For most of his life, Troy Branco-Liu never imagined leaving Lahaina. But after the Maui wildfire upended his community and a University of Hawaiʻi scholarship opened a door he never expected, the Lahainaluna graduate found himself starting over at Hawaiʻi Community College on Hawaiʻi Island — pursuing an education that would ultimately change the course of his future.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t think about leaving,” Branco-Liu said. “I love the place I come from. I’m all about Lahaina. That’s always going to be home to me.”

Contact: UH News, (808) 490-3268 UH Office of Communications

University of Hawaiʻi faculty received top awards for their excellence in teaching and engagement and groundbreaking research.

Fifteen UH faculty members from across the state have been awarded the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching, and three received the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Research.

For months, Franziska Bass lived inside a hospital room, fighting for her young son’s life.

She relocated to Oʻahu for six months, spending three of those months at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, where she witnessed both the fragility of life and the power of compassionate care. Despite every effort, her son, Cooper, passed away—an experience that would forever shape her path.

Hundreds of students, families and community members filled Hawai‘i Community College’s Manono campus last weekend for Hawai‘i CC Day, a high-energy event featuring classic cars, live demonstrations and hands-on opportunities across campus.

An evening of culinary excellence and community connection marked the launch of Hawaiʻi Community College’s first E ʻImi Pono fundraiser, drawing more than 100 supporters to the Manono campus on April 18.

HILO, Hawaiʻi — As Hilo prepares to welcome the world for the Merrie Monarch Festival, Hawaiʻi Community College is highlighting its Associate in Arts in Hawaiian Studies with a concentration in hula—a program deeply rooted in the legacy of revered native Hawaiian kumu hula Edith Kanakaʻole.

Aunty Edith Kanaka‘ole’s philosophy: “Teach all who come to learn.”

By: Simplicio Paragas

After raising a family and building a decades-long career in the restaurant industry, Jerilyn “Jerry” Kanakanui decided it was finally time to pursue a lifelong dream: go to college. Getting to the classroom, though, was a daunting process.

As a mother of six who had never attended college, she remembered previous attempts where she tried to navigate the complex web of registration and financial aid, only to back out thinking, “Oh, no, it’s not for me.”

HILO, HI (March 27, 2026) – Hawaiʻi Community College will bring together community members, alumni and partners for its first-ever E ʻImi Pono: A Celebration of Excellence fundraiser on April 18, highlighting the college’s role in supporting students and strengthening Hawaiʻi Island.

The event will run from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the I Ola Nō Ke Kino Dining Room (Building 382) on the Hawaiʻi CC Manono campus and is designed to highlight the breadth of programs that serve Hawaiʻi Island—from workforce training and career education to lifelong learning opportunities.

Backyard Monkey owner and TEAM program alum Justin Barrios gives back to the program that shaped his career, strengthening pathways for local conservation and forestry students.

By: Mitchell K. Dwyer

HILO, Hawaiʻi — Justin Barrios, owner of the Hilo-based land care and tree services company Backyard Monkey, has established the TEAM Program Fund at Hawaiʻi Community College, supporting students in the Tropical Forest Ecosystem and Agroforestry Management (TEAM) program that helped launch his career.

Hawai‘i Community College has received the full seven-year reaffirmation of accreditation, recognizing the institution's ongoing commitment to academic quality, institutional effectiveness, and continuous improvement.

The reaffirmation reflects the collective efforts of faculty, staff, administrators, and students throughout the accreditation review process.