As a distance education student, Travis Antonacci felt a little lost and on his own when he first transferred from Kaua‘i Community College to the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu. So he took it upon himself to develop relationships — pilina — with his new peers and professors.
“Building pilina takes time and effort, but it is the most worthwhile endeavor,” said Antonacci, 25, of Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i.
Antonacci hopes to convey the importance of making such connections as one of the two selected student speakers at UH West O‘ahu’s 2024 Mid-Year Commencement, taking place 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the UH West O‘ahu Courtyard. Summer and fall graduates are invited to the Mid-Year Ceremony. Ticketed guests are welcome to the ceremony on a first-come, first-seated basis, and non-ticketed guests are invited to give lei to graduates following the ceremony at the Great Lawn.
About 250 students are candidates for graduation, and of these students, nearly 150 will be participating in the commencement ceremony, which will celebrate Applied Science, Business Administration, Creative Media, Cybersecurity, Education, Humanities, Natural Science, Public Administration, and Social Sciences candidates.
Antonacci, who will receive a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in History, has come a long way from those first few months of fall 2022 after transferring, and that initial feeling of isolation.
“In the following semesters, I overcame this feeling by making a conscious effort to put myself out there,” he said. “I attended office hours to discuss research interests with professors and I put my all into every assignment to show that I was committed. I built friendships with fellow students through Zoom direct messages, emails, and social media. I also accepted the fact that it is OK to make mistakes.
“In addition, I made several day trips (from Kaua‘i) to visit campus,” Antonacci continued. “Meeting my professors, peers, and advisor in person, even if it was only for a few hours at a time, was incredibly helpful and rewarding — those trips are in my highlight reel.”
‘Inspires each and every person he encounters’
Among Antonacci’s most notable achievements as a UH West O‘ahu student is his involvement in the launch of “Da Pueo Press,” an undergraduate academic journal established by UH West O‘ahu students for UH West O‘ahu students.
“Specifically, I contributed to the formulation of some of the journal’s policies and I designed some of the content management and workflow systems,” Antonacci said. “Throughout this process, I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with exceptional students and faculty in creating a platform that will empower future students for years to come.”
Dr. Yasmine Romero, associate professor of English and faculty editor of “Da Pueo Press,” came to know Antonacci through her course, English 456B: Topics in Literary Management, the class tied to the journal.
“He was an exemplary student in that class, taking leadership roles in team projects without hesitation,” Romero said. “His leadership is collaborative: He takes the time to get to know his peers and encourages everyone to contribute to projects in ways attuned to their knowledge and expertise. This kind of leadership is impressive and he has continued to show this kind of leadership in his recent podcast project.”
During his senior year, Antonacci led the creation of the “Transfer Talk” podcast in his student worker role with Anuhea Piliere, UH West O‘ahu Distance Education Academic Support Specialist who is based at Kaua‘i Community College.
“‘Transfer Talk’ was designed to assist community college students across the UH System in navigating the transfer process to UH West O‘ahu, guiding them through every step of their journey — from their final semester at the community college level to their graduation from UH West O‘ahu,” Antonacci said. “With personal testimony and contributions from interviews with faculty, staff, and students, I successfully published over six and a half hours of hard-hitting content.”
Romero continued, “For me, as his mentor, I am incredibly honored to be a part of his journey. Travis inspires each and every person he encounters because he is compassionate, creative, and socially responsible. I have seen him grow, and I am excited to see what he does after graduating!”
‘Brilliant and dedicated’
After receiving his degree from UH West O‘ahu, Antonacci intends to pursue a master’s degree in education.
“I am committed to giving back to the island I call home and serving as a high school history and/or special education teacher on Kaua‘i is, in my opinion, the most impactful way I can do so,” Antonacci said.
He also hopes to maintain the connections he has developed with his UH West O‘ahu friends and mentors, including Drs. Romero, Michael Pak, Kealani Cook, and Kim Compoc.
“Travis is one of the most brilliant and dedicated students I have had the pleasure of teaching during my time at UH West O‘ahu,” said Compoc, assistant professor of History. “I felt fortunate to be his advisor on a directed reading, which became an award-winning Student Research and Creative Works Symposium paper, ‘The Vietnam-Kaua‘i Connection: Solidarity vis-à-vis Agent Orange.’”
Looking ahead, Antonacci said UH West O‘ahu has helped prepare him for his future endeavors.
“To be an effective educator in Hawai‘i nei, I believe you have to have a profound love, appreciation, and knowledge of the culture and the history — it is the ultimate, foundational prerequisite,” Antonacci said. “UH West O‘ahu has nurtured each of these elements in me while simultaneously providing me with the skills I need to be an effective life-long learner.”
For the immediate future, Antonacci is just focusing on the upcoming commencement ceremony and how he will be addressing all those in attendance that morning.
“Commencement is an opportunity for me to express gratitude to the individuals and the broader community that has accepted and supported me throughout this journey, and is also a chance to make Kaua‘i proud,” he said. “If I can inspire just one student from the neighbor islands to pursue higher education, I will consider my role as a student and as a speaker to be successful. That is my metric, that is my goal.”
Click here to read more about Jared Kā‘eo McCann, who was also selected to be a 2024 Mid-Year Commencement student speaker. Commencement student speakers were chosen on criteria including academic achievement and a record of meaningful university or community service.