California To Hilo

Alesi Kamakanaokalani Meyers-Tuimavave My name is Alesi Meyers-Tuimavave (20). I am from Oceanside, CA, & am a transfer student here at UH Hilo. I’m also the new writer for Ke Kalahea. I moved to the Kona area of Big Island in early Dec. ʻ22. In pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, I chose UH Hilo because there are Pacific Islander studies certificates as well as a multitude of English courses I was interested in. My goal for the future is to be an English Literature Professor, teaching through literature written by Pacific Islanders. So I thought, what better way to navigate my path for the future than at Hilo?

While doing research on the two campuses - Hilo & Mānoa - it became apparent to me that Hilo’s campus & courses are more heavily based around Hawaiian culture than Mānoa’s. Given that I am Hawaiian & Samoan, going to school somewhere where I could learn more about my culture, ancestors, & others from Oceania was the most important thing. Needless to say, Hilo was my best option. Although we are only in the first few weeks of this semester, my expectations have already been exceeded. From having Pacific Islander professors to everyone being very culturally aware & respectful to local history/facts being discussed in all of my courses. I can already tell I’m going to love it here.

A few of my favorite things so far being a transfer student are: how welcoming & inclusive everyone has been, the strong Aloha spirit you can feel within the community, & the fact that the campus is full of Hawaiian sayings/names at every turn. Coming from California where all of the campuses are very westernized, it’s been a huge change for the better, to say the least. I also love how clean & clear the ocean is here. Climate change is a huge issue & an important one to me, so knowing that the ocean is cared for here makes me very happy.