Author: Lexus Yamashiro

Aaron Pila is a third-year student attending KCC majoring in Natural Resources. The 22-year-old already graduated from KCC with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts in Fall 2017 but is continuing to further his education in preparation for his transfer to UH Mānoa in Fall 2018.

Pila’s decision to attend KCC was influenced by the encouraging comments he heard about KCC’s biology program, specifically giving credit to professors Mackenzie Manning and Brian Deis. Since his time spent on campus, Pila has found the support system and academics to be helpful and motivating.

In the future, Pila yearns to work in a national park after earning his degree.

“I haven’t really decided which one yet, but … I just like the idea of walking around showing people really why they exist and how great just being outside is,” Pila said.

Noah Duran is a second-year student majoring in Economics at KCC. Originally from California, the 27-year-old decided to attend college in Hawaiʻi after vacationing for the first time on Oʻahu back in December 2017.

As he pursues Economics at KCC, Duran hopes to learn more about investing as he makes connections with those on and off campus. Duran enjoys working with people who have advanced computer skills and are able to generate creative ideas such as startups (an entrepreneurial venture). In the future, Duran is looking to become a serial entrepreneur in which he said will benefit himself and others to make ideas become reality.

In her first-year attending KCC, 28-year-old Kana Mampuku moved from Osaka, Japan to Hawaiʻi to pursue a degree in Culinary Arts. Mampuku decided to move to Hawaiʻi hoping to learn English and become more familiarized with the food industry. 

In the future, Mampuku strives to start her own business that will allow her to teach cooking classes around the world. 

As Mampuku works to accomplish her goals, she enjoys the atmosphere of KCC and Hawaiʻi, expressing her love for the nice temperatures and good people.