Kaua‘i CC students shine at international innovation camp

Hoʻokano's team won the pitching contest.

From left to right Dirk Soma, Malia Hoʻokano, and Sabrina Petroc at the Ise Shrine.

Everyone at the Global Camp.

Working on the presentations.

Kaua‘i Community College students, Malia Hoʻokano and Sabrina Petroc, brought their creativity and skills to the global stage at the KOSEN Global Camp in Japan, in February. Held at Toba National College of Maritime Technology, the camp focused on “designing social systems and business models oriented towards a circular economy,” with an emphasis on sustainability.

Before the trip, students were tasked with inventing and building a seawater desalination device. Once at the camp, the Kaua‘i CC students collaborated in multicultural teams with peers from Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore and Japan. Despite coming from liberal arts and business backgrounds, rather than engineering like most of the other participants, the Kaua‘i CC students brought valuable skills to their teams.

Hoʻokano, a business major, led her team to victory in a contest where they pitched the idea of developing a sustainability kit blueprint that communities could use to build their own desalination devices. 

“Our business model was more of a sustainable way to empower the community,” said Hoʻokano. “This experience was more confirmation of my resiliency and my leadership—something that I can be proud of.”

Petroc, a liberal arts major, described the camp as “a multilingual innovative networking opportunity with the purpose of coming together for a common goal.” She noted that many participants lacked experience in cross-cultural communication, but she kept her team focused and communicating effectively.

A ‘global community’

Business Associate Professor Dirk Soma, who accompanied the students, praised their adaptability under pressure. 

“There were not clear guidelines, and this was a multi-language, multi-age group,” Soma said. “The significance of this diverse experience is that we are a global community. If you can share ideas and ways of thought that can help solve the issue for one community and you can replicate that across the globe. Thatʻs what weʻre trying to teach the students.”

Kyoko Ikeda, Kauaʻi CC’s international program coordinator, said Toba students have visited Kaua‘i CC for 15 years, however, this was the first time Kaua‘i CC students were invited to Toba. 

“That’s what’s unique about us as a community,” Ikeda said. “We do a really good job of nurturing partnerships. When they visit, the first day they are our guests, and the second day they are our family.”