Mānoa Career Center | Humans of Mānoa

My name is Allison McIntyre, I’m twenty-two and my major is business marketing. My favorite part about business marketing is getting to know the knowledge and tools that I can apply to my future career.

What are your future career plans?

Well, I currently run a sunrise shell business called ‘Aloha Sunrise Shells’ which is something I do on the side, like a hobby, but I’m planning on selling real estate as soon as I graduate.

Can you tell me more about Aloha Sunrise Shells?

So when I was a freshmen, I started seeing all these girls with beautiful shells around their necks and I was like ‘What is that?’ I previously made jewelry in California so I decided to apply my jewelry knowledge to a Hawaii ecosystem. I sell through Etsy, my own website, Instagram, and I do booths at Campus Center whenever I get the chance.

How do you make your necklaces?

I collaborate with a diver over on the North Shore and West Side, and I buy them in bulk then I scrub them and put them in acid. Then their true colors come out and I have girls pick out whichever one calls to them, and then wrap it in either twenty- four karat gold fill or sterling silver wire and put it on a chain.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would be any job that gives me time and freedom, so not a nine to five. I’d probably have to say that my ultimate business would have to be a nanny business catered towards tourist, so ‘Uber Nanny.’

This week we got to meet Rainbow Warrior Volleyball player, James Anastassiades who is majoring in Kinesiology.

What brought you to UH?

Well I was getting recruited for volleyball at a few different schools but UH was different. I was a little island boy from Cyprus, a little island in Greece. It was always a dream to go to Hawaii for vacation, and I was gifted the opportunity to come out here for the University to check it out. I was stuck between here and Long Beach, but I came out here on my recruiting trip and saw the beauty within the island and the people and I knew I had to come here. I didn’t think twice about it. I was born and raised in Cyprus but only last year moved to Huntington so that I could finish high school and get recruited by Hawaii. And now I’m here.

Do you have a job right now?

No…well actually yes. My job is volleyball. Being a student athlete is so similar to having a job. I wake up at 6 to go lift at 6:30. I start my classes at 8 and won’t finish those until 1:30 or 2:45. I run down to practice at 3 and don’t finish until 6. Then we get supplemental meals from our coaches after practice and then 2 hours of study hall every evening. I don’t get a whole lot of free time, but I get my work done. When we are in season even our weekends are crazy because then we have games to worry about. The game might start at 7 pm but we’re preparing for it by 11 maybe.

Hearing James talk a bit about his teammates was inspiring. We asked him who he thought was the best on the team and he answered:

I definitely believe that everyone on the team has his own role. Stijn probably has the greatest arm on the team that has been through the program in a while. Jennings is just incredible at reading. He is a great setter and has a 43 in vertical which is unreal. Kupono is really physical with the game. Our two middles, Ian and Hendrik, I mean they're new but they kill it. They've surprised a lot of people which is awesome. So everyone contributes with their own gifts and talents. My favorite part about being a student athlete is for sure the aloha spirit and feeling of true ohana from all of the aunties and uncles that support us every game. That spirit really feeds us.

What would you like to do in the future? And are there any fears about trying to get there?

I don't look toward the future too much. I tend to try to live in the moment and just base everything off of what is happening in the now. I put my 100% into what I am doing in the present so I have a better future. I try not to set many expectations for the future because if you don't reach them, you feel let down, but if you are giving 100% every moment of everyday, then you are feeling accomplished and your future will be great. If I had to set a goal for myself though, it would be to finish college and then try to go play pro volleyball in Europe somewhere. After that, maybe come back to school for my masters so I can start off as a personal trainer. Being an athlete, I have had some really rough injuries and now that I know how to prevent those, I would love to help others prevent those silly injuries that keep them from doing what they love.

Here is Lily Behm from Agoura Hills who is graduating with a degree in Family Resources.

Where are you currently working?

Well, I work at this after school program called The Learning Casa, or TLC, and I work with Kindergarten to fifth graders and help them with homework, and hang out, and focus on character strengths and character building. I really love the kids I work with.

Why did you choose to come to Hawaii and why Family Resources?

Nowhere else was really calling me, and I figured Hawaii is pretty cool and I have family here, and I like my family AKA why I chose to go into Family Resources as well. I took a class my freshman year, and loved it. And I think all of the classes actually apply to real life. I don’t know what I want to exactly do with my life after school, but I like people and I think life is filled with people and I think that is what family resources is.

If you could pick a dream job right now, what would that look like?

I imagine myself working, and hanging out with kids, maybe not in the United States. Certain places call me. I feel called to Uganda and also South America.

Have you traveled to these places before?

I have been to Uganda my Freshman year of high school and we volunteered at this school and hung out with all of the kids, and then spent a week at this farm, and just farmed and painted, and sang and danced, and had a great time. I have never been to South America, but in the future I want to be somewhere not in the city, very nature-y. My dream job I think is to work with lions.

Why lions as opposed to children? That is a pretty big jump right?

Yeah definitely, but you don’t really have to talk to lions, they just get you, well animals in general. As much as I love kids, you would just never have to worry about social anxiety in front of a lion.

So social anxiety you would say is a fear for you? Are there any other fears in regards to your future career or success?

Yeah, I mean I guess I don’t really know about this whole career thing, it kind of throws me through a loop. I don’t necessarily want a ‘career’, I don’t think I really have fears about it either, I just hope to be happy, and live/enjoy myself and make other people happy.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I always wanted to be a teacher, so I could have my own classroom, and hangout with kids and do teacher-y things, haha! I guess it makes sense that I got into family resources.

This week on Humans of Mānoa we are very lucky to meet Naftali Tolibas! My name is Naftali, I’m 22 and I am a senior undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering. I decided to go to UH because… First of all, my parents didn’t want me to leave. That's the truth, haha. Next, I was actually humbled and grateful to be honored a full ride scholarship to UH. So that was kind of a no-brainer. Initially, if I didn’t get that scholarship, I was probably going to go to a CC and start from there. But I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to start here at UH and actually complete school in four years, which is pretty hard to do in Engineering.

Why did you get into Engineering?

I got into Engineering because I really like cars. As a kid, I used to play around with toy cars and I was really fascinated by the look of cars and types of engines. But as I went through high school, I realized that I liked more than that. I liked taking apart things or figuring how to put them back. I had a curiosity on why things work and more importantly, I really like math and science. Those were my best subjects. So I thought, why not do something with it.

Have you ever had internships or work experience in your field?

Yeah, I actually interned at Par Hawaii, which is an oil refinery in Kapolei. So what they do is they get oil imported from somewhere else, they refine it and turn it into gasoline. Par used to be a supplier for Tesoro, which is now Hele. I worked as an Engineering Intern over there which is a really good experience because I was able to work with other Engineers and more importantly older people. It allowed me insight on what it’s like to work with a more mature crowd. Although I do have a full ride scholarship here, I also do need money to buy food, clothes, and books. In order to do that, I have to work. I work on campus with the SEED office. What SEED is, is basically just a company or an umbrella for a bunch of organizations here at the university. But as a SEED assistant, we normally work with the Nā Kūpuna Program, which is one of the programs for SEED. This is a program to help senior citizens come to school for free and take a couple classes, and we help organize that.

What are your plans after graduation?

I will have a month vacation. Which is really nice. So Iʻll just chill for a month and after that Iʻll be going to Arizona because I have a job offer from a big defense company called Raytheon. It is a very huge engineering firm, actually one of my dream jobs. Iʻm so lucky to have a job offer. So I will be going to Tuscon, Arizona, which is cool becuase Iʻve never been away from home.

How did you use the Mānoa Career Center?

I actually worked a lot with Thomas, who works at the Career Center. He helped me a lot with my resume, interview questions, and salary negotiations. Thomas was the MVP.

We are very lucky to meet Courtney Uyeda (@courtx11) this week on #HumansofManoa! I’m Courtney Uyeda, I’m twenty-three and a Travel Industry Management major with an emphasis on hospitality. I would say my favorite part about my major are the relationships you build with customers when you get to meet with them. Also, kind of getting to know them throughout their stay and seeing the return of guests.

Have you had any work experience in your field?

I completed the Disney College Program in 2012 and in quick service, food, and beverage. I have completed a summer internship with the Marriott, Vacations Worldwide in Palm Dessert, California, and also sales internship at Ramada Plaza, Waikiki. They were all different experiences. I would say Disney and Ramada were not my thing. I kind of found out that I don’t like sales, but I really enjoy Disney as a company and what they stand for. I love Marriott as a company and their beliefs and all that, I am actually going to be working under them upon graduation. They were my number one company so I am excited about that.

Why did you get into the Travel Industry Management field?

Growing up I was that girl who wanted to all different things like nurse or become a veterinarian. Then I realized that I would be too sad having to put animals to sleep because I love them too much, so then that got put out of the window. Same with humans, the whole ‘I don’t handle death well enough,’ so I couldn’t do the nursing thing either. My sister had a speech impediment since the time she was a little girl to about five and I was the only one that could understand her. That led me to think about speech pathology. But then a good friend of mine was going into it. She told me, ‘Court, it’s not what you think it is. There is so much paperwork, I can’t see you doing this and it doesn’t match your personality. Don’t let me discourage you but I think you should really go the hospitality route.’ So then I did the Disney College Program and then I came back got my Associates of Arts at LCC in 2013 and then transferred into the Travel Industry Management school in Spring 2014.

What are your plans after college?

So I work at Central Pacific Bank currently as a teller and I’m staying there until November. Then I am relocating to Kauai, I have accepted a management development program with Marriott Kauai Beach Club. So I will be there for at least a year and then we will see since the goal after that is being placed in a management role. So hopefully I will stay there one year after that then transfer to Ko Olina.

This week on Humans of Mānoa we are very lucky to meet a very talented staff member on campus, Derick Fabian (@7sketches)! I’m Derick and I am a web developer / graphic designer at STAR Technology. I got my bachelors in studio arts and I focused in on new media arts because I came from KCC with a degree in interface and 3D animation, so I gravitated towards the computer.

I went to UH and got my degree and took a lot of new media art classes. After the community colleges, there were two reasons why I went to UH. The first was that I wanted to do the comic strips for Ka Leo. I was so excited about that. So that was one of the main reasons I came back to school. Second, I wanted to work in Japan in the JET Program which you need a bachelor’s degree for that. Those were the only two reasons, and I already had a job working for a freelance position. At the time, I had constant work coming in, so I wasn’t hurting for it but it was that idea of working abroad and doing comics made me want to go back to UH.

After I graduated from UH, I applied for the JET Program and I got accepted. I went to Okinawa and was placed on a super tiny island. I was working there for about a year and I loved it, I learned a lot and made a lot of good friends and I continued to use my art while I was there. My students were anywhere from preschool to our equivalent of ninth graders. I had to design a lot of our lesson plans, so I found myself drawing still, doing all this fun art stuff and comics for the newsletter.

After Derick finished the JET program in Okinawa, he returned to Hawaii.

I started off interning with STAR prior to coming to UH. Once I got to UH I was working with STAR and then I had to opportunity to go to Japan. When I obtained my placement, and saw that I was going to work in a tiny island I wasn’t feeling it anymore; however, my boss said ‘Derick you need to do this, you need to experience this. It’s a great opportunity, and if you don’t go I’m not going to give you your job back.’ I replied with ‘Are you serious? Ok let me try this out’ and when I came back, sure enough my boss was able to get me my job back. I continue working with STAR and I’ve worked seven years with them.

What do you do at STAR Technologies?

I do anything graphic. I have done web design, I’ve done print and banners/brochures, and motion graphics. This includes animation, for instance I’ve done animation involving funny characters to a more formal text movement/special effects. One thing that I love about my job, as opposed to what I hear and what professors have told me, is that if you want to be a graphic designer for the studio that it is very fast paced. Whereas if you get a graphic design job on campus the pressure is not as great and I think that is true to some degree. It gives me a lot of breathing room to really be thorough with my creativity. I work with an excellent boss who is good at guiding me because I am always learning. I might think that it looks good but I’m not always aware of my entire audience. He will help guide me through that.

Do you do anything you enjoy outside of work?

My passion is illustration, particularly cartoony stuff, graffiti, anime, comic book and it’s kind of a mixture of everything. I have a friend, her name is Aly Ishikuni, and we are both from Kauai, and she owns Art + Flea. I was at this event on campus put on by Ka Leo, it was like an art festival, and I was showcasing my comic strips.

What is your dream job?

My dream job… Well my mind is all over the place, I want to do this and I want to that. Ideally, I would like to vend at these conventions, like anime or comic book/pop-up conventions. I’ve met quite a few artists that do it for a living and it trips me out. I love the fact that it’s necessary to travel, that is a part of their passion. Ultimately I want to concentrate on my brand. My brand is 7Sketches, which came from the title of my comic strip in Ka Leo. I want to model myself after Tokidoki or Sanrio, where the emphasis is on character design and they just put it everywhere. It’s on backpacks, stickers, that is what I want to do and I would love to have a company that is character design driven.

This week on Humans of Mānoa, we are very lucky to meet this year’s Student Employee of the Year Overall Winner, Tyler Lum! I am Tyler Lum and I am a fourth year in Environmental Studies with the interdisciplinary studies division and I am twenty-two years old. So I am a student employee out at the Hanauma Bay Education Program, I do a lot there and we also educate tourists.

There are three basic stations that all of our volunteers go through, the entrance where you greet people and show them where to go, we have to explain an orientation video that everyone has to watch and finally there is a beach kiosk at the beach level where we answer questions and educate people on marine life and basic ocean safety. As a student employee I also have other responsibilities. For instance, when school groups come, like ten year olds, I give them the spiel about the fish and how to say ‘Humuhumunukunukuapuaʻa.’ We will show them around but it really depends on what the school wants us to do because some people are more interested in other things. Sometimes we do service learning groups like last Saturday we had some Girl Scouts come in for Earth Day and they were cleaning up the beach.

I also work with the Outreach Coordinator. We post to Facebook where I enjoy doing art. We make scientific comics there every week, I mean I try every week but it is a little hectic with school and post educational science things. That is pretty much it, I help wherever I am needed, for example right now we are getting ready for a volunteer banquet. We have volunteers that come and help, so we give back by throwing them a big dinner and they come out and eat.

What is your favorite part of your major?

I don’t have to do math...Haha. But no, it’s something what I love to do. It’s learning about our environment, our world. So with the IS thing, it’s kind of building a major around your interests. Everybody in the environmental major, you have to make a proposal, what you want to do and pick classes that pertain to that. So for me, I’m taking classes that pertain more ocean based because I work at Hanauma Bay. I’m also taking classes like Hawaiian language because I like the culture and I like to bring that into my teachings.

What is your favorite part about your job?

I really like educating people, in particular when someone comes up to me and says ‘I saw this fish and but I don’t know what it is.’ I can tell the person that it’s ‘this’ fish and that it specializes in ‘this’ and seeing their face light up gives a cool feeling. I really love that and just working and talking with people.

How does this job help you in the future?

Well, as an Environmental Studies major, I am working to protecting the environment, all that kind of stuff. So working in a marine protected area, educating people about ocean safety, and how to mālama ʻaina, helps me. Definitely something I can put on my resume and I make connections. With the outreach program, we also have these scientific talks where scientists come and they’ll talk about their latest research. I get to meet these people, talk to them and usually they’re really cool and I’ve made a lot of cool connections with those people.

What are your plans after college?

After college, ideally… I honestly don’t know. I have a few friends that are at HMNB and someone I know who works at the zoo, I could ask them. I also know someone who did an internship at Disney World as a Marine Educator. And I was like you can do that?! I kind of want to, if you can do that! So, you know, go out to Disney and I can talk to people and educate but at the same time work for Disney which is kind of rad. Or work with the JET Program, work in Japan because I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, because I’ve never been.

This week on #HumansofManoa we are very lucky to meet Blake! Hi, I’m A.L. Blake. Please call me ‘Blake.’ I’m thirty-three and I’m a Linguistics PhD Student. My favorite part of what I do is my research related to language documentation. Basically, I get to go out and ask people how to say different things in their language, and then I try to work out the puzzle of how their language works.

How did you get into linguistics?

Coming from a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, I didn’t have much exposure to different languages as a kid. It wasn’t until high school that I realized I like languages and understanding how they worked. I think it’s really telling that at that time, my three favorite classes were Chemistry, German, and Woodworking. I liked science because it was both interesting and hands-on. So I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. After that I worked in environmental conversation and environmental management. I was also a high school science teacher for a couple of years. But I was missing the language aspect of my interests. It wasn’t until around 2008 that I even heard of language endangerment and language documentation. It sounded amazing – go record and analyze languages that have never been studied before, and help prevent them from disappearing! It took a few more years for me to apply to the MA program here. As I was completing my MA here, I applied again to the PhD program. Now I’m in my second year of the PhD program.

Why did you come to UH?

UHM is actually world-renowned for my specific sub-field of linguistics: language documentation. The training is state-of-the-art. Our department is also excellent for experimental linguistics. And furthermore, we tend to specialized in languages in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes where I do research. So I get to learn from all of my colleagues who are doing really interesting and relevant things.

What is your job here?

I have been assigned to a few different positions as a Graduate Assistant here. For one semester, I was a research assistant. For three semesters, I was an instructor of Ling 102. Now I’m of two directors of the Language Documentation Training Center. All of these have been great positions in which I’ve learned a lot.

What are your career plans?

The dream position for me would allow me to continue doing field research findings with the world, and giving back to the communities I gather data in. I also enjoy teaching. So I’ll probably try to stay in academia to meet these goals.

This week on #HumansofManoa we are very happy to meet Faythe Adrielle Mateo (@fay_the)! I’m Faythe, I’m twenty-one years old and my Major is Kinesiology and Rehab Science or KRS for short. I would say that my favorite part of my major is learning more about the human body. A lot of people go into it because they like to work out or maybe they like sports. But I see it how learning how all parts of our body work to do different movements. Or how they get injured and what you can do to help those injuries.

Why did you get into KRS?

It is a long story. I actually wanted to do physical therapy since I was eleven because my dad injured his ACL and had to go through therapy. So whenever I saw him walking around in this crutches and giant cast, it made me really interested and thinking, ‘Whoa, he’s now having to go through physical therapy? What do they do? How can I help?’ I felt bad just watching him walk around in his crutches. Another part of it was that there were several people in my family who had gone through a stroke and another one who went through cancer. I wanted to be that person who was there to help them, and to be the one to encourage them to get better. I also had done a lot of Special Olympics back in high school. I was volunteering and it kind of inspired me to be someone who could be their encouragement, to be someone who could actually help them and be there for them. I am not going to lie, a lot of it also was due to the fact that I like to work out and I played sports in high school. So whenever I injured myself, it would interest me to think ‘Oh, what could I do to make my foot better? What should I do to be able to go back and play sports again? What did I just hurt?’ All that stuff behind it, but majority of it was family influence. Watching them go through some of their therapy and wanting to know what I could do to help them.

Do you have any work experience in your field?

I am a physical therapy aide at Mililani Physical Therapy. Most of the things we do are clinic maintenance. It is more helping out and doing laundry, cleaning around the clinic, making rooms for each doctor and each patient. That being said, the biggest thing, or biggest importance, with my job is helping files and actually dealing with the discharge of patients. So when a patient is done with our clinic, I am the one that takes apart their file. Another thing we do is help the PT, like helping patients off of machines. We are not necessarily an assistant. Say the patient has to have a wheelchair around them at all times. We will be the one to hold the wheelchair while they walk around the clinic. Sometimes they will have a stimulation and if a PT needs someone to take them off of that machine, we will be given a timer and go in and take them off the machine.

What are your plans after college?

My goal is to try and get into a good doctorate program in physical therapy, but first I think I am going to take six months off to try and work in a hospital. I want to expand my experiences and go through more observation. This is because KRS is a degree that can do more than just physical therapy. There is occupational therapy and psychiatry. There are a lot of areas that fall under it. The majority of them go through athletic training or physical therapy. Physical therapy is really what I want to do.

There has been a part of me that has been looking more at orthopedic surgery though. It is a thought right now, which is why I am thinking of taking six months off to work in a hospital. Orthopedic surgery has been a thought that I recently started thinking of because I have been watching so many surgery videos and I’m like 'I want to do that too!' My ultimate goal, since I was eleven, is to own my own physical therapy clinic or be a pediatric physical therapist.

This week on #HumansofManoa, we are very lucky to meet Matt! My name is Matt Silva, I’m 26 and I am a Law major. My family is originally from the islands, but I grew up in Kona from the time I was 5. I came back for undergraduate and I was 18 and stayed for law school.

What did you do for your undergraduate?

When I applied I selected Botany, then I saw how much chemistry was involved. I’m terrible at chemistry so I nixed Botany and I chose Plants and Environmental Protection Sciences (PEPS) through the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and then I wanted to do another degree in Journalism. Because they were in two different schools, you have to petition the Deans of both schools to be a concurrent degree candidate. So I did that successfully. I went into Journalism and PEPS.

What are your plans in incorporating all of these degrees together for your future career?

There’s a backstory behind that. When I was really small, I wanted to be a police officer, you know when you only know only three different jobs. And then, when I got older I wanted to be a journalist…that was when I was 11. When I was 12, I wanted to be a lawyer. Then when I was 14, I went to a science based charter school and I wanted to be a scientist, working with Environmental Science. When I came here for undergrad, and told them that I was interested in being a Pre-Law student, they said “Well, pick a major you like.” and I was like “Oh okay, I’m gonna do all three!” So I did that. Part way through of being in the majors, I looked up what kind of majors get into Law school. Both Environmental Science and Journalism were in the top 10. I think because so few people in those majors go into Law school…and then once being in Law school, it’s been pretty interesting to see how to be able to incorporate those two backgrounds into what I want to do. So hopefully, I am going to graduate with an Environmental Law certificate. And that’s been made easier from the Plants and Environmental Protection Sciences background. And the Journalism gave me a super great base understanding of writing skills and things like that, that I’ve used here, and that’ll continue with me into the work field. It’s kept alive in interest in First Amendment Constitutional media law stuff, in Environmental Law. And even in other aspects, you can always see that argument.

Do you have any work experience or internships?

I interned in undergrad through a UH program, with Senator Hirono in DC, back when she was Congresswoman. So they actually sent us to D.C, which was really cool because local boy had never been passed Phoenix, and then I just up and moved to Washington, D.C! I’ve wrote for Kaleo for 2 ½ years back in the day where it was published 3 times a week. I actually wrote the Civil Beat column, that covered Public Safety, Campus Security stuff like incidents that happen on campus. And I did Environmental stories and Political reportings as well and science stuff too.

My first summer was at the capitol building here. It was really interesting doing legal legislative research. This last summer, I clerked for a judge in Kona, Judge Ibarra. That was a fantastic experience. I think every law student should try to clerk at least as a student, because you can clerk for a year out of law school, but as a student, it’s just a totally different experience.

Right now I am the president for a student organization here, “Students for Public Outreach and Civic Education” we call it SPOCÉ. We work with high school students, educating them about first amendment issues and basic street law issues to landlord tenants or torts, which are personal injury related. So we go out into the community and do that. I just started my internship last Friday with the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Office here at Hickam.

How did you use the Mānoa Career Center?

Last semester I was on federal work study, so I used the career center to connect me with the job I had last semester. The job was Dean in America Reads reading tutor for elementary school students at Noelani. I worked with their kindergartners in a special set-up during the day and then I tutored first graders in the afternoons.

This week we meet Elizabeth Bos who is currently majoring in Special Education.

What made you decide to come to UH? And do you currently have a job?

Well, my husband was stationed here. He serves in the Marine Corps and I always wanted to leave Washington and really get out there and try something new. I don’t currently have a job. I used to be an infant teacher. I really loved working with kids and I still do. Working with infants is so unique and different. I started out working with just preschoolers, and then went on to work with some babies that were as young as four weeks to a year old.

What was your favorite part about the position?

I guess the fact that there is this level of intimacy. You know, we weren’t just a teacher to them, you had to act as their caregiver. We really got to see a lot of their development. I was there when some of them first learned how to crawl or walk. One of the infants I was watching was really behind in her development and we all really thought she would be the last to improve, but then we started to see her crawl and really develop. She ended up being the first one out of there and we all thought she would be the last. We really got to see a growth from start to finish. It was a really fun and important job.

Earlier when we spoke you had said you were a Junior, are there any fears you have towards moving forward into the future?

I have about two years left for my credits. I wouldn’t say I am scared of moving on from college or anything. I think my fear right now is that my husband is currently supporting me while I go to school, and when he gets out of the military I would like to be able to support him also. Just because I want him to be able to go to school. And the military won’t let him find a job until he is six months done with his contract. I would say that is my one fear.

What about career goals; where do you see yourself in the future?

I really want to go into teaching resource, special education. I had worked with younger kids before, but now it is definitely my dream to work with older kids. Probably from kindergarten to fifth grade if I had the opportunity to choose. I want to work in a special education classroom.

I had read about kids who are leaving North Korea, and it has always been a dream of mine to help kids who are going from one place to something completely opposite, especially in health and transition. I know my degree can get me there, especially living in a place right now that is really diverse. Right now I am getting to know the places where others are coming from that are different from where I came from. It is nice. So I think I could see myself somewhere in South Korea and just help them learn how to be their own person outside of such a dictatorship state. I would definitely need to learn the language first, and I want to.

This week we got to talk to Isaac Inouye about the many passions he has and is currently crushing it in the BFA Graphic Design program. We asked him if he was currently working aside from all of the BFA project work. “Yes, I am currently working at a local surf shop right down the road from school called Surf Garage. I have had to cut back my hours there a bit just so I can really focus on school, but I love working for the surf shop.”

What specifically do you find enjoyable about what you do?

I’ve been working there for a little over a year now. I really like the vibe I get from working with a family run surf shop. They have the right amount of seriousness and professionalism and are very respectful of what we all do outside of work. The one thing that I like about them in particular is their selection of boards and how they’ve stayed true to themselves since they’ve opened. I’m actually currently working on my last project for the design program. It’s a lettering piece, almost like signage that I am doing not specifically for Surf Garage but inspired by the store.

So what about the future, where do you see yourself when it comes to a career?

Well, I like to work with people and I also like art and design, so I hope to find clients and eventually be a freelance graphic designer. I wouldn’t mind working with a team of designers too. It’s nice to have others to should ideas off of. I think my first priority is finding a position that lets me balance working and surfing. Living a healthy life is very important to me. I think sometimes people who work too much can get caught up in it and become unhappy. It’s definitely good to have a hobby outside of work and for me it is surfing and skating.

What are you doing to achieve those goals right now?

Well for one, going to school and being in this program has helped with my design so much, but I also surround myself with people who I like to be with and who push me, or make me happy.

My first summer was at the capitol building here. It was really interesting doing legal legislative research. This last summer, I clerked for a judge in Kona, Judge Ibarra. That was a fantastic experience. I think every law student should try to clerk at least as a student, because you can clerk for a year out of law school, but as a student, it’s just a totally different experience.

What did you want to be when you were growing up and why?

I’ve always wanted to be an architect. For some reason growing up I would draw golf courses, baseball stadiums, and floor plans for my dream house. I think it’s because I had this idea of making a place that I could enjoy being, but early in college I realized that I liked print and photography and graphic design allowed me to enjoy both of those things in a new way.

We had the pleasure of talking with Jennel Sesoko, Admissions Relations Manager for Enrollment Management (@manoa_admissions), and get to know a bit about her. We see Jennel walking the halls every week around our offices, so it is nice to finally get to know her.

I went to school in Washington and got my degree in Art, digital design. We were the second graduating class so it was pretty new and pretty small. I liked the smallness of it even though it wasn't necessarily an art school. The professor leading it and driving it really opened us up to all types of media. I came back to Hilo for six months after graduation and then my parents finally said “Look Jennel, you need to figure out what you are doing with your life.” It is amazing how everyone’s separate path takes you on this crazy adventure to get where you need to be. I choose to stay in Hawaii even though I had a better chance of getting a job within my area in Seattle. I got a job in property management in Waikiki with my college roommate. I was just looking for something to keep me going even though it was completely different from any art form.

Even though I was good at what I was doing, and I was getting promoted for it, there was still something missing, and that was the professional development side of things. I didn’t feel like I was necessarily working towards something there. I was doing freelance design work on the side but wasn’t really pursuing it. I started working at the Sheraton Waikiki and moved my way up quickly. At that time, I got married, had kids and I decided to take a step back and focus on my family. When I looked for a new position within Starwood, I brought my portfolio of all the design work I had done. They were blown away. They just happened to be cutting ties with their previous ad group and were looking to take everything in house so they offered me the position of taking the lead on everything with a team. I was there for 2 years, and it was just the best thing ever.

What is your position here?

My position now, here, is admissions relations manager. It is taking care of our online marketing, so like our social media, redesigning all of our publications, and seeing the creative side of that. I also take care of our ad buys. In a nutshell, I take care of the marketing side of enrollment, but on a much smaller scale.

It took me a while to realize that whatever is in your mind that you think you want to do, you just have to be faithful to that and know it will work out. I didn’t exactly know why I got into Property Management, but it got me to this point. I think the paths will get you to where you need to go, eventually.

We asked Jennel if she had any fun stories she could tell us about any of her past working experiences and she decided instead to tell us an “honest story.”

I almost didn’t graduate. My advisor mis-advised me and 2 months before graduation told me I was 3 credits short. Coincidently, my advisor was the professor that was leading that whole program, so he told me to come in these specific hours and I’ll give you 2 credits just to be my aid or something. I just had one more credit to take that summer. I wasn’t planning on staying in Seattle though over summer, because my sister was getting married in India. My advisor told me I could go there and do some sort of independent study and that will be my 1 last credit I needed. That was in 2006. Life happened and I just didn’t finish that one credit, but I had done everything else. It’s sad when there is something you know you need to do and you keep avoiding it. I didn’t end up submitting everything until 2008. It was 2 years late, but it was good and I am really happy I finished it. I think it was very evident that life just happens, but you should never give up. I mean I wouldn’t be here without it.

What did you want to be when you were little?

I always wanted to be a figure skater when I was young. It was between that or being in the FBI, like forensic science. I was really big into X-Files when I was younger.

This week we got to get to know a member of the Mānoa Career Center (MCC) team a little better. Here at MCC we can always see Jai in the office working hard on some kind of confusing code, with 3 computers up and running on his desk, or fixing any printing problem. He told us a little more about himself and what he does here. “I’m Jai and I’m 22 years old. I came to UH because I grew up here on island in Liliha and wanted to stay here. I’ve always known I wanted to come to UH. I am currently studying computer sciences. I guess I always knew I wanted to study computer sciences too. I’ve always been interested in technology engineering. I was in the engineering academy at McKinley High School.”

Jai, you have helped the marketing team a bunch with our printing issues. Could you explain to us a little about what you do here at MCC?

Well, I mainly take care of updates and backups on all of the computers in the office. Aside from that though, I help my supervisor with other projects that he asks me to do, like programming applications or addressing printing issues like yours and other staff members might have.

What drew you to computer sciences?

Well, at a very young age, I used to game a lot and play on the computer. I think that I had this curiosity when I was really little about how exactly computers worked and that really sparked my interest ever since and drew me into all of this. One of my all-time favorite games that I started out with was probably the first version of Street Fighter.

What about the future? What kind of career goals do you have for yourself? And are there any fears you have for the future?

I hope to get a job in the IT industry. I am a senior right now, but a semester behind, so it is all coming up soon. I’d like to work with a team of other IT professionals and help customers with their computer issues. I am pretty open to where I would work though. I wouldn’t mind staying here or going to the mainland. I haven’t really narrowed down any places yet though. I guess my only real fear for the future would be just transition from being in school for so long, to being in the work force. I’m not entirely sure if I’m ready for that yet.

We asked Jai what he wanted to be when he was younger and his answer was short and simple, but grand.

SUPERMAN.

Kaili works here at MCC with us and she had a big last week with a ceramics sale, so we wanted to talk to her more about her art and future. “I’m Kaili Hamada and I’m 18 years old and I am currently majoring in studio art with a focus in ceramics. I came to UH because it’s so diverse and the art department had so many options. I really wanted to take a class from Mary Babcock because she specializes in weaving and textiles, but there were a ton of prerequisites to get into her class, so I figured I would get there over time. I started up with ceramics and ended up loving it, but I am actually going to take her class next semester.”

Tell me a little bit about yourself before you came to UH and a little bit about where you see yourself after school.

Well I grew up in Cerritos, California. It is a small city in Orange County, but right on the border of LA. My high school was the number one academic high school in California and we were a top STEM school. It was always kind of hard as an artist to be on the same level as everyone else, but I had a really great art teacher that made it fun. I think after school I would just want to go wherever I can find a teaching position. I think it would be great if I could go somewhere to get my masters, but teach art at the same time. I’m not too sure if I want to do that here or back home, maybe San Francisco, I don’t know. I think I would want to teach ceramics though. I’ve always wanted to set up my own studio and be a self-employed artist but if that doesn’t work out, I think it would be really great to be a professor because then I get to do what I love and share it with others at the same time.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Oh man, there were so many things I wanted to be! At first I wanted to go to school in San Francisco as an Art minor, and a sociology major. I think that’s a subject that I’ve always excelled in and it’s something that interests me. Learning about human interaction and society and then getting to see it first hand on a daily basis was really cool. But when I was really little I wanted to be a ballerina for a long time, then a sociology professor, and then an artist. And now I am here.

What are some of your fears about the future?

I don’t know, I’ve always been the person who was really excited for the future. I don’t know what exactly is going to happen, but I think that is the best part. I think it would be great to someday have my own studio and do private lessons on the side to still teach people, but we’ll all just see where everything goes.

This week we had the privilege of getting to know Moona Whyte. She has a few very different but awesome hobbies that she told us about that kept her here at UH.

I was really decided between art colleges or regular colleges, but I really wanted to still be able to surf and kite surf wherever I ended up. I figured here you have the most perfect conditions. I was looking into some schools in California, but none of them really drew me in like UH did. I’ve surfed pretty much my whole life, and always lived and grew up around the ocean. My parents were always in the water so I learned how to surf when I was really young and started to do kite surfing.

I started here at UH, but am more into competitions now. I did a contest on Maui, which was the World Championship contest and won that, and then that next semester I went to Morocco for another competition. It was nice because I got to go to school and learn, but still travel. I didn’t see kite surfing as much of a job, I saw it as more of a hobby, and something I loved to do.

Since you are graduating soon, what do you hope to do after school?

Well, I took a screen printing class here, and they kind of set you up for at home screen printing once the class is coming to an end, so I started making shirts and I want to do a little business after I graduate. Right after I graduate I’ll probably do a little more of the kite surfing stuff, and then I’ll hopefully start doing freelance graphic design just while I am traveling around. I think I would like to at some point of time own a business or something. There are design studios here that are super cool, but I really see myself doing more freelance work. It is kind of scary because I don’t exactly know what I am doing yet and it feels like it is coming up so soon.

What did you want to be when you were little?

I was always interested in art when I was little. I always knew I wanted to be an artist. I didn't know I wanted to get into graphic design though. That just started when I got to UH as I was looking through the courses and saw graphic design and just googled it. Literally typed in " what is graphic design?" It seemed to be something I could get into. I did a lot of painting and drawing in high school and I liked it, but it wasn't inspiring for me, so I found the graphic design courses and really liked them."

This week we are very lucky to meet Annalise Johnson! Today we get to know her plans of using her psychology and art degree together. “My name is Annalise Johnson. I’m a psychology major with an art minor and I’m twenty-two years old. I’ve looked at a lot of different options. I really want to travel after school, but after traveling and exploring, I would like to potentially go to an art therapy school. And maybe finish my art major, with less focus towards psychology even though that was my original major at UH.”

What brought you to UH specifically?

My grandma is from Maui and lived there when I was younger, so I would visit Maui often. I lived in Colorado for a year and it was close to home so that’s why I chose Colorado. But I just wanted something different and I’ve always loved Hawaii just because I grew up coming here. One of my best friends didn’t like school in California either, so we just decided together that we wanted to transfer schools to UH. We ended up liking it here, and have been here ever since.

How did you get into ceramics?

I got into ceramics a little bit when I was younger. I just took small-hand building classes, and then after I graduated high school, for a summer, I took a weekly class where they taught you how to throw on the wheel and glaze your pieces. It was pretty basic, and then I took intro at UH and I realized I was really enjoying ceramics. I then took vessels, sculptures, technical ceramics which is glaze making, and I’m also retaking vessels and then next semester I’m taking low fire temperature cooking.

What is your inspiration?

For my pieces, my main inspirations is just… I like to create a lot of pieces with mandalas and a lot of colorful aesthetics. I like crystals on my pieces. I hand paint and hand carve a lot of pieces. So I make pretty simple forms and then I try to create more intricate carvings, and then that kind of brings the piece to life and makes it better to look at.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would definitely be to travel and do residencies at ceramic institutes. But also I think it would be fun to be a functional production potter. To just make work and take time off to travel. I would kind of be on my own schedule that way and I can create things, sell them, and have people enjoy them. Then I can also earn enough money to get by and go travel.

This week we were very lucky to meet the amazing Cesar Souza, we got to learn more about why he decided to come to UH to pursue his psychology degree. “Originally I’m from Long Beach California, and my family vacationed to Hawaii two years ago during my application process. I was just thinking of random schools that were outside of the state that I wanted to go to because I lived in Long Beach my entire life, well basically since I was 5 years old. I felt like the best thing for me was to get a scenery change. I originally got accepted to a school in the North West. But when I got accepted to Hawaii, even though I’ve never been to Hawaii in my life, I thought to myself, well it can’t be that bad. So, I decided to go to Hawaii, and I loved it here ever since.

What are your plans with your career after college?

Well essentially, I have two plans in life. I’m a psychology major, if I continue with the psychology route, I want to work towards child psychology because I want to work with children. But the other route I have in my life is I’ll be taking the LSAT this summer, in hopes of going to law school and doing immigration law.

Who inspired you to do this?

In terms of the child psychology path, when I was younger, I was dealing with some problems in middle school and during that they referred me to a child psychologist. This child psychologist basically changed my life. They were really impactful and helpful in me changing as a person and into the adult I am today.

Along with the child psychologist that helped him, there was another person who inspired Cesar to potentially pursue immigration law.

When it comes to the law route, when I was younger, my mother and I had immigration problems because we’re originally from Brazil. We moved out here when I was 5 years old. My mom had decided that she wanted to live out here, but there were difficulties with the paperwork in order to stay here. This lawyer basically went about and put his own effort in, without really asking us for any money, because at the time we didn't have much money at all. He worked his hardest to make sure that we stayed in America. That man inspired me to want to do the same, and give back to the people who are following the same path I have. So, I’d love to do the same thing as him.

It sounds like what you do is very stressful; what things do you do to relieve your stress?

Basically what I do to relieve my stress is playing basketball. Basketball has been a big part of my entire life. I played at multiple levels, and when I get out on the court to shoot around and play, I feel like I’m in another world. I escape all the stresses of everything and I just release it all on the court and it’s a great feeling. So, basketball is basically what I do.

This week, we are very lucky to meet Brandon! "I'm Brandon Day, I'm 29 and a Marine Biology major. I always had a passion to work with animals and to be in the water. I was on the swim team for about fifteen years. I’m not good with people, but I grew up on a ranch and a farm so animals are just my forte. And combing the two, you get marine biology."

What brought you to UH?

I always wanted to live on an island or like a tropical island. I like the isolation surrounded by water and all my hobbies are all in the water, on the water, or at least near it. The University of Hawai‘i when I was doing my research was rated at least the top ten in marine biology in the United States. So, it kind of helped lead me into coming to UH. I looked at some other schools like Scripps in California, a couple of spots in Florida, Oregon and Washington and mainly I just wanted to get away from home. And I actually always just wanted to live in Hawai‘i since I was a kid from watching the shows and movies.

Have you had any experience in your field?

I’ve been conducting research, learning how to properly do research, papers, methodologies, everything from there in this lab. When I finished high school, I went into the military so it’s a completely different ball game.

What kind of research do you do here?

So I do a few different ones. Dealing with the cone snails, we research their toxins and looking into their toxins to see how we can make them into a medicinal use. For example, pain medication there’s one called Prialt. That’s a pain medicine and we have about under 20 medications that are coming from this lab or at least associated with this lab. And the other association with the cone snail toxins is cancer fighting medications. The other projects are ecology, histology, and genetics of the ʻopihi and eventually I’m going to get into cowrie research. So anything that has to do with mollusks.

What are your plans after college?

Mainly I just want to become a researcher. I want to find new medicines. I want to explore the oceans. I want to pretty much bring medicine to the communities that don’t have the money to fend off say like, cancer or terminal disabilities. The research that we’re conducting, can actually aid in help of that.

And I’ve been told that we might do some marijuana research. There is a documentary dealing with Parkinson’s disease. An old guy has Parkinson’s, he can’t move his legs, he can’t do his routines. But when he gets a little marijuana in his system say from some edibles, in about 10 minutes, he is able to stand up, hold a conversation, he can brush his teeth and everything. That kind of research not just dealing with marijuana but the research that helps someone go about their daily routine or daily life without being inebriated. Say if you have pain in your body like your shoulder or leg, you take an oxycodone or valium, your whole body goes numb. You’re completely relaxed but at the same time you can’t drive a vehicle, you can’t operate machinery, you’re pretty much just lying in bed useless. But the medication we’re producing, allows you to still perform your duties, allows you to drive and not be inebriated at all.

This week we are very lucky to meet Jeanne Mau! Although she originally majored in Communications, she realized that the Entertainment Business was more her speed. We are very lucky to hear her Career Story and any advice she can give for college students.

“So my career story is I went to high school in Hawaii, and then I went to school at the University of San Diego and then after that, I moved home for a little bit. My internship transferred me from San Diego to Honolulu, and I did that for two or three years. It was in tourism, it was destination planning, then I realized I wanted to do something in entertainment, and that's really broad, like I didn't know what it was. So I cold turkey moved out to Los Angeles, not knowing anyone and just jumping in. I got my first job circling classifieds in the LA Times, and I found a job working for the in-house travel agency for Turner Broadcasting. That job led to another job, led to another job, and I pretty much had four or five jobs before I landed into this job for CBS.

It was a journey, and it still is a journey. It wasn't something that I knew I wanted to do until I started it. Like Tiffany said, unless it’s a specific trade in entertainment, you figured you wanted to do, television, features, or digital, or you want to be a representative, you want to be an agent or manager, or you want to go to law school to become, you know in business affairs, so like it really is this evolution process. Then I landed at CBS and I’ve been there for seventeen years. I worked for fifteen years in programming, and then two years ago, we expanded the diversity department and I transitioned over to help run the diversity department with Tiffany.”

What is a piece of advice you would give to college students?

The one piece of advice, is like, you don’t really need to know. That's the thing. You don't really need to know. You just don't. I mean, students think that the more jobs and the more internships you have will help you figure out what you need to know, like the better. It just makes you more well-rounded. It gives you a better perspective of what you want to major in, so definitely. Like I want to major in biology, I’m going to be a biologist, to hold yourself to that is great, if that’s what you want to do. I think that there’s also that understanding that you’re going to figure it out in your twenties or maybe in your thirties. I think that's kind of something we have to embrace in the journey of it all.

What were the defining moments in making the transition from college to your career?

I think the defining moment, was in the really hard jobs that I knew I didn't want to be there. It helped me better define, that I’m going to use the skills that I learned in college. The soft skills, more than the theories and all the other text books, it’s really the soft skills that helped me better understand, especially in those adverse situations when it came to jobs that it's not what I wanted to do. So I think there were certain moments in my career that helped me best define that I didn't want to be in features. I just didn't, it took too long, there was so much turnover and things just took too long to see into fruition. I wanted to be in television, where things happened fast and they moved and they evolved. So yeah, I think it really is kind of the overall art of that experience.

What were the biggest struggles during college and right after college?

I think the biggest struggle during college was the uncertainty of what was happening after the four years. “Where was I going to live?” I think there was also the notion that I was moving back home, and it wasn't because I failed, I was moving back home because I still needed to figure out what I wanted to do. And so the idea of leaving home to go to college and coming back to it, it was the best thing I could have ever done. I saved a ton of money, and realized I didn't want to do this. I saved my money and moved to L.A. and just kind of rode it out. So I think it’s really about jumping in and taking those risks.

What were your biggest challenges?

I think one of my biggest challenges was leaving Programming. It wasn’t a challenge but it was something. Change is hard. I was in it for fifteen years. So having to learn a new role, having to adapt to it, and having to make it more than it was, was a really good challenge. It forced me to have to use a different muscle, because I was so comfortable using the other one for fifteen years. That I think was a really good challenge for me, and it paid off.

This week we are very lucky to feature Tiffany Smith-Anoa’i! She went into college hoping to become a sports broadcaster, but realized she could do so much more behind the camera and entered the Entertainment Business. We are very lucky to hear her Career Story and any advice she has for us college students!

“My story began in Howard University, where I thought I was going to be a sports broadcaster. And then once I did an internship, ironically with CBS, I realized I didn’t want to be a sports broadcaster. That was the start though of my career in television. Knowing that I no longer wanted to be in front of the camera. I wanted to be behind the camera and really make a difference in making sure that voices as well as talents are heard that sometimes are traditionally in the forefronts. So working with writers, directors, producers, actors, as well as creative talents, that was the beginning of my story.”

What were the defining moments in making the transition from college to your career?

The defining moments in the transition from college to my career now were several stepping-stones. So I didn’t come right out of college into the world that I’m in. I had several other jobs in between there. That’s why it’s important that a lot of times with college students, unless you’re going to be something very specific: a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, those have a very specific route. When you’re in communications, or art, or theatre, you have “the world is your oyster” as I like to say, so you have so many options and you’re not just held down to one thing. So I think the biggest part of the transition was that I stayed passionate about what I wanted to do and I never stopped talking. And that was the biggest thing, that I always was able to talk my way into almost everything. I was obviously prepared but that’s the biggest thing ‘did you have to learn how to effectively communicate?’

What were your biggest struggles during college and right after college?

Biggest struggles during college, I was one of those that worried so much that the first day of my freshman year “I’m never going to get a job, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” I was too much of that, so I think that that was a lot of the worries and then on graduation day I’ll never forget, and here I am graduating with honors, and I’m looking back like “aw I was not that bad.” But during it you feel like the world is ending and it’s all on your shoulders that you’ll never find a job. So you live in a lot of absolutes, never always those types of things. That was probably what I struggled with most during school. Right after graduation it was, again, “what am I going to do?” Because it wasn’t as if there was a shiny box that a job is wrapped up into afterwards, so I think that afterwards you’re really trying to figure out what you want to do.

What were your biggest challenges?

My biggest challenges, I would say is when I was younger, was not trusting myself enough. I could talk my way out of a winning lotto ticket, and it was one of those where I would question everything so much. I think that was a challenge of my own. Then I would say as I progressed within my career, there is a tremendous amount of unconscious bias just because automatically we judge people just by what they look like as soon as we see them. So we’ve already made up in our mind “Oh they probably don’t know this or do know that” and I think those were a few of the challenges where I had to consistently educate people.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to a college student?

One piece of advice I would give to all college students is to remain relentless. In whatever pursuit they are doing, you have to remain relentless.

This week we are very happy to introduce you to our boss, Wendy Sora in honor of National Boss's Day!

"My first job ever was in high school. I worked at a poi factory. I’d work one afternoon a week with a few friends packing kulolo. After that, I worked in retail. I always had a job so I was used to juggling between work, school, sports, and activities. In college, I remember walking into the Student Employment Office (SEO) and I saw a friend who was working. He asked me about what kind of work I was looking for and the next thing I knew, I was doing a typing test and interviewing with a supervisor. In those days, job listings were printed on index sized cards and the student assistants would sort through the cards to suggest some jobs. I worked at the SEO throughout my undergraduate and graduate degrees and I LOVED all the experiences, roles, positions, and supervisors. It's likely what shaped my career expectations for working in higher education as a career counselor."

How did you transition from career counselor to director?

By the time I was in my master's program, MEd in vocational rehabilitation counseling, I knew I wanted to work with adults in career transition. I spent some time working in the private sector with adults who needed to change careers then quickly moved on to work at a local private college as a Co-op and internship administrator. I loved being back in the university setting but my heart was with my alma mater, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). Some years later, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a full time professional in the office that I began my student employee journey. I loved working as a Co-op and Career Counselor and as I continued my career, I was just lucky to be involved in committees and initiatives that showed me the many ways that I can make a difference for students. When the opportunity to be the director of the Mānoa Career Center (MCC) arose, it was important to me to continue to make the MCC a great place for students to discover their career potential with the efforts of a truly great staff. Being the director of the MCC is an honor. I am truly thankful for the each and every single staff on the MCC team.

What was your major in college and how does it pertain to your current career?

My undergraduate major decisions were like a roller coaster of highs and lows. There were courses that I really connected with and others that were on the bottom of the list. I struggled with deciding on a major because I was interested in learning about different things. As I went back and forth with deciding, I spent time working at the SEO, got involved as an ethnic studies lab leader, joined the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) student organization to network with professionals, and was in the very first group of ACE peer mentors. All of the non-class experiences really shaped my decision to pursue a counseling degree.

Why do you think the Career Center is important for students?

A student once shared that it's scary to think about going to the career center, so I asked ‘why?’ She said the thought about "careers" seemed so big and serious. This really stuck with me because I believe that students are already meeting their career milestones by being at the UHM and wanting to do more with their lives. Students are the heartbeat of the campus and the Mānoa Career Center is really about being here for students from the very start of and throughout their college journey - whether it be gaining experience through on campus work, pursuing internships, meeting with a career counselor to talk about career life plans, networking with employers to find out about what they do, and so much more!

Any career advice for students?

Your career is more than just your college degree. It’s more than knowing what job title or job duties you are interested in. It's about being able to doing something that aligns with your values and what is important to you. It’s completely normal to get caught up with the busy-ness and priorities of school, work, and personal life matters. But, do take some time to pause and really think about those moments, experiences, and people who have been important to you, taught you something you didn’t realize about yourself, and perhaps, shaped your expectations. Have career life goals and plans. When the unplanned and unexpected things come along and changes our plans, it's really about our ability to bounce back and do what it takes to keep moving forward. That's really the beauty of careers…everyone's career path is special and unique.

This week, we are very happy to meet Yuuki!

I am Yuuki Niimi, I am twenty-one years old and I am a Marine Biology major. I picked Marine Biology because it was one of the majors that UH offered, which I had a big interest in. As a freshman, I did not know what to go in as and I made the right choice going into this major. I am also from NorCal and coming to UH was a good choice for Marine Biology because it is surrounded by the ocean so it is good for studying the deep ocean.”

What is your favorite part about biology?

My favorite part is that the researchers and professors at UH are very friendly and helpful to their students. Likewise, they will sometimes give research options during class. I think that is really special because I do not really hear a lot of positive things about professors approaching students in other majors. Since it is such a huge field, we don’t really know a lot about marine biology despite 95-96% of the planet being covered in water. Most of this undiscovered area is in the deep, so it has become a big interest and passion of mine. It’s like we find new things from month to month, every year, and I want to be one of the guys who finds something big down there.

Do you have any work experience with Marine Biology?

During my freshmen year, I got into a lab with the Pacific Biosciences Research Center Sealab, which is all the way up by the Biomedical building. There, I did a study involving predatory-interaction involving juvenile clownfish and a copepod, which is a little, tiny zooplankton that's found throughout the ocean. We were seeing how these little, tiny clownfish feed on the copepods and that was one of the things to got me into the field. The next research experience I had was going into a deep-sea ecology lab at the Marine Science Building, and that is where I work. There, I look at the ecosystem of the fishes and invertebrates found in the mid-column of the ocean and equator.

The subject matter is if you went from the equator out, and how the community composition differs. This information helps out the fisheries down there. The things that I am looking at, called micronektons, are primary food for big fish like tuna or swordfish. These fish are a big game/commercial fish, so knowing the patterns of the tuna and their relation to the equator is detrimental. It is really fun research I am doing, I really love it because I get to see all these creatures down there. For instance, I observe the Anglerfish and the “Stink Bomb Shrimp”. Which is this huge shrimp, I mean, even I would like to eat it but it is preserved in chemicals and stuff. There are some cool things down there that you don’t really see in coral reefs.

Do you do any other activities outside of school and work?

Right now I am the vice president of the Japanese Cultural Club. Since I do have interest in Japanese Culture, and wanting to share with others, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to be an officer for a semester or a year. Also, I wanted to make a connection to international students and Japanese exchange students and meeting with them. I thought it is a cool opportunity to talk with them and exchange things about each other's lives and such.

What are your plans after college?

I would like to get a Master’s or Ph.D. If it’s a Master’s then I would like to move on to a Ph.D. and conduct more of my own work. In the future, maybe become one of the researchers under the government or just a professor.

This week, we are very lucky to meet, Brian! “My name is Brian Mayeshiro, I am 21, and I am a Computer Science major with a minor in Communicology. I picked my major because I think it provides me with the most opportunities to achieve my dreams, goals, and ambitions. I want to become a game developer but after I pursue that, I want to become a teacher and focus on education. I want to focus more on the systemic things about education and maybe even the politics about it too. I want to become a game developer because the thing I like about making games is the story aspect. A lot of the time the story is underrated and it’s not valued as much as it was before.

The greatest thing about video games and the story is that it’s very interactive. Unlike a movie, you’re watching things happen but in the game, you are actually the person who is causing things to happen. It’s a whole different experience. It’s almost like you’re being put in someone else’s shoes. The emotional impact of video games with the story is a lot more powerful because of that interaction aspect. That is one of the main things that I like about it.”

What do you do in ACM as president and what other activities and events does ACM have?

I am in charge of organizing events with the ICS Department. That includes town halls where we talk about the curriculum and ways to improve things. I feel that is a really good way to improve the program and bring in more students. We have socials and professional events, and we usually bring in professionals from around the island. When we have a career fair, there are recruiters coming from the mainland and we invite them here to talk. Like for example, we had IBM last year. This year, we have people from the NSA come talk to us and also Booz Allen Hamilton, they are a military consulting firm. The point is that we are trying to bring in a lot of opportunities for students so when they graduate they can find a job and they won’t be stuck.

How did you become a game developer for White Tulip and what is it about?

I had friends who had experiences with depression and mental illness in general. That really inspired me to take on the White Tulip project because I feel like I’m making a positive impact on the world. Because that is the goal, I don’t want to make a profit out of it. That is why I’m donating the profits from that project to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The game is a 2D puzzle platformer. What a platformer is, is that it’s similar to a game like Mario, where you are jumping on platforms. What’s different is that you are solving puzzles as you’re doing it. That’s supposed to symbolize overcoming depression. Sometimes it’s like life. Sometimes it’s just a very challenging puzzle that can be really complicated. So, using that as a metaphor, that’s basically the premise of a puzzle platform.

What are some other projects you are working on?

Right now, I’m working on a VR house kitchen game. It’s completely separate, the comparison between that and White Tulip is night and day. You have to have your fun projects every once in a while. You can’t be all serious all the time. So, we’re trying to do a VR house kitchen game where we have like a Gordon Ramsay.

What are some plans you have after college?

Immediate plans: I want to get a job in the game industry. After a few years of experience, I want to move back to Hawaii and take a job in teaching.

This week, we are very happy to meet, Colby Pacupac! "I'm Colby Pacupac, I'm 21, and I'm a French and Chinese major. I entered college thinking I was going to be an engineering major because that's what makes a lot of money, of course. Then right before I started my first semester, I thought to myself, ‘Am I really going to put myself through rough courses for so long just to make money doing a job for which I have no passion?’

For many, I believe it's totally fine to go into a field just for the money. For me, I wanted to enjoy what I was studying and eventually it will guide me towards the right career path. So I took the placement test for French and I placed rather high and thought that maybe I could make something of this, so I decided to declare French as my major. I wanted to double major in something so I tried Business, then Music Education, and then Second Language Studies... and then I took a Chinese class and well, the rest is history. I really like learning languages so I really like being able to see the progress I've made throughout my time studying these languages."

What do you want to do with your French and Chinese major after college?

I definitely want to go into education after I graduate college. To get my teaching credentials and maybe a Master Degree in Education or French/Chinese Language. I want to be able to teach language in Hawaii, maybe to one day take over my former French teacher's position at my Alma Mater (Pearl City).

Do you have any work experience with your major?

A little back story, I'm also a Zumba instructor so I teach classes at UH and various gyms as well. And with my French major, I used that as a reason to go study abroad in France for a whole summer to get some credits towards my French degree. During this time studying abroad, I was able to take a Zumba Masterclass, a training course, and teach some Zumba classes all in French! It was such an amazing experience to combine my passions for Zumba and learning languages and get something so beneficial for something that may become a future career!

What is your dream job?

My dream job would definitely be a teacher. Teachers are so underrated and under-appreciated (and also under paid). I would love to teach French or Chinese so that I can inspire the future generations to learn languages and communicate with people of different cultures and backgrounds. I would love to be any kind of teacher, whether it be a language teacher or a Zumba instructor. I love the interaction and responsibility that comes with teaching students.

This week, we are very luck to meet Kalene! "Hi I'm Kalene Garcia, I'm 22 years old, and I'm a Business Management major. Honestly, I had no idea what major I wanted to go into. The reason I chose business was because I needed to put down a major for scholarship purposes and business seemed general enough to do different things with. After briefly exploring other majors, I decided to stick with business. The teachers here at Shidler are nice and the course material is interesting, but my favorite thing about being a business major is being part of Shidler. After being around the same group of kids throughout all of your classes you start to bond with them and I think the students that I meet through Shidler are pretty cool."

Are you in any clubs?

Yes, I am involved in a business club on campus called Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). I joined the club last semester on a whim as way to get more involved on campus and meet new people. I liked the club so much, that this semester I am on the executive board as the Director of Student Affairs. Basically, what I do for my position is plan recruitment week in the beginning of the semester, plan all of the socials that we host, as well as helping my other board members when needed. All together we attend workshops, community service/volunteer work, company tours, socials, and fundraisers throughout the semester that prepare us for the workforce and help us grow both personally and professionally.

Do you have any work experience/internships in the field?

I do not have work experience in the management field per say, however I do have work experience from the jobs that I have now. I currently work in the undergraduate admissions office here at UH Mānoa and I work as a hostess at Tommy Bahamas in Waikiki. Even though these jobs are not necessarily in my career path I feel as though the things that I can learn and take away from them can prove to be beneficial. For instance, in both of my jobs I am constantly interacting with the public and because of this I have to have great customer service skills and know how to present myself professionally to reflect the company.

What are your plans after college?

After college, I plan on landing a job through the internship I have or through networking with professionals on getting a stable job that can support myself financially. Going back to school and earning my masters is something that is not completely off the table, however, I do not want to go back to school, depending on exactly what I end up doing.

What is your dream job?

My absolute dream job would be to have someone pay me to just be alive but seeing as though no one is willing to do that, I have to get a new dream. My dream job would be to work as a recruiter in a university because they constantly get to travel and talk to new people, or to be a high school guidance counselor.

This week, we are very excited to meet, LaJoya Reed Shelly! "Hi I'm LaJoya, and I'm a Ph.D. student in Educational Administration-Higher Education. My husband and I relocated to Oahu in December 2014. I began pursuing a Masterʻs degree in Educational Administration-Higher Education emphasis in Fall 2015. I graduated with my M.Ed in Spring 2017 and am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the same area. My research interests primarily focuses on the socialization experiences of Black women in doctoral programs, particularly individuals who aspire to join the professoriate."

Can you talk about your career journey?

My first role in higher education was in 2011. I served as a program coordinator for a graduate program in College of Education at my previous institution. While at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), I have worked as a Graduate Assistant for the office of Student Equity, Excellence, and Diversity (SEED), a Manoā Peer Advisor, and now serve as a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Student Academic Services (OSAS) in the College of Education (COE). Recently, I co-taught a Success Lab as part of the Mānoa Access Initiative (MAI)."

Are you involved with any organizations?

During my time at UHM, I have served as the Secretary of the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), President of the Black Student Association (BSA), and President of the Higher Education Student Association (HESA). Currently, I serve as chair of the Alice Augusta Ball Black Graduation ceremony for BSA. I also have been selected to represent the COE as a Student Ambassador and will represent the Department of Education Administration and the COE during COE day at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. Professionally, I serve as the chair of the African American Knowledge Community (AAKC) for National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Hawai‘i.

What are some things that The Black Student Association (BSA) do?

The Black Student Association (BSA) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa serves Black students and focuses on topics important to Blacks/African Americans.

BSA endeavors to:

Enhance and facilitate the academic success of all students of color
Increase awareness and understanding of African American issues, history and culture
Promote unity among African American students
Protect the intersectional civil rights of African American Students
Engage and connect with topics surrounding blackness in Hawaii
Promote and preserve black studies at the University of Hawaii
Ensure the enrichment of a supportive environment for African American students
Encourage the involvement of African American students in campus and community activities along with community service.
Support the enrollment, retention, and graduation of African American students

My involvement with BSA has been one of the highlights of my time at UHM. I am also grateful for the continued support of faculty in the departments of Education Administration and Ethnic Studies, SEED, and countless others who have supported my personal, academic, and professional growth.

This week, we are very happy to meet Michelle! She will be graduating this Fall, so a huge congratulations are in order for her! We wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors!

"I'm Michelle Nishijima, I'm 22 years old and I'm a Travel Industry Management (TIM) major. I was originally a biology major, but I quickly realized that it wasn't my passion. I had a roommate that was majoring in TIM at the time, which was something I hadn't even heard of before enrolling at University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). Even though I haven't done that much of it, I've always wanted to go into a field where I could travel the world. I also wanted to take on a major that would help me improve and expand on my leadership and communication skills, because I was really shy and kept to myself in high school. So this major seemed like the best option to accomplish all of those, and I switched over and ended up loving it.

My favorite part about this major is that there's so many opportunities to learn about the industry outside of school and to network with professionals who share your passion. I also like that the TIM program helps you with finding internships because you have the chance to get industry experience before graduating."

What was your experience at UHM like?

My time here was really memorable. I'm graduating this semester, so I've been looking back at all the cool experiences I've had here. I'll miss going to the sports games and events like Aloha Bash where I could have fun and spend time with my friends. I'll also miss meeting and helping people at my job at Hamilton Library. I'm definitely happy I chose to attend this school rather than staying on the mainland; studying on the beach is way more productive than sitting in a coffee shop in my opinion.

Have you had any work experience / internships in your field?

This past summer, I had an internship working with an event planning company. I basically shadowed my mentor and she walked me through the process of choosing venues, designing event content, and keeping track of attendees. Something I really enjoyed was that I was able to sit in on a few of the board meetings at the Hawaii Convention Center; it really gave me a firsthand experience as to what I could expect if I were to enter this industry. I also got to experience events that were very unique and special to Hawaii, like the homecoming of the Hōkūle'a. The most rewarding part of that internship was seeing how all the hard work paid off and the praise you received from the attendees for doing a good job.

I also worked as a hostess at a restaurant in Waikiki, which actually served as another internship for TIM. I met a lot of great people while working there and the experience I gained acted as a valuable stepping stone for the summer internship I had afterwards.

What are your plans after college?

After spending some time working either here or back in the SF Bay Area where I'm originally from, I eventually want to obtain a working visa for Australia and spend a year out there. The good thing about majoring in travel management is that you can basically work anywhere and enjoy what you do. I've never travelled that far overseas before and I think immersing myself in a place unfamiliar to me like Australia would be a great experience.

What is your dream job?

My dream job would probably be to be a travel writer, or to write for some kind of travel magazine or website. I think in the back of my mind I've always thought that kind of job wouldn't make me enough money or that it was kind of a step down from being a manager at a big company. But after going to school in Hawaii and experiencing all the diverse colors and cultures here, it's made me want to be more creative and showcase my own experiences with others.

This week, we are very happy to meet one of our own student staff members, Troy Carson!

"I chose computer science for a profession and a second major in classics (Greek and Roman studies) to indulge in my personal passions. Ultimately in life; I want to have a family and never be forced to deny my children an opportunity for a lack of financial utility. While I would love to research or teach history or philosophy, there just isn't the demand for it and those jobs honestly don't pay very much. So, I turned to my other passion of computer science. With technology progressing the way it is there is an exceedingly high demand for tech-savvy individuals to fill high-paying positions. Computer science was simply the more practical option to focus on in terms of an occupation, however, I still love ancient history, primarily Roman history, and so took on the second major for a more holistic college experience and well-rounded education."

What is your favorite part of your major?

I love that I can take two majors that provide very different experiences. Computer science is a dynamic field that sees constant innovation whereas history is far more static and unchanging. Computer science generally engages me more with empirical thinking and classics with more rational and subjective learning.

What are your plans after college?

After college I will be seeking employment in some sort of cyber industry, likely related to security as that is my major's focus. I enjoy security as I have been involved with it for many years now. I was in Punahou's Cyber Patriot team in high school and now continue on as a mentor to pass on what I know to the younger students. This team competes in national cyber security competitions and serves as a great entry point for students to break into the computer world. From the past six years of my involvement, I have gained a strong interest in security and so working for a government agency would be an excellent fit for me and my aspirations.

What do you do here at the Career Center?

I work in the University of Hawaii at Mānoa's Career Center as a computer specialist. I work to maintain and update all of the computers and network technologies that the office requires to function. I am working on different things every week, often encountering problems that I have never before had to solve. This always changing and unexpected work environment forces me to teach myself how to solve the problems that I encounter—a skill that every computer scientist needs to cultivate in order to be successful given the rapidly changing nature of the field. I love that I was able to find an on-campus position that provides good pay, relevant work experience, and fits perfectly into my school schedule with a great deal of flexibility when required.

What is your dream job?

My dream job currently is to become a project manager and oversee the production of security assets. Project managers are generally capable of participating with the creation of their projects, however, they fulfill more of a management role as they supervise and coordinate between the members of the project team and ensure that the project meets all of its requirements within the assigned time frame. Project managers need to be excellent relaters as they work alongside tech personal, high levels of management, and possibly even clients. This is a difficult position to fill as many computer scientists, while very proficient coders, are often deficient with the social skills and managerial qualities that are required to make for excellent project managers. I believe that I would be well-suited to such a position and would always relish having a job that allowed me to be exposed to cutting-edge technology and contribute towards its development. I imagine that being able to work on a never-ending sequence of new and innovative products would be about as exciting a work environment a computer scientist could hope for.

This week, we are very lucky to meet, Heather Joy!

“I’m Heather Joy Thompson. I have two degrees. My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor’s of Arts in Studio Art and I have a Juris Doctor. I attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia and Wayne State University Law School in Detroit, Michigan. I am currently an employee at the US Department of State. I am a Diplomat in Residence at UCLA, which gives me responsibility for Nevada, Southern California, and Hawaii. Before this position, I was a Diplomat in Mexico City, previously working in Washington D.C. and Johannesburg, South Africa.”

What are your fondest memories of college?

I went to college in Atlanta before it was the city that it is now. It was still kind of a sleepy southern town but there was a lot of stuff to do. And the cultural footprint that it has now was just starting to take hold. We used to pretty much go out Wednesday through Sunday every single week. There was always something to do. I had fantastic friendships with my Spelman Sisters and Brothers from Morehouse College. My actual biological brother and I are actually only two years apart so we went to college together. So, Morehouse is for men and Spelman is for women. Even though our campuses were separate, they were adjacent and we had a lot of activities there. So, I had Morehouse Brothers and my real brother all at the same time. When I was a junior, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. That was a transformative period in my life, so that was a very fond memory of college as well.

Tell us about your first job after college and the transition between college to a career.

My first job after college was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso, West Africa. I started like a month to the day I graduated. I didn’t know if there was a transition so much as an abrupt change, because there is nothing that can really prepare you for life in Peace Corps except for actually doing it. I went from living in a fantastic apartment in a fun city to living in a corrugated steel roof. I wouldn’t call it a hut, but like a basic two room structure without a bathroom, without a functioning kitchen. So, it was just like cement and a roof. I lived there for almost two years.

I made fantastic friends in my village once I got over the acute sadness I felt being far from my family and for not having many creature comforts. That took me awhile to get over but I worked as a healthcare volunteer at a clinic there and made wonderful friends. I had a French woman who lived next door to me who was an agricultural volunteer. We were about the same age and we became friends. But I also had friends in the village whose lives couldn’t have been more different than mine but just being able to recognize our shared humanity and shared essential nature was really good for me to have as a first job.

After Peace Corps, I went back home to Michigan where I was born and raised. I worked for a year while I was applying for Law School. I was a school teacher during the day and I managed a restaurant at night. Those were the two best experiences I had to prepare for a life of service and a life of dealing with people. My job requires me to serve the American citizens so in a way it is client based. Because we have a duty to protect and represent American citizens no matter how kind or how difficult they are to deal with.

So, working in an outward facing position in a restaurant was very helpful because you meet all kinds of people. I was fairly lucky in my transition in that the process to become a Foreign Service Officer is test based. And I’ve always done fairly well on tests. So, immediately after I took and passed the Bar, I took the Foreign Service Officer Test. I was very fortunate in successfully moving through that process the first time around, for some people it takes longer, they might have to do it two or three times. There wasn’t really a delay between when I applied and when I was able to start working. The average time to complete the process is 12-18 months but I didn’t have any additional delay beyond that.

Do you have any advice you would give to graduating students?

I have a couple of pieces. If they are not wedded to graduate at the moment or if their GPA is lower than what they think it should be or what it needs to be in order for them to make it to the next level they aspire to, I think it is very wise to take on an extra semester in order to get their GPA up. And I know that sounds probably counter intuitive because they probably want to get out here and start working. But I had a good friend in college that was a very bright young man but did not have fantastic grades for a year or two, but by junior year he got himself together and his last two years his GPA was very high. But he still had to factor in the first two years where it was just average. He stayed an extra year and just took classes in order to bolster his GPA. He ended up getting into the Kennedy School at Harvard with those better grades.

It’s easier to make that kind of change while you’re still in college than it is to try and scramble and do it afterward. I would also caution students about having analysis paralysis. When you’re first getting into school there are so many options, you have to pick something. You’re not wedded to that choice forever; you can change your mind later. But sometimes we can get so analytical, thinking about all the different opportunities because none of them seem to be clear cut winners that we can end up doing nothing. I think that is counterproductive. Make a choice, pick something, do it to the best of your ability. You might find that you love it, you might find that you hate it but at least you learned a new skill set. You learned how to operate in a new environment and then you take it and pivot and do the next thing. And take care of your money and your credit, that’s probably the most important thing. Pay your bills on time and don’t spend all your money (laughs).

This week, we are very lucky to meet Kuaiwi Laka Kahiwakapu Pili I Haupapanui Makua, our Student Employee of the Year winner for 2018!

What is your name, age and major?

My name is Kuaiwi Laka Kahiwakapu Pili I Haupapanui Makua. I am 22 years old and I’m a Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science (KRS) Major. I work at the Native Hawaiian Student Services (NHSS) as a NHSS Student Scholar Center Assistant. I do many tasks, but my main tasks are managing the lounge spaces for both offices, facilitating workshops, and assisting students that need help or directing them to other on-campus resources.

What’s your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part of working with NHSS is the freedom to create my own workshops. Also, I enjoy playing part-time DJ in the offices as it is my duty to ensure the lounge space is a happy environment.

How does this job help you in the future?

This job has helped me build confidence in my communication, clerical and research skills.

What are your plans after your graduate?

After graduating with my degree in KRS, I plan to go to graduate school for physical therapy (PT). My goal has always been to become a physical therapist, but now I have widened my horizon into doing both this and research. I am interested in how Hawaiian traditional medicine can be incorporated into the practice of PT, which is my major and interest for my future research topic.

What are the benefits of being a student employee?

The best part about working as a student employee at NHSS is that I feel as if I have become a part of the family. All my co-workers have been kind and supportive of me since the beginning. If it were not for their encouragement, I would have not pushed myself to go for some major educational and experimental opportunities I have been a part of. Such as, Health Careers Opportunity Program’s (HCOP) Hawaii Island Rural Health Excursion this past spring or the Māhina International Indigenous Health Research Training Program for this upcoming summer.

I love my job and the people I work with whole-heartedly because they inspire me to be better not just for myself, but for my lāhui. They have made me realize just how important my interests in research are to my community and again have been a huge help in urging me to move forward with my goals in life.” We want to congratulate Kuaiwi on being our University’s Student Employee Of The Year once more and also winning the state of Hawaii SEOTY! Best wishes on the Health Research Training Program this summer! Thank you for being one of our wonderful student employees!

On this week of Humans of Mānoa, we are featuring a follow up interview with a past feature, Derick Fabian, a gifted staff member of our UHM community! Derick has been one of the lucky chosen artists to paint a wall for @powwowworldwide right here in beautiful Honolulu, HI! We will visit Derick everyday this week and see his progression of his mural. We asked how he got this unique opportunity to paint a mural for POW! WOW! HAWAII! "Through the owner of Big Bad Wolf, Amy Wong - wife of POW! WOW! founder, Jasper Wong. They've been selling my stickers and canvas prints at their store since this past summer!"

What is your inspiration for your work?

My style is influenced by graffiti, designer toys, and cute character designs like those from Sanrio and Toki Doki. My concepts come from pop culture. I love doing mashups or parodies.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I'm hoping to share my art with more people, and connect with and be inspired by other artists. This is my first mural; I would love to become skilled in large scale painting with the hopes this may lead to more opportunities in the future.

What is the concept behind your mural?

I wanted a fun interactive piece where my original characters are posing for the camera along with the viewer as they take pics with my mural. I incorporated local elements mixed with a hip hop vibe, with a variety of cute and cool characters with the hopes that it will resonate with little kids to adults, guys and girls.

What were some challenges you faced during this painting process? / How did you overcome them?

First of all, the wall was much longer than I anticipated so I had to revise my sketch. Luckily, I had a character that could easily fill up the new negative space without having to add a whole new mess of characters. Second, there was a parked car in the way of projecting my image in the wall to trace my outlines. Instead of wasting time waiting for that car to leave, I decided to freehand the rest of my drawing until the car was gone. There were issues lining up the traced images with the free handed ones but I was able to make it work by free hand sketching the problem areas. Rain was an issue also, to resolve that I did the sun dance in my apartment. I also got dehydrated, drank too much coffee. Since then I just drank water and now I feel like grrrrrreat!

This week on Humans of Mānoa: behind the camera! Meet our amazing Student Graphic Designer who has been behind the scenes on all the wonderful #HOM features these past two years, Shelley Shiroma!

"My name is Shelley Shiroma, I'm twenty-two years old and I'm a BFA Graphic Design Student. Growing up, art has always been an interest. I think it's because my parents always had a love for it too. Art just always surrounded me, especially at home. I was always encouraged to pursue my artistic interest, and in high school I found out that a career like graphic design was possible to do. I think my favorite part about design is that it can communicate things visually in such a beautiful way that is pleasing to the eye."

What did you learn?

Over the years, I've learned a lot in the graphic design program. I've had many ups and downs but I learned that if you keep at it and work hard then things start to fall in place. The program has also taught me to be more professional. We have very strict deadlines with projects and it pushed me to do everything and anything to get it finished on time.

But I would have to say that I've learned most from my classmates. Graphic design classes bring most of the students together. We spend so much time together working on our homework, late nights in the lab, sleepless nights crafting our projects, but in the end they taught me the most. We all help each other and we're all learning together. We learn from each other's mistakes and we all kind of develop our design foundation together by critiquing each other's work or even giving a simple opinion about how something looks. I wouldn't be the designer I am today without that group of people.

What are the benefits of working on campus?

For me, thankfully I was able to get a position in my field of study. Being a student graphic designer at the Mānoa Career Center has helped me a lot. It gave me a sneak peek into what it's like to work in the field. I learned how to manage a variety of different projects and even develop existing projects like #Humansofmanoa. I had an opportunity to grow as a designer here at MCC and the most important lesson I learned here was to be more confident in my work.

What is this project?

This project is an identity proposal for Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. This proposal is to bring a more cohesive look throughout the preserve. The design incorporates bright colors to attract tourist, students and families in. The preserve's mission is to educate the people who come visit the bay on coral reef protection. Therefore, the design of the mark was created to make learning about science fun.

What are your plans after you graduate?

I'm very excited to be graduating this semester. It's been a fun five years here. I'm planning on staying in Honolulu. Hopefully I can find a full-time graphic design position quickly. I've always enjoyed the pace of Hawaii and even the art culture. I hope to stay here as long as I can.

On this week of Humans of Mānoa, we are featuring a follow up interview with a past feature, Derick Fabian, a gifted staff member of our UHM community! Derick has been one of the lucky chosen artists to paint a wall for @powwowworldwide right here in beautiful Honolulu, HI! We will visit Derick everyday this week and see his progression of his mural. We asked how he got this unique opportunity to paint a mural for POW! WOW! HAWAII! "Through the owner of Big Bad Wolf, Amy Wong - wife of POW! WOW! founder, Jasper Wong. They've been selling my stickers and canvas prints at their store since this past summer!"

What is your inspiration for your work?

My style is influenced by graffiti, designer toys, and cute character designs like those from Sanrio and Toki Doki. My concepts come from pop culture. I love doing mashups or parodies.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

I'm hoping to share my art with more people, and connect with and be inspired by other artists. This is my first mural; I would love to become skilled in large scale painting with the hopes this may lead to more opportunities in the future.

What is the concept behind your mural?

I wanted a fun interactive piece where my original characters are posing for the camera along with the viewer as they take pics with my mural. I incorporated local elements mixed with a hip hop vibe, with a variety of cute and cool characters with the hopes that it will resonate with little kids to adults, guys and girls.

What were some challenges you faced during this painting process? / How did you overcome them?

First of all, the wall was much longer than I anticipated so I had to revise my sketch. Luckily, I had a character that could easily fill up the new negative space without having to add a whole new mess of characters. Second, there was a parked car in the way of projecting my image in the wall to trace my outlines. Instead of wasting time waiting for that car to leave, I decided to freehand the rest of my drawing until the car was gone. There were issues lining up the traced images with the free handed ones but I was able to make it work by free hand sketching the problem areas. Rain was an issue also, to resolve that I did the sun dance in my apartment. I also got dehydrated, drank too much coffee. Since then I just drank water and now I feel like grrrrrreat!