PUHI — Janezka Esposo said she couldn’t get to sleep until the wee hours of Monday morning.
“I get very excited about the first day of class,” Esposo said. “I like this school environment and meeting all the people.”
Esposo, a third-year student at Kauai Community College, was working with Hoku Ka‘auwai, a first-year student, in getting acquainted with the Waialeale Project, one of the programs at the Puhi campus.
“I’m not starting my first class until the afternoon,” Ka‘auwai said. “I’m getting started, slowly. I haven’t gotten all my books, yet. But I only have two classes on Mondays.”
Esposo was one of the students working the welcome tent, a new feature of the fall semester. The tents feature returning students and instructors who help the incoming students with orientation to the extent of having someone walk the student to class, and food.
Chancellor Helen Cox was also helping orient her new secretary to the campus, stopping to chat with their cafeteria lunch.
“We’re starting with about the same number of students as last year’s semester,” Cox said. “There was a point where we were up, and then, the figure dropped. But I believe we’re at about the same level as last year because we still have late registration continuing through Friday afternoon, and the numbers for Early College haven’t been finalized.”
Brandon Makua, president of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii, Kauai, stopped to guide students and answer questions from new students.
“This is the first step to success,” Makua said. “You can’t be successful if you can’t find your classes. We want people to be successful and this tent makes them feel welcome.”
Jennifer Ingersoll, new Innovation Center director, was among the faculty helping students.
“The Innovation Center is a collaboration with the community,” Ingersoll said. “It puts a community voice to programs that are identified with an indigenous lens and cultural perspective.”
Programs under the Innovation Center include the Cognition Learning Center, more commonly known as COGS, where students, faculty, and staff invest time and skills to bring innovative ideas to life; the Bee Educated apiary program with a goal of developing pest-resistant queen bees for the breeding for “gentle bees;” the Ulutopia project which will enjoy its big harvest in December, and a Sustainability arm focused on cultural, economic, environmental, and social sustainability.
Gary Ellwood of the marketing department pointed out several graduates who are moving on after getting their degrees in May.
“I always did web pages and other things as projects,” said Shaina Nacion. “Now, I’m going to see if I can make a business of this.”
Jessie Hedstrom said she’s heading to the University of Roe Hampton in London, England, showing off her laptop keyboard cover and sleeve with the British Jack.
“I’ve always wanted to travel and document,” Hedstrom said. “Now, I’m off with a dual major — Media, Culture and Identification, and Journalism — that I hope to finish in three years (they do degrees in three years in London), and start traveling.”
Late registration for Kauai Community College continues through Friday afternoon at the Business Office in the One Stop Center.
