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A Message from the Poʻi Nā Nalu Staff

Aloha mai e nā pua o Poʻi Nā Nalu,

The fall season is here and you are nearly halfway through the semester! As we continue to recruit new students, we want to say welcome and aloha to all of our new Poʻi Nā Nalu participants! As always, we are dedicated to supporting you through this challenging time, and we will continue to do our best to keep you connected academically, professionally, and culturally.

Here are some important updates and reminders:

• Poʻi Nā Nalu Staff continues to work remotely: We are working remotely until further notice. We will continue to provide services to you via e-mail, Zoom, and phone. This semester, we encourage you to meet with us remotely rather than physically as much as possible. To schedule a meeting with us, contact us at any of our contacts listed below. If you need to schedule a textbook, tool, or laptop pick–up, we can arrange for an on-campus pick-up.
• Hulili Ke Kukui Hawaiian Center is closed until further notice: We will notify you once the Hawaiian Center reopens. When it does reopen, physical services in the Hawaiian Center will be limited to the Computer Lab and quick face-to-face meetings with staff when virtual appointments are not possible. Hanging out, socializing, and long-term studying in the Center will not be allowed until further notice. Please follow signs and protocols when you arrive at the Hawaiian Center, if you will need to come in at all. 
• Mandatory Workshops💻: Please remember that you must attend at least 2 workshops per semester to remain in good standing with Poʻi Nā Nalu and to take full advantage of our services. All workshops are online this semester. See the "Workshops" section below for more information.
• Mid-Semester Grade Check Meetings📋: This semester's Mid-Semester Grade Check Meetings will take place from Oct. 19-Nov. 6. The meetings will be scheduled through STAR Balance and conducted over Zoom. Please mark your calendars and look out for an email from us. We will let you know how to contact your instructors for your grades and how to sign up for a virtual meeting time slot with a PNN staff member.
• Follow us on Instagram📸: Don't forget to follow Poʻi Nā Nalu at @poinanalu_nhctep and Hulili Ke Kukui Hawaiian Center at @hulilikekukui for updates, helpful tips, community and campus opportunities, and student recognitions.
• Keep in touch! To schedule a virtual meeting with Poʻi Nā Nalu Staff, contact us at:

Poʻi Nā Nalu: nanalu@hawaii.edu

Greg Kashigi (Program Coordinator): gkashigi@hawaii.edu | 844-2322

Kathy Ballesteros (Academic Support Specialist): ks@hawaii.edu | 844-2347

Kaʻanoʻi Akaka (Academic Support Specialist): arianaa@hawaii.edu | 844-2323

E mālama pono,

Greg, Auntie Kathy & Noʻi

A Message from Carlene Flores

at the Wellness Center

Aloha from the Wellness Center! My name is Carlene Flores and I am the licensed mental health counselor here at Honolulu Community College. I applaud you for pursuing your educational and career goals with the support of Poʻi Nā Nalu. You are designing your life and every day you are moving closer to your dreams.  

Pursuing a college education is a time filled with excitement and great promise. Learning new things, meeting new people and experiencing everything college has to offer are what many college students look forward to. It can also be filled with lots of STRESS! Increased academic demands, the cost of college, school/work/life balance, and concerns about friendships and relationships are all common factors that impact the mental health of college students. The good news is that help is available. Your instructors, counselors, academic support centers, and the HonCC Wellness Center are here for you.  If you find yourself struggling, feeling down, anxious, or otherwise emotionally unwell, please know that you are not alone.  One of the most courageous things you can do is reach out for help.

The Wellness Center provides confidential, personal counseling and community referral services to registered HonCC students. Counseling services are confidential, strength-based and solution-focused to help students manage personal life issues and navigate their college experience. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Wellness Center will continue to provide counseling and support services primarily via phone and Zoom.  To contact the Wellness Center for confidential support and/or to schedule a Zoom or phone meeting, please email hccwell@hawaii.edu or call 845-9180.  

Please also know that there are numerous community resources that are available. Some of these resources may even help ease the other stressors in your life that are impacting your education: 

• Aloha United Way 211 specialists are working to assist the community with resources and service referrals during this challenging time.  They are also administering many of the COVID-related financial assistance programs. Call 211 (7a - 10 pm, 7 days a week) or visit auw211.org. 

• Domestic Violence Action Center: Oahu Helpline (808) 531-3771, Toll-Free Helpline: (800) 690-6200

The following community resources are available to assist 24/7:

• Hawaii CARES (formerly Crisis Line of Hawaii): (808) 832-3100 or (800) 753-6879 (from neighbor islands).

• Crisis TEXT Line: Text ALOHA to 741741

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

• Disaster Distress Helpline: (800) 985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

• TrevorLifeline: 1-866-488-7386

• Manaʻo Mondays - See below

Workshops

All events/workshops are being held virtually this semester. Please remember that you must attend at least 2 workshops to remain in good standing with Poʻi Nā Nalu.

Reminders

LumiSight UH App Daily Check-In

Before visiting any UH system campus, please first check in using the LumiSight UH App. Click the link below to access LumiSight via web browser or mobile app.

Photo courtesy of honolulu.hawaii.edu

Face Coverings at HonCC

Photo courtesy of honolulu.hawaii.edu

Resources

Direct Connect Zoom Drop-Ins

Do you have an academic support type of question? Drop in online from the comfort of your home to have your questions answered! Visit https://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/ikea for more info.

Photo courtesy of honolulu.hawaii.edu

KILOHANA

Student of the Month

Lisa Lucero

Major: Occupational & Environmental Safety Management

Tell us about yourself.

     Aloha! My name is Lisa Ann Healani Avilla Lucero. I was born on Oʻahu and raised on Maui. I am fifty years old and the first in my family to attend college. In 2001 I went to prison and after serving 15 years I was finally released in 2015. At one point during my incarceration I had almost given up on life and the last thing on my mind was going to college. I was too embarrassed of what people would think of me because of my past. Being an older woman and out of the education system for a long time I felt I was against all odds. During my incarceration I learned to forgive myself and others who’ve hurt me, and decided it was time for me to set goals for myself that would not only help me, my family, my friends, but also the people of Hawaiʻi.

     I am pursuing my Associates degree in Occupational Safety and Health which is a field I am very passionate about. In my two years in taking these safety management classes I have learned that Hawaiʻi has the highest death and injury incident rate in our country. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things a person must deal with. The reason I chose to be in this field is to be a part of a team that can reduce physical dangers and health hazards so at the end of the day workers will be able to go home to their loved ones. Occupational Safety and Health helps to ensure the safety of employees on various job sites.

What are your future plans?

Upon graduating, my plan is to attend UH West Oʻahu to obtain my Bachelor’s in Safety Management. For the first time in life I am finally making all the right choices and decisions for myself. I have somehow accomplished my one goal that I really thought was impossible because I did not know where to begin. Last year I stepped out in faith and quit my restaurant job to start my own business and over the summer Aunty Kathy had taken the time to teach me about my taxes and things that I needed to know and do so that my business would flourish. Because of Aunty Kathy's great advice, I have picked up two more contracts. In the next 10 years I see myself as a very successful businesswoman. I would not have been able to do any of this without the help from Aunty Kathy and the amazing staff at Poʻi Nā Nalu. I have struggled in certain classes such as math. Poʻi Nā Nalu has paid for all of my books, given me a tutor, and opened their doors for me for however long I needed to accomplish all my work that needed to be done. They stood by me during all my struggles and on those days that I wanted to give up they encouraged me to keep on moving forward. The Poʻi Nā Nalu staff is the most amazing people I have ever met in my life. It is not an easy road, but I have learned that if you really want to achieve your goals and dreams giving up is not an option no matter how hard it gets. Much Love and Aloha, Lisa Ann Healani Lucero

Poʻi Nā Nalu Alumni Spotlight

Davida Emia

Graduation: 2017, AAS in Welding

Occupation: Creative Signs & Graphics, Welder/Fabricator

Who are you? How did you enroll in HonCC/in your major?

     Aloha, I am Davida Emia (formerly Aila), a 46-year-old woman with a “colorful” background. A past that involves love, three beautiful children, wonderful parents, success, catastrophe, brokenness, drugs, crime, prison, and many, many chances. I believe all these facts are important because they are a testament of a person being able to change their life’s course.  

      Part of my change was to do things different. Ranging from decisions, relationships, actions, where I lived were all done the opposite of what I had done in my life because it was obvious that the choices I had previously made did not work.

     Education had always been a topic of discussion in my life; however, the truth was, I was afraid of attending college. I had gotten a GED in 1992 and I felt that was enough. At least I did that right? I had become accustomed to dummy-ing up and down, I genuinely believed I did not have what it took to further my education. I believed the lie that I was telling myself.         

     In 2013, not even a year after being released from prison, I was sitting in a seat at a drug treatment program again. I am a long-term addict with long-time issues and that is how I ended up in a drug program once more. The vow of doing and living differently began in this program. Acknowledging and dealing with fears started here too. With encouragement from peers and the drug program staff, at 39 years old, I applied for HonCC. I chose Welding Technology and the welding program because,

• My father was a lifetime welder (retired)
• While in prison I had been part of a work line that did grueling labor, and I liked it!
• I was told somewhere along the way that I could never do it. It became a mission to prove them wrong. Thank you whoever you are?!

Where are you currently working?

     Life is full, tiring, and through the ups and downs, blanketed with gratitude. I continue to live differently than I had prior to the treatment program in 2013. Because of this new design for living and an attitude/choice to not drink or use no matter what, life is a success. I have not made millions, nor conquered the world, but I’m happy. 

     I’ve been in a relationship with a like-minded individual for the last five years. We are a team and he has supported my dream and career choice from the start. My father has also been living with us for over a year, and that in itself is a true blessing. I have loving and meaningful relationships today which are far more important than the material things.

     Prior to my last semester at HonCC, I decided to post an ad on Craigslist “Welding student seeking employment”. Within two hours of posting the ad I got a response and had set an interview for the following day. I began working at Creative Signs & Graphics, part-time as a welder/fabricator, on the first day of my last semester, and I am still with the same employer. The owner of this company has allowed me to grow as an individual and gave me the space to learn and strengthen my skills as a welder/fabricator. I have a co-worker that taught me from the beginning, how to work with and weld aluminum, I owe him a huge thank you. I enjoy where I work, enjoy who I work with, and have no plans at this time to change employer. Unless……..HonCC calls me for an interview as an instructor for the Welding program. I currently have an application under review. I want to give back what my peers and I were given from our welding instructors, especially Mr. Jeff Lane. 

How has Poʻi Nā Nalu helped you?

     Going back to the vow of doing things different, different while being in school at HonCC was getting and staying involved. Not only in studies, but programs, events, with people. Poʻi Nā Nalu and those who worked there have always been welcoming, encouraging, and supportive. They helped to springboard the paradigm shift of my character and belief system. I utilized tutoring and the computer room, attended workshops, participated in Mālama ʻĀina events (I miss those so very much); however, the most endearing of all is that Poʻi Nā Nalu gave me a safe place to be. There is no judgement, no pressure, only the sense of nurturing and support. When I was feeling overwhelmed by classes or feeling inept in the welding program, I went to Poʻi Nā Nalu to decompress. It was a comfort zone.

     Fun and memorable times were at Mālama ʻĀina events. I was introduced to areas on the island that I had been unaware of. I had no idea the locations we visited even existed. The events and the facilitators of the places we would mālama helped me to connect to the island and my ancestors. People with Poʻi Nā Nalu and at the Mālama ʻĀina events taught me to care for more than myself. Today, I frequently pass the places that we visited, and I remember all of us working together, talking, and laughing, and most importantly giving. I miss those days. 

Any words of advice for current Poʻi Nā Nalu students?

   DO NOT GIVE UP!! IGNORE THE NAY SAYERS! Just keep swimming, just keep swimming……I had been out of school for 22 years. I had many obstacles to overcome with my thinking and beliefs. My vow and mantra were and still is, “do everything, do life, different”. That means I did not give up; I did not embrace other’s opinions about my career and educational choice; I pushed through subjects that I couldn’t grasp nor enjoy such as Math and Physics, I continued to ask for help although my belief was that I could do EVERYTHING on my own. Do not do it alone. Being alone is an unnecessary torture and is self-inflicted. Get involved, be involved, even when tired or burnt out from school. Join Phi Theta Kappa, help mentor fellow students, participate in things that are outside of your “norm”. Courses that you cannot stand? That irritates you to the bone? You do not need to like them; however, respect them because these courses help you, the student, get to the prize, your degree.

     Do not stop dreaming and striving, continue to reach for more. Believe in yourself and hold close the experiences and relationships that positively impact and enhance your character and life. Keep ego out of the equation, stay humble. If you say out loud, “I am humble”, I suggest looking at that. Proclamation is not needed, just carry, and express it in your being and actions. I have learned and practiced this over the past seven years.

     We cannot keep, nor be selfish with, what we are given. We must share. I believe that is how we thrive as human beings, how we grow in wisdom, that’s how we lift and encourage one another. I could not and would not be where I am today and where I’m going tomorrow, without all of those that became part of my journey beginning in that treatment program on October 8, 2013. The two and a half years at HonCC would not have been complete or as satisfying had I not taken part in Poʻi Nā Nalu and the other programs I am honored to have participated in. Mahalo, Davida 

Ke Ala Noelo Internship Program

Are you an active participant of Poʻi Nā Nalu and interested in doing a paid internship in your future career field? Want to meet professionals already working in your dream job? While many work sites are temporarily closed due to COVID-19, we can look at our options (e.g. virtual internship) and help pair you with the perfect internship site! Already have a site in mind? Let us know!

Poʻi Nā Nalu's Ke Ala Noelo Internship Program is designed to offer Poʻi Nā Nalu participants an invaluable internship opportunity to network within their future professional community. Through hands-on training and professional mentoring, student interns receive relevant and rigorous educational experience in preparation for their aspiring careers.

If you are interested in participating in a paid internship,

please contact Noʻi at arianaa@hawaii.edu. 

Scholarship Opportunities

Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Reminder: You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for most need-based scholarships.  Contact Financial Aid at 808-845-9116 if you need assistance with your FAFSA.

University of Hawaiʻi System Common Scholarship

The University of Hawaiʻi System Common Scholarship Application is now available online! There are a variety of scholarships for students attending any of the 10 UH campuses that are based on need, merit, specific majors, location, campus, and more. Click the button below to apply.

Due Date: March 1, 2021 (4pm HST)

ALU LIKE, Inc. Hana Lima Scholarship

"The Hana Lima Scholarship Program (HLSP) provides financial assistance to students participating in a vocational or technical education program for occupations that can provide a “living wage.” This need-based scholarship is available to students in vocational programs that lead to a specific segment of employment. This scholarship gives financial assistance toward tuition and fees, books and other required tools or uniforms for a vocational program. Students pursuing a major in Liberal Arts or are taking only pre-requisite courses are encouraged to select a major of study in order to qualify for additional services."

Due Date: Ongoing Through Academic Year

The OHA Scholarship site offers a comprehensive list of scholarships for Native Hawaiians. 

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society Scholarships

Are you a Phi Theta Kappa member? PTK offers a wide range of scholarships including specific ones for Career-Tech students like you. 

Due Date: Dec. 1, 2020 (5pm CT)

E ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Kākou

Let's Speak Hawaiian

Definition: n. Association, relationship, union, connection..."

(Pukui & Elbert, “Hawaiian Dictionary”)

Usage example: "Now more than ever, we must maintain strong pilina with one another."

("Now more than ever, we must maintain strong connections/relationships with one another.")

Click here to visit wehewehe.org and learn more about pilina!

From our Planner: ʻOkakopa (October)

"Ka lā i Mauliola." The sun at the source of life.

Mauli-ola (Breath-of-life) is the god of health.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau #1422

Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs & Poetical Sayings

ʻŌlena

Common Name: Turmeric | Scientific Name: Curcuma longa

Medicinal Uses: Sinus troubles, respiratory problems, ulcers, open wounds, ear infection, blood builder/purifier, pneumonia, emphysema, period regulation, acid reflux, kidneys, bladder, etc.

Parts Used: Root (made into powder, juice, poultice)

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Poʻi Nā Nalu is a Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program sponsored by ALU LIKE, Inc. and funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.