UH Hilo academic advisors design wellness program for peers
The Hoʻolehua Advisor Wellness program promotes connection, professional growth, and well-being among advisors so those guiding students at UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC receive the support they need.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
Academic advisors at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo have developed a program to address the wellness needs of their peers, creating a stronger, more cohesive advising community at UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College.
Academic advising is a demanding profession that blends emotional, intellectual, and personal mentorship. Advisors help students navigate complex academic decisions while also supporting their personal growth — an effort that can take a toll over time. Despite their pivotal role, advisor wellness is often overlooked.
Recognizing this gap, UH Hilo academic advisors Comfort Sumida and Melanie Brokaw expanded the Hoʻolehua Advisor Wellness program in 2023 to strengthen the advising community across UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi Community College. Supported by a $25,000 grant from the Stupski Foundation, the program promotes connection, professional growth, and personal well-being among advisors, ensuring that those guiding students also receive the support they need.
“We expanded the Hoʻolehua Advisor Wellness program to focus more on academic advisors and the support we can provide each other,” says Sumida, a senior advisor. “And we do that across the two campuses with Hawaiʻi CC and UH Hilo.”
The original Hoʻolehua program began in 2022, initiated by Kainoa Ariola-Sukisaki, director of UH Hilo’s Advising Center. The initial intent was to provide professional development to advisors and counselors at UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC through program presentations and related workshops. The Hoʻolehua Advisor Wellness Program introduced a new strand emphasizing the importance of self-care and wellness for academic advisors.
Native Hawaiian values represent the foundation of much of what the program covers.
“Activities and programming function through the lens of mālama i ke kino, the Hawaiian value of taking care of the body and mind,” explains the Hoʻolehua planning committee in a statement. “Feedback has been positive with an appreciation for the opportunity to engage with each other and participate in activities, many of which link us to the practice of aloha ‘āina, or an appreciation or care of our land and community.”
Strengthening bonds
Sumida and Brokaw have gone beyond traditional policy discussions and best practices by organizing activities that nurture meaningful relationships among advisors. They have coordinated huakaʻi (field trips) including a visit to the Honoliʻi Orchards Cacao Farm and Kona Salt Farm, hosted an advisor institute, toured other campuses, and provided opportunities for advisors to cultivate personal wellness skills.
The program’s planning committee includes representation from campuses across the island. In addition to Sumida and Brokaw as co-leads, UH Hilo members are senior advisors Kurt Dela Cruz and Jodilyn Kunimoto from the Advising Center, and Lyssa Sakamoto, an exploratory health sciences advisor. From Hawaiʻi CC, committee members are Precious Atendido, an academic counselor at Hawaiʻi CC’s Pālamanui campus in Kona; Glenn-Dee Kuwaye, outreach and recruitment coordinator; and Randiann Tokeshi, coordinator for TRIO Student Support Service, a federally-funded program.
The committee is planning an upcoming event, Huakaʻi i Kaʻū, where advisors will travel to the historic Kāhuku region, now a part of the National Parks system. “Here, they will spend time with lineal descendants of the area who will share stories of Kāhuku and the larger Kaʻū region, in honor of the people and moʻolelo (stories) of Kaʻū,” says the committee in their statement.
“An Advisor Institute focused on developing healthy, self-care habits is planned for the summer,” adds the committee. “This will provide advisors and counselors with the opportunity to engage with our local community and each other, strengthening the island-wide community of care upon which the grant is centered.”
Looking ahead, Brokaw, an academic adviser with the UH Hilo Athletics Department, hopes this innovative wellness program will inspire other campuses and institutions to prioritize the well-being of their advisors.
“We want to be the best support for our students, but to achieve that, we must first take care of ourselves,” Brokaw says. “You can’t be there for them if you’re not able to support and care for yourself in the first place.”
See media release from UH Foundation. Also via UH System News.
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
