"There’s No One Else Worthy of That Award"

“Kīpapa I Ke Ala Kaʻi Our mission is to help our students along their academic journey, connect that experience with their career goals and their career successes, but it has to be defined by them,” said Marcy Martinez, UH Hilo Director Career Services at Kīpapa I Ke Ala Kaʻi: Center for Career Advancement. “We really want to take students through their journey, freshmen all the way to senior, and not just have it be a last-minute knee-jerk reaction in senior year.”

Marcy Martinez, 2026 Internship Coordinator of the Year

“What we’re really trying to achieve is to have our next generation live in Hawaiʻi that they can enjoy, they can learn, they can work, they can thrive, and they can belong to,” said Bennette Misalucha, Executive Director of the State Workforce Development Council for Hawaiʻi Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

“Working here has enabled me to be able to work, go to school, without worrying about having to sacrifice a shift or sacrifice a grade. So with that, I feel much more confident in myself as a student, but also as a new adult,” described Pohoku Roby, a senior majoring in Communication, who works at Kīpapa as a Career Services student employee liaison. “I didn’t know that I was able to do public speaking and do class presentations with Marcy, but she helped me find that passion, and I enjoyed it.”

“Marcy is enthusiastic. She’s entirely student-based. She works incredibly hard, and every time I have asked her to partner with me on a variety of initiatives, she is the first one to say, ʻYes!’” explained Christine Beaule, UH System Director of Workforce Development, who nominated Marcy for the inaugural award.

“What stood out was Marcy’s authenticity, the fact that she would pursue things over and beyond what is the norm, the fact that you can tell that she really cared about each student and the fact that this is setting them up for their future. It was so compelling that they chose her, and I think it’s a well-deserved honor,” described Misalucha.

Roby reflected on Martinez’s impact, saying, “She’s always advocating for students, and I think there’s no other person worthy of that award besides her.”