A gathering of the community to highlight the accomplishments of regional high school seniors was the focal point of We Go West: Seniors, Let’s Go Kākou, an inaugural event held on April 11 at the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu that welcomed 160 students and celebrated their acceptance into the university.
Students from Leeward district high schools — Wai‘anae, Nānākuli, Kapolei, Campbell, Waipahu, and Pearl City — participated in a day that included valuable informational sessions, community building activities, great food, and a feel-good island music concert. University community members, Hawai‘i Department of Education partners, and community advocates joined in on the celebration.
“The We Go West program aims to promote student engagement, foster a sense of belonging, and develop a sense of community among students, the high schools, the university, and community members,” said Dr. Hōkū Kwan, We Go West Event Director and Interim Director of Student Equity and Access at UH West O‘ahu.
Kwan noted the guiding principle for the day: ‘A‘ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia — no task is too great when done together by all. Locking hands, building community, and sharing aloha among us all is how the work is accomplished.
“The success of this event was made possible from cross-campus collaboration and community involvement,” Kwan said. “Kaiāulu (community), which is one of five value tenets of the university, was very apparent at this event.”
Although designed to celebrate students, the event highlighted the power of community and the gifts that lie within. Such contributors included NoLimit Sound & Event and members of local band Big Every Time (B.E.T.) from Nānākuli; the owner of Rissaz Killa Konez, a Campbell graduate who provided churro sundaes to all of the students; and Hawai‘i Pacific Foundation, a Native Hawaiian Organization that gifted the program $28,000 to award four $7,000 scholarships. Through drawing names, students from Campbell, Kapolei, Nānākuli, and Waipahu were awarded the first ever We Go West scholarship.
Dr. Dee Uwono, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UH West O‘ahu, said the event brought a renewed sense of community, both internally and externally, and created an unforgettable experience for incoming freshmen.
“We wanted to convey a sense of ‘ohana to these students and have them experience what it would be like to be a UH West O‘ahu student,” Uwono said. “It was important for these students to know that we care about them, and for them to meet and connect with some of our wonderful staff, faculty, and students to ensure a smooth transition into college.”
Overwhelming positive feedback
The We Go West event is part of a program that Kwan has been working on implementing for several years titled Kauluhāweo, created through the collaboration of multiple grant projects that foster a more holistic approach to a students’ post-secondary journey. The grants focus on students from Leeward district high schools.
“Just last year, we began to initiate this three-part project that focuses on wrap-around support services for current high school seniors transitioning as incoming first-time freshmen into UH West O‘ahu,” Kwan said.
She continued, “This three-part project — We Go West (Spring 2024), Heading Westbound (Summer Bridge 2024), and We Are West (First Year Experience Fall 2024 and Spring 2025) — is an integral part of the university’s vision in providing a premier learning environment for our 21st century students and actualizing the five value tenets of the university: waiwai (value), kaiāulu (community), hana lawelawe (service), mālama ‘āina (caring for the land), and po‘okela (educational excellence).”
The first part of the project, We Go West, proved to be a spectacular success. Kwan said she and her team received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback about the impact the event had on the students, the high schools, the university, and the surrounding communities.
“It was an amazing event!! An event such as yesterday is a massive undertaking and it was executed so efficiently. Our students had a blast,” emailed one high school counselor. Another texted, “The kids really enjoyed themselves! It was worth it! They learned why West is special and a couple kids already told me they’re changing their minds and will be attending West in the fall!”
Yet another counselor emailed, “It was a huge success! … Thank you and the team for all of your time, effort, and support in putting what I hope becomes an annual event to celebrate our seniors, the incoming freshmen, as they transition into the next stage of their educational journey.”
Kwan said that for her, the biggest highlight was seeing everyone come together — including community members, volunteers, counselors, teachers, and special guests — to make the celebration possible for the high school students.
“Everyone who we welcomed to our campus that day saw our university operate as a community, as an ‘ohana should,” Kwan said. “The ‘ohana atmosphere was prevalent and could be felt. This is what the students in Hawai‘i need, this is a need of the community. Knowing that as they (the students) close this chapter in high school, we, as an ‘ohana here at the university, are ready to mālama (take care of) them in the next chapter of their journey.”
Kwan continued, “For many of these students, the idea of college is still so very new. There needs to be trust. The students need to trust that we will take care of them. In fact, their families need to trust that their child is in good hands.”
‘The best is yet to come’
“We Go West was significant because it was a great way to welcome our future students to UH West O‘ahu,” said UH West O‘ahu Director of Admissions Martin Motooka. “I personally don’t know of any school or program that has done it better.”
Motooka said Kwan and her team did a great job coordinating with the high school counselors, principals, community members, UH West O‘ahu faculty and staff, and of course, the students.
“Hōkū (Kwan) envisioned this event as a way to celebrate and welcome the next generation of students to UH West O‘ahu. I believe she delivered,” he said.
Kwan emphasized the success of this event could not have been possible without the following key individuals: Welaahilani Wāhilani, Director of He Paepae Aloha; Kainoa Nāhulu, Director of Nā Pua No‘eau; Lyza Mareko, Candidate Support for Ho‘opūliko Kumu Hou; Macie Remular, Director of Ke Ala Kiakahi; Christielove Espinosa, Director of Papahana Wailau Ola; Thalia Bactista, Instructional and Student Support for Ho‘opūliko Kumu Hou; LeianaMarie Alejado, Director of Kahikū; Chasteen Keawe, GEAR UP College Success Specialist; Katrina Abes, First-Year Support Coordinator Hawai‘i P-20; and all the student mentors in the Nāulu Center.
Motooka said he hopes that all of the students who participated feel connected to UH West O‘ahu and that they take away the message that at UH West O‘ahu, they’re part of a caring community.
“The entire village came together to ensure the success of this event, which took months of coordination and planning,” he said. “We’re celebrating not only their accomplishments, but also eagerly anticipating their academic journey with us. The best is yet to come!”
