By Cameron Enomoto | Staff Writer

Mia Takabayashi is an 18-year-old student in her first semester at Kapiʻolani Community College. Her passion for cooking led her to major in Culinary Arts, and she hopes to one day work in a high-end restaurant and develop her skills further. She is a proud alumna of Kaiser High School and is from Hawai‘i Kai.

Takabayashi shared that she chose KCC because it had the classes she needed to start her career, and it was cheaper to do her first two years at KCC than most other schools. She plans to transfer to UH Mānoa after the completion of her associate’s degree to continue in the culinary field.

During her free time, she enjoys playing video games, listening to music, watching anime, and baking delicious treats. Some of the games and shows she frequents are “Genshin Impact,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” and “Fire Force.” When she’s not busy with school or other activities, Takabayashi loves to travel. She has been to Japan two times and hopes to return and visit other places in the future.