Wade Takano attended Kapiʻolani Community College in 2002 after graduating from Mid-Pacific Institute, but quickly became much more enamored with the social aspect of college than the academic one.
He left and worked in the hospitality industry for 13 years before deciding to come back to school. Focused, he graduated in 2017 with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Education and a concentration in management. Today, Takano is a front office manager at the Wayfinder Waikiki Hotel and was a featured panelist at a Hospitality Leadership Forum in February hosted at Kapiʻolani CC, and made possible by the Kitaro Watanabe Tourism Training Series Endowment as part of a series of events celebrating National Career and Technical Education Month.
“My journey, actually coming back to school in my early 30s, it took a lot of courage for me to realize that I wanted to be in the hospitality industry,” Takano said. “And the faculty and staff did a great job just sharing their experiences with me and really putting the focus that this is where I want to be. Truly, I think, in my life, this is the best decision I’ve ever made, coming back to school.”
It made me inspired to want to do what I want, especially in the travel industry.
—Junell Escobar
Takano and fellow hospitality and tourism program alumni Noriko Bergstrom (Hawaiian Airlines), Miyuki Clancey (Hawaiian Airlines), Sisilia “Sisi” Poʻoi (Hawaiʻi Convention Center), Jacki Slaton (Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort) and Jasmine Tamanaha (Hawaiian Airlines), touched on a number of topics, including their unique career paths, leadership qualities they look for in themselves and others, and education advice.
“As I listened to the panel and all the good advice I heard, it made me inspired to want to do what I want, especially in the travel industry,” said Kapiʻolani CC student Junell Escobar.
Kapiʻolani CC’s Hospitality and Tourism Education department is the largest community college program in the state and aims to support workforce development for Hawaiʻi’s largest industry.
“The tourism industry is one that’s always changing, so you’ve just got to take a risk and you’ve just got to learn to adapt with the industry,” said Slaton, a 2018 graduate who is now a guest service manager at Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort. “The tourism industry is here to stay, especially in the state of Hawaiʻi. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning new things.”
—By Kim Baxter
