Author: Lexus Yamashiro

Laʻa Aliʻifua is a second year student attending KCC majoring in Engineering. From Waimānalo, HI, the 19 year old entered KCC as a 2016 Lunalilo Scholar with the intention of studying in the hospitality industry to become a flight attendant. However, during the summer of this year, Aliʻifua was in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Summer Bridge Program, which lead him to change his major to engineering.

The summer bridge program taught him about water conservation through activities involving the ʻāina, which have brought him closer to his roots as a Hawaiian. With a new goal in mind, Aliʻifua hopes to become a mechanical engineer in either airplane design or building, and plans to transfer to a university possibly in Utah, University of Las Vegas (UNLV), or to UH Mānoa within two years.

Kapilialoha Kidder is a third-year student attending KCC majoring in Liberal Arts. From Waimānalo, the 19-year-old plans to transfer to the UH Mānoa Shidler College of Business for the Spring 2018 semester, however, is undecided in what she will major in then.

Kidder was formerly a Lunalilo Scholar for the 2015-2016 school year, which led her to become a Lunalilo Peer Mentor in Fall 2016. She also became a Hoʻokele Peer Mentor in Spring 2016 and can be found working in the First-Year Experience (FYE) office in ʻIliahi.

Being a part of the Lunalilo community has made Kidder realize that she enjoys making an impact in students’ lives, especially for those who are beginning their first year of college. Already aware of the fear and many questions that incoming freshmen have, Kidder said that having the ability to help others as a peer mentor is what makes her enjoy being at KCC, along with the student life and friends that she has made over the past three years.