UH News: Lānaʻi Education Center launched UH Mānoa grad toward her dreams

By Kelli Abe Trifonovitch / UH News

When 19-year-old Talia Agliam walks across the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in sociology and a certificate in law and society from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa on May 17, she will carry with her not only the pride of achievement, but the strength and support of her Lānaʻʻi island community.

She was in middle school at Lānaʻi High & Elementary School when she discovered that a college education was within reach through the UH Maui College Lānaʻi Education Center—without having to leave home. She started as an Early College high school student in 2019 and earned her associate’s degree in 2022, before graduating from high school in 2023 as a valedictorian and senior class president.

“If it wasn’t for [the Lānaʻi Education Center], I don’t think I’d be even close to as successful as I am today,” Agliam said. “They definitely helped me set up my future, set up my life, and they gave me that stability to do so. I really applaud the advisors and the campus, the small, little building that we have.”

A ‘go-getter’

Pamela Alconcel, the center’s director, said, “Talia believes in the power of community and giving back to her community. She is a go-getter.”

That go-getter has earned her bachelor’s degree while working full-time for Lānaʻi Air as a guest experience assistant and part-time for the Purple Maiʻa Foundation as a social media content creator. During it all, she leaned on her support system back home.

“The pilina (connections) there and the relationships that you build in the Education Center really stick with you for a long time—it doesn’t end at graduating from high school or getting into a college,” Agliam said. “I still have deep conversations with the advisors at the center, and it’s relationships that you build for life. Those relationships will continue to feed you and continue to provide you with resources and opportunities even when you are away from home.”

Lānaʻi roots

Law school may be part of Agliam’s long-term post-graduation plans, however, Lāna’i factors heavily into her immediate next steps. She has been working with a mentor at Hawaiʻi Public Radio with the help of an internship through the Stupski Foundation to start a podcast. Titled “From the Roots Up,” the podcast will function as an archive of Lānaʻi’s history for upcoming generations, analyze the island’s transformation and look to its future.

“Because there is a lack of resources on the island, it is important to take advantage of the resources that we do have,” Agliam said. “The Education Center on Lānaʻi provides an unwavering amount of support for our students… I can’t imagine what my high school experience and what my life would look like now without it.”

*This story was originally published in UH News on May 5, 2025