PUHI – About 130 students at the Kaua’i Community College stepped across another threshold on the road of education as KCC hosted their 40th Annual Commencement Exercises at the KCC Performing Arts Center. Contending with an ever-increasing number of graduates,
PUHI – About 130 students at the Kaua’i Community College stepped across another threshold on the road of education as KCC hosted their 40th Annual Commencement Exercises at the KCC Performing Arts Center.
Contending with an ever-increasing number of graduates, KCC effectively handled the over-flow by opening up the auditorium of their Technology Center for a live feed of the exercises.
However, despite these accommodations for the limited number of seats available inside the KCC Performing Arts Center, people kept hovering around the entrance, hopeful of getting a seat to the live performance.
Additionally, a portion of the parking lot fronting the Technology Center was cordoned off so graduates could congregate for the traditional post-graduation exchanges of gifts and lei from friends and family.
George Thronas, who was receiving his Candidate for the Associate in Applied Science Degree, said his plans are to continue his education at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo where he plans on majoring in Political Science.
However, the road to Friday night was not an easy one as Thronas said upon his graduation from Kapa’a High School, he attended KCC where he failed three of his four subjects in the first semester while getting a “D” on the only subject he did pass.
That forced him to take a “leave of absence” from school and he got a job at the Pahio Resort, determined that he was going to return to school after a year off.
That year turned to six years, but when Thronas finally returned, he amazed himself and his staff by making the Dean’s List. He became involved in the student government, a facet of his college life that inspired him to aim at “becoming the governor for the state, someday.”
“If you see me waving on the side of the road, vote for me,” he asked the audience, getting a response of “You got my vote,” from Tony Kilbert who served as the MC for the night.
Similarly, the second student speaker, Malialani Marrotte, also spoke of a break in her educational career, comparing herself to Thronas with the big difference being that her hiatus went about a dozen years before she returned to school, eventually reaching the pinnacle, Friday night when she accepted her Candidate for the Associate in Applied Science Degree.
Degrees and Certificates for the approximately 130 students were presented by KCC Chancellor Peggy Cha.
Cha received help from Linda Johnsrud, Interim Vice President for Academic Planning & Policy, University of Hawai’i, and Ramon S. de la Pena, Kaua’i Member, Board of Regents, University of Hawai’i.
In addition to the KCC degrees, representatives from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu, and the University of Hawai’i at Manoa also bestowed degrees on successful graduates.
Giblert Maerina received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and Subject Certificate in Database Management from Dr. Errol Yudko of the UH Hilo. Bachelor of Arts in Psychology were presented to Naomi Beaver-Mersberg, Cecilia Bromley, and Marilyn Hashisaka.
Dr. Lynn M. Hodgson, chair of Social Sciences at the University of Hawai’i – West O’ahu was on hand to present Bachelor of Arts degrees in Social Sciences and Subject Certificate in Substance Abuse & Addictions Studies.
Linda Berdeski-Hamilton and Danica Michel were recipients of the Bachelor degrees with Linda Berdeski-Hamilton, Annette Lowe, and Martin Steinhaus receiving the Subject Certificates.
- Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
