ʻAʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi │ One learns from many sources │ A web publication from the Office of the Chancellor, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
UH Hilo Administrative Affairs
The Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce bestowed the 2026 Athena Leadership Award to the director of UH Hilo’s Hawaiian language college at a luncheon this week.
Founded by Olympic gold medalist and children’s author Kristi Yamaguchi, the nonprofit provides books for keiki in 19 schools, the latest is Naʻalehu Elementary.
“Through generations of haumāna — many of them UH Hilo students — Aunty Nālani ensured that traditional knowledge thrives as lived practice, not merely performance.”
A dedicated advocate for Hawaiian language and culture, Kaʻiu Kimura has played a pivotal role in integrating Indigenous knowledge with scientific research, all while fostering community engagement.
Kāhuli means to change, to alter, to overturn. “We’re living through an era of kāhuli politically, environmentally, and culturally,” says Kaʻiu Kimura, director of UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language.
Approximately 165 students petitioned for degrees and/or certificates and for various post-graduate credentials. Students speaker was Danielle Murphy.
The National Institute for Student Success is helping the campus identify barriers and create a clear plan to better support students from enrollment through graduation.
From New Zealand to Spain, Japan, and South Korea, the students are immersed in new cultures, expanding their education, eager to return home with new found knowledge and experience.
Study Abroad: UH Hilo business admin major Hāweo Glassco studies for a year at University of Essex
Study Abroad: UH Hilo Japanese studies major Brooklyn Geiger shares her year in Japan
Study Abroad: UH Hilo communication major Kealiʻi Rapozo talks about his experience in Scotland and Thailand: “A great way to expand my horizons”
