By Cameron Enomoto | Staff Writer

Cristine Valdez is one of the two hundred and fifty-one students that walked in the commencement ceremonies this past Friday at Diamond Head Theatre. The 18-year-old completed a certificate as a pharmacy technician and plans to attend Kapiʻolani Community College in the fall to be a part of the nursing program. From there, Valdez wants to transfer to UH Mānoa to complete a bachelor’s as a pharmacy technician.

Valdez is currently a senior at Farrington High School but aspired to get ahead in her studies because of her family. She is from Ilocos Sur, Philippines, and had always been pushed to work hard to achieve her dreams.

“I think I learned a lot from being in the certificate program,” said Valdez. “I know that time management is something that I had to work on because I always have things to do. Especially now for graduation, I have to make sure I balance everything.”

When Valdez attends KCC in the fall, she is looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing college life. Aside from studying, Valdez enjoys learning new languages and is currently practicing Japanese.

“I really like anime,” said Valdez. “‘Demon Slayer’ is probably one of my favorites right now and I am watching the new season that just came out. Nezuko is my favorite character. With everything that I study, I want to use it when I go to Japan someday so I can converse with the people there.”