UH Maui College holds first commencement since Maui wildfires

The University of Hawaiʻi Maui College held its first commencement since the Maui wildfires on Thursday on the Great Lawn of the campus in Kahului. About 220 of 450 graduates participated in the ceremony under the theme “resilience.”

At the end of the ceremony, students sang and danced as alumna and former Miss Hawaiʻi Sharon Lehuanani Bissen sang “This Is Me.”

“We wanted to celebrate the fact that our students have endured so much, not just only through the pandemic, but also through the wildfires and they came out okay,” said Lui Hokoana, UH Maui College chancellor. “They came out to a place where they tell us every day they want to serve out in Lahaina and try to help.  So we wanted to celebrate that. We wanted to celebrate their resilient spirit.”

Mary Martinez, UH Maui College graduate said, “Definitely trying to figure out going through COVID and pandemic and then going through the wildfires and still continuing to push and get to where we are successful. Our resilience lies there.”

Fellow graduate Solomon Palad shared similar sentiment saying, “There was a lot about our troubles going through some tough times these last few years, last few months, but our community has pulled through together stronger than ever I think.”

UH Maui College offers three bachelor of applied science degrees, a variety of associate degrees and certificates, and distance learning degrees through its UH Center on campus.