By Cameron Enomoto | Staff Writer

Emmaline Thompson is a 20-year-old student in her second year at Kapiʻolani Community College, and she is currently working toward a degree in Liberal Arts. After moving to Hawaiʻi from Connecticut, Thompson decided it was better to take things slowly.

“I had no idea what life was going to be like here so I wanted to stick to Liberal Arts for now,” she said. “I think Hawaiʻi is a great place to study marine sciences, and I’d like to transition into that field eventually.” 

As a child, Thompson did not have many opportunities to travel, and she always wanted to visit the islands. 

“Many of my friends came back from summer vacation with Hawaiian lei and grass skirts,” Thompson said. “It made me super jealous, and I was set on living here some day.”

During her free time, Thompson loves going to the beach and finding a new hike to go on. Her favorite hike so far is Diamond Head and she is planning to try Mānoa Falls next.