Student Profiles & Blogs
The best person to ask what it's like to go to UH Mānoa is a current student. Here, you can follow two students as they share their experiences as a UHM Warrior in their blogs, or read profiles of a few students describing why this University was the best choice for them.
- Anna Koethe, Communications and Political Science with minor in Art
- Gabriella Sheindlin, Marketing with certificate in Spanish
- Leng Leng Io, Travel Industry Management
- Mike Reis, Communicology
Anna Koethe
Major: Communications and Political Science; Minor: Art
Hometown: Mililani, HI
Thinking she had to get away from home to receive a quality experience, Anna applied to UH Mānoa, as well as several mainland universities. However, after receiving acceptances, "I realized I had no desire to leave home. I knew that if I pushed myself and made the most of my time at UH Mānoa, I could get an education that was just as good, if not better, than any mainland university."
Anna has experienced just that on our campus.
As a double major in Communications and Political Science, as well as an Honors student, Anna "has been blessed to have taken classes from some of the best professors that UHM has to offer." Anna notes some of her favorite professors on campus: "Professors Krishna and Soguk were my favorite Political Science professors, because they really challenged me to look at things through different lenses and taught me how to recognize and appreciate different perspectives. Professor Kelleher is my favorite Communications professor, because he always finds a way to make even the most conceptual theories practical. He's all about showing us how things operate outside of the classroom and how we can apply what we've learned in real-life situations." Anna credits the Honors Program and her faculty there with helping find her voice and use it in an effective way. "They really pushed me and taught me to produce the highest quality of work I could. The program was also a key organization that helped to orientate me to campus and has guided me in my academic career."
Anna is not only highly involved with academic pursuits, but she also is the current President of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi (ASUH), which is the undergraduate student government. "One of my most memorable experiences on campus has been working with ASUH. I have been provided so many opportunities to grow as a student and as a person. I had the chance to work on student advocacy projects as well as event planning. I've made life-long friends doing so, and have gained real-world experiences that will help me in my future endeavors."
Any advice for incoming students to campus? "I have two pieces of advice. My first is to have a plan. It's OK if that plan changes over time, and really it should as you grow as a student, but you need to start somewhere. If you have a plan, it's easier to figure out where you want to go with your academic career and what you have to do to get there. My second piece of advice would be to get involved on campus. Once students have their plans, they should use the opportunities on campus to get involved in the areas that they might be interested in. It's a great way to meet new people, find your niche, and gain experience for the future."
Learn more about Communications
Learn more about Political Science
Learn more about ASUH
Learn more about the Honors Program
Gabriella Sheindlin
Major: Marketing; Certificate: Spanish
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Although born in Hawaiʻi, Gabriella was raised on the East Coast of the continental U.S. Her desire to reconnect with her family in the islands led Gabriella to our campus to continue her education. While researching programs of study, Gabriella came to realize the wealth of recognized majors that were offered by UHM.
Now settled in her Marketing major (offered through our Shidler College of Business), Gabriella has come to realize how the decision to return to Hawaiʻi has affected her. "It is really good to come back to Hawaiʻi. I feel more centered here; it's easy to get caught up in the mainland hustle. I also was able to look within myself to explore how lucky I am to have the opportunity to come back home and study at such a diverse school."
Some advice she has for incoming new students: "New incoming students really have a lot of room to grow coming onto a college campus, with more independence from high school. I strongly recommend that prior to starting, they stop and take the time to figure out who they want to be and to make a plan. This would include everything from the type of people they hope to meet and surround themselves with, to what sort of career they hope to pursue and how. College really sets young adults up for the rest of their lives, and the experiences and choices they make will have an impact on the people they will become. So having a general idea of what they expect from themselves will make decisions easier when they are bombarded with such a large group of students with different interests."
Learn more about the Shidler College of Business
Learn about all our programs of study on campus
Leng Leng Io
Major: Travel Industry Management
Hometown: Macau, China
According to Leng Leng, "UHM feels like home...the aloha spirit makes you feel welcomed, you feel like you belong to something and a lot of people are willing to help."
Transitioning to a university in the United States can be a challenging task for international students. However, Leng Leng has found a wealth of help through her studies and involvement with our Travel Industry Management (TIM) program. Leng Leng has been the recipient of the TIM Achievement scholarship, involved in many student clubs and organizations, and interned at the Moana Surfrider Hotel. These activities are not only assisting Leng Leng to prepare for a career in Transportation, but she also says they have helped her to "meet a lot of people, share my culture and stories about course work."
Some advice Leng Leng has for international students coming to UH Mānoa is this: "Be confident and come here to build character. Open your eyes to learn about other cultures."
Learn more about TIM
Learn about International Student Services
Mike Reis
Major: Communicology
Hometown: Brentwood, CA
Mike was looking a change in a new environment. He had heard about the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus through a friend who, at the time, was interested in attending. "I have Hawaiian ancestry in me, so I wanted to check out my roots and where my family came from." Mike decided to transfer from his local junior college in California, and "the transfer process was not bad at all. After I received my acceptance packet and enrollment checklist, everything flowed for me."
Mike entered the University undeclared but soon found his Communicology (formerly known as Speech) major with the help of our advisors in the Mānoa Advising Center (MAC). To help Mike find the right major, his advisor asked him questions relating to what his interests were. "I told my advisor that I really enjoyed a Speech class I took at Los Medanos College and I enjoy public speaking. She encouraged me to take more Speech classes here (at Mānoa) and that helped me to find my passion."
Not only does Mike enjoy the material he learns in his coursework ("because you can use it in your everyday life when you interact with people"), but he also enjoys the natural environment of Hawaiʻi. "It's beautiful here! I can go hiking and surfing any day of the week."
Learn more about the transfer admissions process
Learn more about Communicology (formerly known as Speech)
Visit our Mānoa Advising Center
