BY SHAWNA TAKAKI | STAFF WRITER

Kaya Olsen is a 20-year-old Liberal Arts major attending Kapiʻolani Community College who was raised in Honolulu and still lives there. Her aunt also attended the college in the past and had glowing remarks about the college to Olsen.

“I liked how small the classes are and how hands-on the professors are with our learning,” Olsen said.

She is currently readjusting to schoolwork after taking last semester off and is on the dash to finish up her prerequisites to transfer to nursing. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse.

Olsen spent a lot of time in her life in hospitals. Her grandma used to be in and out of the hospital prior to her passing a few years ago due to illness.

“Nurses were always the ones hand-on with the patient and making sure the patient and the family felt comfortable in the situation,” Olsen said. “I always liked how compassionate nurses were, and I want to be able to be that for somebody else.”

Most recently, Olsen was in the hospital due to breaking her left arm, where nurses were again a comfort to her.

Olsen wants to specialize in pediatric nursing. She grew up around a lot of younger children, including her siblings and little cousins. She helped raise them since she was a child. Their presence in her life motivates Olsen to want to help kids through her nursing.

“I tend to put others before myself a lot,” Olsen said. “It’s one thing I wouldn’t change about myself. I like that I’m able to help people.”