Sylvester Mora is a 24-year old Biological Sciences Student in his first semester at Kapiʻolani Community College. He plans on switching to Astrophysics.

“I love learning about the universe and just like how things work,” said Mora. “It’s something I really want to do. I want to work in a research facility or observatory.”

After graduating high school in Colorado, Mora decided to join the military as a secure fallback. He moved from Colorado to Oʻahu when he was stationed in the islands four years ago.

“It definitely takes a type of mindset to be in it for four and a half years,” said Mora, reflecting on the experience. “It has its ups and downs. 90% of the time, you don’t want to be there, but 10% of the time, you love it.”

In his free time, Mora lives an active lifestyle, enjoying surfing and rock climbing. Particularly, he often goes to Makapuʻu by the lighthouse to work out and climb.

He plans to buy a sailboat he could live on and sail back to the mainland on his own.

“I’ve done sailing a couple times,” said Mora. “It’s not very complicated. You can learn the basics very fast, but mastering it takes a long time.”