A Course Catalog, a Black Belt, and a Thriving Art Business

UH Hilo alumna Tiffany Prose examines a carved marlin bill, a traditional weapon she helped handcraft under the guidance of master lua weapon-maker Uncle Manny Mattos III.

When Tiffany Prose came to Hawaiʻi Island from the Pacific Northwest, she didn’t just change zip codes — she put down roots that keep branching to this day. A custom-built college degree. A black belt and a husband, both found at the campus dojo. An art business inspired by local flora and fauna. A hand in preserving traditional Hawaiian weapon-making. Each of these grew from the same place: her years at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and a habit of following her curiosity wherever it led.

Designing a “Storytelling” Degree

It started with the course catalog. As a returning student at 25, Prose flipped through it with an open mind, determined to build something suited to her own learning style and passions.

“I circled every single class I was interested in,” she recalled. “What it made was a major in art, a minor in English, and a certification in performing arts — basically a storytelling degree.”

That same instinct — saying yes to whatever genuinely drew her — would shape everything that came next.

Discovering Community — and ʻOhana — on the Mat

The first thing it led her to was community. Looking for a place to belong on campus, Prose stepped into the Student Life Center and joined the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu Club — a small decision that quietly reshaped her life.

She threw herself into the practice, eventually earning her first-degree black belt and a Seifukujitsu Mod 1 Healing Certificate. Along the way, she also met her husband, Travis, the dojo’s sensei. Today the two steward the dojo together. Classes have moved to their garage for now, but the couple looks forward to returning to the Student Life Center once renovations are complete — keeping that campus connection alive for the next generation of students.

Tiffany Prose with members of the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu Club, which she first joined at the Student Center at UH Hilo.

Blending Art, Technology, and Childhood Dreams

Her studies branched outward, too. UH Hilo’s close-knit community helped launch Prose’s career after graduation, when she founded Art of the Prose — a company built around her multidisciplinary approach to celebrating local flora, fauna, and culture.

“I knew the products I’d develop out here were going to be just as inspired by the environment as by the tools my professors were giving me,” she explained.

Those tools turned out to be unexpectedly technical. Combining the design principles from her art classes with vector programming, Prose trained under Neil Scott at the Makery to learn laser cutting. She now crafts custom pieces for clients like Puna Chocolate Company and Dolphin Quest. The Dolphin Quest connection is especially full circle: a childhood visit there first captured her imagination and later drew her back to Hawaiʻi Island to pursue her degree.

Preserving a Cultural Legacy by Hand

Perhaps the most meaningful thread to emerge from her university network is her work with Uncle Manny Mattos III, a multigenerational master of traditional lua weapon-making. Welcomed into his circle, Prose helps him handcraft historic wooden and shark-tooth weapons. She approaches the cultural responsibility with deep respect and is committed to protecting the knowledge so it can be passed on to future generations.

A Sandbox Full of Treasures

Looking back, Prose sees a single campus at the root of it all — and her own path as proof of what’s possible there.

“UH Hilo is a diverse sandbox full of treasures — you just have to dig a little bit,” she shared. “If you’re willing to take the time, it opens up local, national, and international opportunities through its celebration of diversity.”