NUKOLI‘I — The audience could have been bigger, but Kaua‘i High School had a Waiver Day on Monday, said Brisen Moritsugu of Alu Like. “This is the 35th anniversary year and we have more than 90 vendors from all over
NUKOLI‘I — The audience could have been bigger, but Kaua‘i High School had a Waiver Day on Monday, said Brisen Moritsugu of Alu Like.
“This is the 35th anniversary year and we have more than 90 vendors from all over the country,” said Moritsugu, the Kaua‘i coordinator of the 35th annual College and Career Fair. “There are seniors and juniors from Waimea and Kapa‘a high schools, and we even have a class from Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School. Island School is also here.”
Jon Constantino of the Kaua‘i Community College said unfortunately, Kaua‘i High School had a Waiver Day and there were no buses. However, Constantino, in checking the registration forms in the final hour before the midday break, said there were more than 40 students who had come through on their own.
Offerings included a large number of colleges and universities, including almost all of the Hawai‘i-based schools, institutions offering financial aid as well as career opportunities.
One unique facet of the College and Career Fair is the utilization of Kaua‘i-born students to help recruit prospective students. Among those, Randi Oketani was sitting at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo table, noticing the obvious lack of Kaua‘i High School students due to the Waiver Day, and Sara Sato who is with the Admissions office at the Hawai‘i Pacific University.
Jondi Das, a graduate of Kapa‘a High School, and a volleyball and basketball player for Warner Pacific College in Oregon, had her mom helping at the Oregon college’s table.
Jodi Fukushima, a graduate of the Ulupono Academy, a Paul Mitchell Partner School, is currently working on Kaua‘i and was helping Joannie Rossiter, the school’s daymaker/dean.
She had model heads the school’s students utilize in their instruction with human hair and students could not resist the opportunity to try their hand at some of the techniques utilized by beauticians.
Moritsugu said the morning session was geared more for students who could browse through the offerings and have their questions answered by representatives from the many institutions available.
During the evening, he said more parents would be attending, attracted by the Financial Aid 101” workshop which centered around the rising cost of college and the declining earning power of consumers.
Donna A‘ana-Nakahara of the Kamehameha Schools Kaua‘i Resource Center and Moritsugu headed up the workshop dealing with the basics of financial aid including the Free Application for Federal Student Air and other college financing programs and opportunities.
“And, if you come during the evening, there’s always free cake,” said Nellie Okamoto, one of the event committee members as well as a counselor at Kapa‘a High School. “After all, it is our 35th anniversary.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
