Co-op student and supervisor of the year named

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Naomi M Arincorayan, (808) 956-3733
Career Counselor, Career Development and Student Employment
Iris Takushi, 956-4398
Director of Cooperative Education & Internship, Career Development and Student Employment
Posted: Dec 8, 2009

The 2009 University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa Co-op Student of the Year is Kendra Hanagami, a Civil and Environmental Engineering major and Co-op with Engineers Surveyors Hawaiʻi (ESH), Inc.
 
The 16th annual UH Mānoa Co-op Student and Supervisor of the Year appreciation and awards reception was held on Friday, November 13, 2009 at ESH, Inc. 
 
Cooperative Education is a unique form of education which integrates classroom study with paid, planned, and supervised work in the private and public sectors.  It allows participating students to acquire essential, practical skills by being exposed to the world of work beyond the boundaries of the campus, enhancing their confidence, capabilities and career direction.
 
This annual awards and appreciation event recognizes outstanding student contributions in private industry and government and the unique support of employers who provide avenues for students’ professional growth and career opportunities through a cooperative education experience.  Each year, a committee comprised of a university faculty member, co-op employer, and co-op student alumnus selects one outstanding Co-op student employee for his/her contributions and commitment to the Co-op program. To recognize all co-op students and supervisors who were nominated, CDSE will virtually recognize nominees and winners on the CDSE website (http://cdse.hawaii.edu).
 
This is the second year the recognition event was held at the student winners’ respective Co-op sites where their co-workers and supervisor were in attendance to celebrate.  As the UH Mānoa’s Co-op Student of the Year, Kendra will also represent UH Mānoa in the National Cooperative Education Internship Association (CEIA) Student Employee of the year competition to be held in April 2010.
 
Wendy Sora, Associate Executive Director of Career Development and Student Employment, presented the award, which consists of a $500 scholarship and plaque.
 
Kendra’s supervisor, Chief Engineer Jeffrey Sato, describes Kendra as a “hard worker in pursuit of excellence.”  He states that “her combination of humility, determination and intelligence enables her to overcome the difficulties and complexities of each task assigned to her” and her “hard work and focus over the past year, surpasses not only her peers, but many first year engineers in engineering ability.”
 
The 2009 Co-op Supervisor of the Year is Jeffrey Sato, Chief Engineer, with ESH, Inc.

Kendra describes Mr. Sato as “an individual with a big heart who always puts others before himself.” She describes him as “one of the greatest mentors in (her) life” who “has positively influenced (her) future, with his huge heart, challenging expectations, and deliberate planning to serve as a positive role model who (Kendra) will continue to rely on in the future for inspiration and knowledge.