Hawaiʻi Community College, located in Hilo and of the Kona side on the island of Hawaiʻi, offers 25 high quality programs ranging from auto body repair and painting, substance abuse counseling, administration of justice, early childhood education, nursing, culinary, carpentry and more.
“Coming here, it really gives you a good introduction into the industry and what to expect when you are going into the industry,” said Hawaiʻi CCM student Cascade Mather.
Students can pursue a certificate or an associate degree. The college also offers degrees in subjects like Hawaiian studies and natural science that are transferable to any four-year institution in the UH System and beyond.
“We have a lot of opportunities here to start in a smaller class setting and then move up. It is a good point here at HCC,” said student Karen Nishimoto.
“I think it was a good plan to start off here first and then go off to UH instead of having all those expenses,” said student Lavinia Manusekai.
Like all of the schools in the UH Community Colleges system, Hawaiʻi Community College offers affordable tuition, small class sizes and hands-on learning and instruction.
“Our instructors are very committed to student success. They try to get to know each student,” said Hawaiʻi Community College Chancellor Noreen Yamane.
Student Selena Victorinio said, “I am just loving the program and loving that we have two great professors that teach this program. They are willing to go a long ways with the students.”
“They are giving me every tool they can possibly give me to make sure I succeed,” said student Jon Botticelli. “Most of us aren’t used to that in life. Most of us aren’t used to be given what we need to succeed and Hawaiʻi Community College has done that.”
Living Hawaiian culture
Hawaiʻi Community College is also the only college in the world where students can obtain a degree in hula. There are also degrees in Hawaiian studies where students can choose to pursue the mahiʻai track, which is traditional Hawaiian farming, or the lawaiʻa track, traditional Hawaiian and ocean resources.
“The Hawaiian culture and the preservation of the language is very, very important to us,” said Yamane. “We’d like everybody on our campus at least to have some respect for the Hawaiian culture and appreciation for the Hawaiian culture.”
That includes a strong sense of community and working together. Students in five different programs collaborate each year to design, build and landscape a home for a Native Hawaiian family, in a partnership with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. This gives the students hands-on experience and the joy of presenting a family with a new home that they could not otherwise afford.
“I have been working real hard for this day—waiting for it to come. We learn everything on this house—everything from foundation to finish,” said Jacob Ramos, Hawaiʻi CC carpentry student.
“The contractors that hire them, they always come back and they always comment about the students and how confident they are. And that’s what we are trying to do for them,” said Gene Harada, Hawaiʻi CC carpentry professor.
The next phase
Hawaiʻi Community College will open a new state-of-the-art, 21st century facility in West Hawaiʻi in fall 2015. Hawaiʻi Community College–Pālamanui will deliver a variety of programs such as nursing, culinary and liberal arts. Pālamanui will also be a gateway to the 10-campus UH System.
Using distance learning technology, students in West Hawaiʻi will be able to obtain degrees from UH Mānoa, Hilo and West Oʻahu.
“Professional certificates, bachelors degrees, masters degrees—all through distance education,” said Yamane.
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