By Cameron Enomoto | Staff Writer

Rosa Callahan is a 37-year-old from Bakersfield, California who decided to come to KCC and take various art classes. Callahan moved to Hawaiʻi 5 years ago after being offered a higher-paying accounting position. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of California Irvine in 2004 and has been working in various accounting and business positions since.

“I wanted to take a chance and move here because it has always been my dream to live in paradise,” said Callahan. “Though I decided to take more classes during my free time because I want to grow my passions and learn about the culture here.”

Callahan said that leaving behind family was the hardest part about moving to another state, though she is happy to have the opportunity to experience new things.

“I know a lot of people were upset about non-locals moving to the islands because of how Native Hawaiians get pushed out of their own homes,” said Callahan. “I didn’t want to seem like one of the ignorant ones so I like to volunteer my time at the Hawaiʻi Foodbank and do beach cleanups. I also took a couple of classes at HCC about Hawaiian culture.”

While she isn’t currently pursuing a degree, Callahan hopes to get back into drawing and photography while taking classes at KCC. She enjoys going to Mānoa falls to take photos and enjoy the scenery when she’s not working.