Historic first Waiʻanae EMT cohort graduates

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

Kapiʻolani CC's first Waiʻanae EMT cohort

Lauren Debutiaco Odviar, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate

EMT class at Leeward CC's Waiʻanae Moku Education Center

First Waiʻanae EMT cohort training

First Waiʻanae EMT cohort training

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

WHAT:  Graduation of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program on Oʻahu's Leeward Coast. This marks the first time Kapiʻolani Community College’s EMT program has been held directly in Waiʻanae, bringing high-demand job training directly to Leeward Coast residents.  

WHEN: August 28, 2026 

WHERE: Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center Dining Pavilion  

WHO: 14 EMT graduates, Rep. Darius Kila, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Kapiʻolani CC Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi, Leeward CC Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza, Leeward Community College–Waiʻanae Moku Education Center Director Danny Wyatt, Chrissy Kuahine, director of development for Ka ʻIke Ola, community advocates, families and instructors. 

HOW: The initiative is a collaboration among Kapiʻolani CC, Leeward CC–Waiʻanae Moku Education Center and the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC)

WAIʻANAE EMT GRADUATION FACTS:  

• Funding and tuition support were provided by the UH Community Colleges’ Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative, removing financial barriers for participants.  
• Leeward CC Associate Professor Lucy Gay spent decades advocating for expanded healthcare training access for West Oʻahu students, ultimately opening dedicated classroom study and practice spaces for this cohort at Leeward CC's Waiʻanae Moku Education Center.  
• The program gained momentum last year when WCCHC’s Chrissy Kuahine approached Leeward CC and Kapiʻolani CC about launching localized training to address the acute paramedic and EMT shortage on the coast.  
• The rigorous summer curriculum prepared students for careers as first responders through intensive classroom work, clinical labs and on-ambulance field education.  

VIDEO 

BROLL  

0:00-1:15 - Waiʻanae EMT graduation ceremony, traditional protocol, student pinning, etc.

SOUND  

Lauren Debutiaco Odviar, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate :16

“People who grew up on the West Side, it makes me feel special, and it makes us feel like—growing up in such a small city—we do matter, and we're not just from the West Side. We're smart, intelligent people who can give back to our community and elevate our community too.”

Jalen Rene Molina, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate :10

“What this means to me is to grow my future, not only for me, but also for my son, give back to the community, and just make my family proud.”

David Di Martino, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate :14

“To be the first cohort, it was a risk, and I would say it paid off majorly, and I just hope it reflects that way out on the streets with the people of Hawaiʻi.”

**VOSOT SCRIPT:**  

INTRO 

A major milestone on Oʻahu’s Leeward Coast today, as fourteen residents celebrated their graduation from the first-ever localized Emergency Medical Technician program in Waiʻanae.  

VO 

The groundbreaking summer program brought Kapiʻolani Community College’s EMT training directly to Leeward CC’s Waiʻanae Moku Education Center and the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center.  

Supported by the UH Community Colleges’ Good Jobs Hawaiʻi, the program aims to make healthcare careers for West Oʻahu students available in their own communities while training them to serve there.  

The students completed intense classroom coursework, clinical labs, and ambulance field training. 

SOT

Lauren Debutiaco Odviar, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate (:16)

“People who grew up on the West Side, it makes me feel special, and it makes us feel like—growing up in such a small city—we do matter, and we're not just from the West Side. We're smart, intelligent people who can give back to our community and elevate our community too.”

Jalen Rene Molina, Kapiʻolani CC EMT graduate  (:10)

“What this means to me is to grow my future, not only for me, but also for my son, give back to the community, and just make my family proud.”

VO

Following a traditional pinning ceremony, the graduates celebrated their achievements with their 'ohana and are now ready for national certification and immediate local employment.