For months, Franziska Bass lived inside a hospital room, fighting for her young son’s life.

She relocated to Oʻahu for six months, spending three of those months at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, where she witnessed both the fragility of life and the power of compassionate care. Despite every effort, her son, Cooper, passed away—an experience that would forever shape her path.

HILO, Hawaiʻi — As Hilo prepares to welcome the world for the Merrie Monarch Festival, Hawaiʻi Community College is highlighting its Associate in Arts in Hawaiian Studies with a concentration in hula—a program deeply rooted in the legacy of revered native Hawaiian kumu hula Edith Kanakaʻole.

Aunty Edith Kanaka‘ole’s philosophy: “Teach all who come to learn.”

Backyard Monkey owner and TEAM program alum Justin Barrios gives back to the program that shaped his career, strengthening pathways for local conservation and forestry students.

By: Mitchell K. Dwyer

HILO, Hawaiʻi — Justin Barrios, owner of the Hilo-based land care and tree services company Backyard Monkey, has established the TEAM Program Fund at Hawaiʻi Community College, supporting students in the Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM) program that helped launch his career.

Chris Ibarra’s journey from student to teacher is one fueled by perseverance, passion and a commitment to his community. The Hawaiʻi Island native graduated from Konawaena High School in 2000 and completed the two-year automotive program at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo in 2002, under instructors Ken Shimizu and Harold Fujii.

Today, Ibarra is giving back by teaching the next generation of mechanics through a partnership that he helped to establish between the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) and Hawaiʻi CC–Pālamanui.

Hawai‘i Community College’s Auto Body Repair and Painting Program—the only auto body program in the University of Hawai‘i Community College system—carries on a proud legacy of craftsmanship, innovation and career readiness that began in 1966.

The program, which has graduated almost 1,000 technicians, is helping to sustain Hawaii Island’s transportation trades community.

Hilo, Hawai'i – Hawai‘i Community College saw one of the largest enrollment increases in the University of Hawai‘i System this fall, rising 8.7% to 2,489 students—its highest headcount in years and a strong sign of renewed momentum across Hawai‘i Island and the UH Community Colleges.

The University of Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) today launched Direct2UH, a new initiative that simplifies the college admissions process and removes barriers to higher education for Hawaiʻi’s public high school seniors. The program was officially introduced on October 13 at a morning pep rally at Kauaʻi High School followed by a news conference at Farrington High School.

When Chiemi Sasaki first visited Hilo, Hawaiʻi as a high school freshman on a short study trip from Japan, she never imagined it would shape her future. A single hula class at St. Joseph High School lit a spark in her—a passion for Hawaiian culture that would inspire her to return to Hilo and study abroad.

When Christine Nguyen crossed the graduation stage at Hawai‘i Community College’s Manono campus last week, it wasn’t just a celebration of academic success—it was a triumph of choice, courage, and self-belief. As the student keynote speaker for Hawaii CC-Hilo’s Class of 2025, Nguyen shared a story that resonated deeply with those who know what it means to start over, to carry the weight of others while daring to invest in yourself.

Hawai‘i Community College proudly releases the names of the following students who have achieved Dean’s List honors for the Spring 2025 semester. The Dean’s List requires students to have completed 12 or more credits for a letter grade achieving a grade point average of at least 3.5 (B+) for the semester. The attached 258 students have attained this distinction. Please join us in congratulating them!