Five University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students are embracing global opportunities this academic year, studying abroad in Japan, England, and Korea.
Supported by various scholarships, each student is expanding their worldviews all while continuing to pay UH Hilo tuition.
The UH Hilo Center for Global Education and Exchange emphasizes the benefits of study abroad, highlighting how it helps students build intercultural communication skills, gain second-language proficiency, and develop a global perspective—all crucial for today’s workforce.
Kyson Kaneko, a business administration major, is attending Tokyo Gakugei University in Japan as a recipient of the Audrey S. Furukawa Scholarship.
“Studying abroad has made me realize that adventure is the best way to learn, both about a new culture and myself,” said Kaneko.
Across the globe, Leiya Margareth Torrano, another business administration major, is studying at the University of Birmingham in England this semester.
Torrano received the Gertrude E. McVickar Study Abroad Scholarship and the John and Anja McVickar Study Abroad Scholarship.
“I’ve learned how deeply culture shapes identity and how it connects to health,” Torrano explained. “When I return to Hawaiʻi, I hope to inspire young healthcare students to explore different cultures and consider studying abroad.”
Year-long study abroad
Three students have received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to support year-long study abroad experiences. Dominic Hilman, a linguistics major, is attending Hokkaido University in Japan, and Brooklyn Geiger, a Japanese studies major, is studying at Nanzan University.
Whitney Taylor, an English major, is attending Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea. She also spent the summer at Korea University.
“Studying in South Korea has given me many new friends and memories that I will always cherish,” Taylor said. “Don’t let fear stop you from exploring someplace new.”
For more go to UH Hilo Stories.
—Susan Enright and Carolina Lam
