Inspirational stories from six UH Hilo students studying abroad on scholarships, thriving outside comfort zones
Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Brazil! Each student shares their unique perspectives and amazing growth while living and studying in a completely new environment.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
Six University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students who received scholarships — during winter break or this semester — recently shared their study abroad experiences with Carolina Lam, UH Hilo’s director of global education. Each student emailed Director Lam their thoughts about the experience, specifically about the impact of the scholarship support on their academics and career aspirations, and how they plan to contribute to the university and local community when they return to UH Hilo.
From studies in Japan to Thailand to South Korea to Brazil, each student shares new perspectives and capabilities while living outside their comfort zone, including broadly useful intercultural communication skills and second-language ability along with specific skills needed for their declared majors.
All this is built upon two big benefits of the study abroad program: students pay UH Hilo tuition while they are abroad, and then return home with new found knowledge and experience to finish their degree program.
UH Hilo’s Study Abroad Program offers a host of scholarship opportunities for students.
Here below, six students share their study abroad experiences from winter 2025 and spring 2026:
Kenicia Godinet
Kenicia Godinet, who hails from American Sāmoa, attended BE Global Camp in Thailand during winter break last December on a $2,500 Gilman Scholarship. BE Global Camp is a study abroad program hosted by Mahidol University’s Bioresources and Environmental Biology (BE) program based in Thailand.
Upon returning, she was conferred her UH Hilo bachelor of arts in natural science and certificate in Chinese studies. She is currently pursuing graduate studies at Mahidol University.
“(The study abroad) scholarship gave me the security to be fully engaged in my studies and the experience as a whole, without worrying about financial stress,” she says. “Because of this, I was able to stay present, take in more, and truly explore the topics that matter to me.”
“It also reminded me why I’m on this path and pushed me to keep going with more clarity and purpose,” she adds. “It helped me start thinking seriously about my next steps, including graduate school, and how I want to continue growing in this field so I can take on work centered around meaningful research questions.”
During her study abroad experience, Godinet was most excited about meeting new people and seeing what science looked like in a global context, whether it was similar to what she’d already learned or completely different.
“I was curious to see how different places approach the same environmental issues, and whether it made sense to use one solution for everything or if solutions should be more tailored to local environments and community needs,” she explains.
“The culture and traditional practices piqued my interest as well,” she adds. “I wanted to understand how those ways of knowing connect with science and sustainability. Besides that, I was just excited to be in a new space and take in the environment, the people, and the experience we were able to share together during this shared time and space.”
Godinet says one way she plans to contribute to her community following her studies is by applying what she’s learned about plant resilience and environmental sustainability to local agricultural systems back home in American Sāmoa and here in Hawaiʻi.
“Through my study abroad experience, I gained hands-on exposure to issues like marine biodiversity and general tourism ethics, heavy metal contamination, microplastics, and sustainable farming practices,” she says. “I want to bring that knowledge home and apply it in ways that are practical and accessible through research efforts, community workshops, collaborations with local farms, or working with students to promote long-term environmental stewardship.”
“My long-term goal is to give back to the community I am working to build within, as well as the community that has helped shape my career path, by using science as a tool to support sustainable and resilient environments.”
She says the study abroad experience is what gave her the opportunity to pursue her graduate studies at Mahidol.
Imani Lee
Imani Lee, a 2022 graduate of Glen A. Wilson High School, California, is a psychology major at UH Hilo. This semester, she’s studying at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on a $1,000 John and Anya McVickar Scholarship and a $5,000 Gilman Scholarship.
After her semester in Brazil, she will return to Hilo a week before her commencement in May 2026.
“During that week, I would love to speak to students who are considering studying abroad, and hopefully my experiences inspire them to take that leap of faith and step into the unknown,” she says. “Through personal conversations, stories, and testimonies, I hope that I can use my knowledge about studying abroad to inspire others to do the same. I hope I can bring a fresh new mindset of Brazilian culture to the Hilo community, using my experiences to inspire new approaches to local issues such as sustainability or community engagement.”
Lee says she’s largely studying abroad to prepare her for a future career in the U.S. Foreign Service or international diplomacy.
“Being immersed in a foreign culture is the perfect next step for me,” she says. “The John and Anya McVikar Scholarship and the Gilman Program significantly help me fund this experience, ensuring that I get the education necessary to complete my bachelor’s degree abroad. These funds can take care of my housing, contribute to my tuition, or even go towards modes of transportation as I hope to explore the country and continent vastly. Earning these scholarships is an incredible privilege, and I am grateful for these funds that will ease my finances while navigating a foreign country.”
She says she enjoys exploring Brazil, and is excited to visit new cities and new countries across the continent of South America.
“I am eager to experience the differences between Brazilian culture and American culture, but simply am looking forward to getting into a daily routine,” she says. “I am always trying to grow as a person, and what better way to get out of my comfort zone by taking on 6 months in the beautiful city of Rio De Janeiro?”
Kira Okazaki
Kira Okazaki is a Waiākea High School graduate now majoring in psychology at UH Hilo. She’s spending her spring 2026 semester at Korea University, a private university in Seoul, South Korea, with the support of a $1,000 Audrey S. Furukawa Scholarship. “The scholarship will assist me in furthering my education and networking opportunities while abroad,” she says.
She hopes by sharing some of the fun experiences she’s having while abroad, it will increase student interest in the UH Hilo Study Abroad program by showing how accessible it is to students.
“For the broader community, I would like to inspire those around me to chase after any dream or aspiration that they may have,” she says. “Studying abroad has always felt like a far away dream from high school, but I decided to take a leap of faith when I entered college. Now, I realize that any dream can come true when hard work and dedication is present.”
She’s thinking that attending such a prestigious and big school in a foreign country may open doors for other opportunities abroad in the future.
“I am currently taking classes that count towards the TESOL (teaching English as a second language) certificate, so my experience abroad and learning a second language in an immersive way may help my possible exploration in teaching English as a second language,” she says.
She’s very excited about exploring her host country.
“Studying in Seoul, South Korea, provides such a different experience from the small and tight-knit community at home,” she says. “I hope to explore everything that South Korea has to offer, get out of my comfort zone, try different foods, create new memories with new friends, and expand my world perspective.”
She plans to pursue a career in elementary education. “I hope that my experience abroad will assist me in creating a culturally diverse and accepting space for young children in schools.”
Alexsandra Resurreccion
Hilo High School graduate Alexsandra Resurreccion is an exploratory health sciences major at UH Hilo currently studying abroad at Hokkaido University, Japan, on a $1,000 Audrey S. Furukawa Scholarship.
Resurreccion says that through UH Hilo’s Study Abroad program and scholarship, she’s able to gain independent life skills while also continuing to focus on her education.
“What I am most excited about regarding my study abroad journey is the opportunity to be completely independent in a foreign country,” she says. “Traveling to another country before even visiting another U.S. state made my parents think I had lost my mind!”
She says the scholarship will ease some of the financial pressures while studying abroad, allowing her to make the most of this experience “so that I can return home ready to give back.”
“I am excited to be abroad on my own so that I can broaden my horizons and return home with new insights that I might not have gained if I had stayed (home),” she says.
“A specific way I plan to contribute to my community with the knowledge gained through studying abroad is by sharing what I have learned with other students who are interested in studying overseas,” Resurreccion says. “As someone who had never left Hawaiʻi before, I hope to encourage others to step outside of their comfort zones and explore opportunities at UH Hilo that will help them grow both academically and personally.
“I also want to bring back new cultural perspectives and experiences that will help me better understand and support my community when I return home.”
Jessie Shimizu
Jessie Shimizu is a Waiākea High School graduate majoring in business marketing at UH Hilo. She’s studying abroad at Rikkyo University, Japan, with the support of a $1,000 Audrey S. Furukawa Study Abroad Scholarship.
With her concentration in marketing, she has a strong interest in social media marketing in particular.
“Gaining international experience is essential to understand diverse consumer behaviors and global market trends,” she says. “This (study abroad) opportunity will allow me to learn beyond the classroom and strengthen my ability to think strategically in a global context. Financial support from this scholarship will also help cover essential expenses such as textbooks, allowing me to make the most of my experience.”
She’s most excited about immersing herself in a completely different environment and experiencing daily life in Japan.
“I am especially excited about interacting with domestic and other international students,” she says. “I am also interested in seeing how marketing operates with different cultural contexts. Overall, I am excited for the personal growth, independence, and new global perspectives that this experience will bring.”
Through her study abroad experience in Japan, she plans to bring back and share with others a deeper understanding of cross-cultural communication.
“I hope to apply this knowledge in marketing and business,” she says. “One specific way I hope to contribute is by helping local small businesses improve their social media presence by incorporating strategies I observe in Japan. Additionally, I want to share my experience with other business students, especially those who feel hesitant about studying abroad. I want to encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity and step outside of their comfort zone.”
Westley Smith
Westley Smith hails from Connecticut and is majoring in business marketing at UH Hilo. He is in Japan studying at Meiji University for both spring and fall 2026 semesters on an $8,000 Gilman Scholarship.
Smith says that sharing his study abroad experience with others has made him realize how important global communication and understanding really are. “Without those, the only way we see the world is through a screen. I’ve already talked with a lot of people about my experience so far, both back home and here in Japan, and every conversation makes me understand it more.”
He says studying abroad has helped him build real friendships and improve his language and communication skills.
“I want to go into translation, and learning Japanese while also learning the culture has not only improved my speaking a lot, but also shown me how important cultural understanding is for accurate translation,” he explains.
He’s also keen on meeting new people, learning local history, and actually using Japanese in real situations; he says those experiences are some of the best parts of the whole study abroad experience.
“It feels like I’ve stepped into a completely different world that’s been growing and changing on its own, and getting to experience that firsthand, and longer than a vacation, is honestly eye opening to the scope of life,” he says.
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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.
Editor’s note: Mahalo to Carolina Lam, UH Hilo’s director of global education, for producing this story.
