A political science major at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo has been selected to represent Hawaiʻi at the annual College Student Congress.
Amaya Hirata, who serves as the president of UH Hilo’s Political Science Club, will travel to the U.S. continent to participate in the 2024 College Student Congress, May 13–23. The first portion of the program will be hosted at University of Kentucky, and the second portion will be held in Washington, D.C., at America University.
The College Student Congress selects 51 rising college seniors, representing each state and the District of Columbia, to learn about the dynamics of the policy process through an experiential and immersive curriculum. Students engage with lawmakers, academics, government relations experts, policy advisors and other leaders to explore the challenges of formulating comprehensive public policy.
Hirata is currently a junior double majoring in political science and administration of justice. She plans to graduate in May 2025. She was born in Hilo and has lived in Mountain View her entire life.
She said that it means a lot to her to be selected and that someone saw the things in her that she does not see in herself.
“It was a great reminder that I am someone who is strong and capable,” said Hirata. “It also means a lot because it is something that can make my family proud. Everything I do, I would like my family to be proud.”
At congress, Hirata hopes to gain the necessary skills for public policy making. Her focus is to learn how to communicate and work with others despite political differences and make connections with people across the nation.
For more on Hirata go to UH Hilo Stories.
—By Nāpua Iolana Bicoy, a Hawaiian studies major at UH Hilo
