VNR: UH graduation returns to Molokaʻi 

Pūlama Lima, first ever Molokaʻi native to be honored for earning a doctorate degree.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/xSF

***VOSOT script below for consideration***

WHAT: A commencement ceremony on Molokaʻi for 42 University of Hawaiʻi Maui College graduates from Molokaʻi

WHERE: The UH Maui Molokaʻi Education Center, Kaunakakai, Hawaiʻi

WHEN: Friday, May 10, 3 p.m. 

WHY: The UH Maui graduation on Molokaʻi is typically held there every four years. The last graduation ceremony was in 2016 after the 2020 ceremony was not scheduled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

ADDITIONAL INFO:

• The ceremony honors Molokaʻi residents who earned degrees at the Molokaʻi Education Center or at any other UH campus. 
• More than 50% of the graduates are Native Hawaiian.
• The graduates received their degrees/certificates in areas that include dental hygiene, early education, Hawaiian studies and construction technology.
• The number of nurse aide graduates nearly doubled since the island’s last UH commencement with 23 students earning their certification, which will help to address a critical need on Molokaʻi. 
• The ceremony featured the first ever doctoral graduate on Molokaʻi to be hooded at the special commencement. Molokaʻi native Pūlama Lima earned a PhD in anthropology from UH Mānoa. 
• As part of UH Maui College, the center offers a wide range of credit and non-credit courses and certificate and associate degree programs. 
• Like other UH outreach sites, it provides selected courses from other UH community colleges and receives selected bachelors and masters degree programs from UH Mānoa, UH Hilo and UH West Oʻahu via UH–ITV.

VIDEO BROLL: (1:53)

:00-1:22 Ceremony 

1:23-1:34 Pūlama Lima, first-ever doctoral graduate to be hooded at ceremony  

1:35-1:40 More ceremony 

1:41-1:53 Lei giving 

SOUNDBITES:

Dani Reyes, UH graduate

(:11)

“Gratitude for the community to see how much they support us and how it’s our turn to give back nowadays.”

Pūlama Lima, UH graduate

(:10)

“Molokai is our biggest teacher and the best way to show appreciation for that is to come home and devote yourself to community work.”

Sonni Han, UH graduate 

(:20)

“A lot of kids think that they canʻt do it because they come from Molokaʻi and they don’t have a lot of opportunities but this year I found that a lot of people want to help you, especially here at the college. People want to help you. If you just reach out to them theyʻll get you places where you didnʻt think you could go.” 

Meleana Pa-Kala, UH graduate

(:10) 

“If you think you cannot do ʻem, you not going do ʻem. You have to dream and you have to believe in yourself always because you are your number one motivator. And you the only one that going get you to where you gotta be.”

VOSOT SCRIPT

INTRO

The University of Hawaiʻi celebrated the achievements of its graduates on Molokaʻi this afternoon at a milestone commencement ceremony. 

VO

42 graduates were honored at the Molokaʻi Education Center, which is part of UH Maui College. They received degrees and certificates in a range of fields, from dental hygiene and early education to Hawaiian studies and construction technology. This year saw a record number of nurse aide graduates, with 23 earning their certification—addressing a critical need on Molokaʻi.

SOT 

Dani Reyes, UH graduate

“Gratitude for the community to see how much they support us and how it’s our turn to give back nowadays.”

Meleana Pa-Kala, UH graduate

“If you think you cannot do ʻem, you not going do ʻem. You have to dream and you have to believe in yourself always because you are your number one motivator. And you the only one that going get you to where you gotta be.”

VO

And one for the history books–Pūlama Lima is the first Molokaʻi native to earn a PhD. Lima’s doctorate is in anthropology. This is the first UH commencement held on the Friendly Isle since 2016. The event is usually held every four years but was delayed by the pandemic.