By Shawna Takaki | Staff Writer

Andrew Yacoub is a 27-year-old student who graduated with an associate’s degree in Business from Kapi’olani Community College last Friday at Commencement. He was accepted into the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa and plans to get a bachelor’s degree in the future.

He has already opened his own small tea business, “Local Boiz: Hawaiian Mix Tea” which he primarily sells online on his website here. 

They sell many different types of tea such as loose leaf tea, guava lilikoi black tea, pineapple black tea, and more. 

He’s at the International Marketplace during Thursdays and Mahiku Farmers Market during Mondays and Wednesdays selling the tea and is on social media here where he posts about the products he sells.

He began his business in the fall semester of 2021, which was his last semester at Kapi’olani Community College. Yacoub originally started it when he was trying to sell some tea at the farmers market to make money for college a couple days of week.

“It’s turned into a full-blown business now so I’ve actually taken a leave of absence from Shidler to focus on the business,” Yacoub said.

He learned a lot about professionalism, working with a team, holding yourself accountable, and community through his stay at Kapi’olani Community College, which he uses everyday.