],"class_list":["post-236628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-commencement","tag-health","tag-kapiolani-community-college","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-medical-assisting-program","tag-uh-community-colleges","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