UH Hilo’s 2024 Fall Commencement is December 21

Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024
Contact: Alyson Kakugawa-Leong, (808) 932-7669

For Immediate Release

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilocelebrates its 2024 Fall Commencement Saturday, December 21, 9 a.m., at Vulcan Gymnasium. The ceremony is limited to invited guests and not open to the public. The ceremony may be viewed via live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/live/bVn8-x04E7I.

Approximately 218 students represent the College of Arts and Sciences, Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikolani College of Hawaiian Language, College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management, College of Natural and Health Sciences, College of Business and Economics, and the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy.

The student speaker is Puʻuwai Tollefson-Kelly, a communication major with a subject certificate in educational studies.

As a kanaka ʻōiwi, Tollefson-Kelly is deeply rooted in values that honor her culture and foster meaningful connections. Working at the Kīpuka Native Hawaiian Student Center allowed her to live these values, building pilina (relationships) through authentic interactions. She served as a Peer Mentor at Kīpuka, which included supporting the IS150 Kuleana & Community courses since Fall 2022. She also participated in numerous community service initiatives both on and off-campus.

Her dedication earned her the UH Hilo Overall Group Ka Lama Kū Leadership Award and the Department of Communication Academic Excellence Award. Passionate about education and service, she looks forward to combining her skills and values to make a lasting impact on her community.

Following graduation, she plans to pursue a Master of Arts in teaching through UH Hilo’s MAT Program, with the goal of becoming an educator dedicated to uplifting her kaiāulu (community).

For more information, view the UH Hilo Commencement web page at: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/commencement/.

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