72 UH Hilo student-athletes earn bachelor’s degrees during the 2025-2026 academic year
Hoʻomaikaʻi! “The unknown can feel scary and unpredictable, but it can also lead to new possibilities that you may never have imagined.”
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Office of Intercollegiate Athletics announced 72 student-athletes earned bachelor’s degrees during the 2025-26 school year. The number includes seven who received their degree at 2025 Fall Commencement held in December at the UH Hilo Vulcan Gym, plus those graduating last Saturday at 2026 Spring Commencement held at Edith Kanakaʻole Multi-Purpose Stadium.
Vulcans volleyball senior Imani Lee served as student speaker at this past weekend’s ceremony — in addition to singing The Star-Spangled Banner — delivering a message of growth, resiliency and intentional living while urging her fellow graduates to embrace failure as part of their journeys.
“I’m not worried that this group of extraordinary graduates won’t be successful,” says Lee. “I’m worried that we will forget to fail every once in a while. Failure is not something to fear, but it is part of becoming who we are meant to be. So do not fear failure, but instead be terrified of regret.
“This diploma reflects hours of grinding. It reflects a Hilo culture that uplifts the community and it reflects generations of sacrifice because none of us got into these chairs alone. When someone asks you how you got here, tell them the truth: I believed in myself, I worked for it and I never forgot the sacrifices that paved the way. This diploma can only ever be a dream for some, but today, it becomes our reality.”
Lee was the second student-athlete to serve as UH Hilo Commencement student speaker in as many years, following former men’s soccer student-athlete David Mayser in spring 2024.
The keynote address was given by UH Hilo Professor of Education Michele Ebersole who has dedicated more than two decades in preparing future teachers and strengthening educator development across Hawaiʻi Island.
“I invite you to think of life as a wave and how to move through the world,” says Ebersole. “Like waves, your journey will rise and fall but always remain connected to the people and places that carried you. Welcome the unknown. The unknown can feel scary and unpredictable, but it can also lead to new possibilities that you may never have imagined. On my wall hangs a reminder given to me as a child: the biggest mistake is to fear that you’ll make one.
“So move forward like a wave — powerful and fluid. Stay grounded in where you come from and guided by intention. Take risks, be resilient and live with aloha. And wherever you go, remember Hilo is now part of how you see the world.”
-See media release for full list of 2025-2026 student-athlete graduates.
