High school students and former mentors said attending the Holomua program helped them with their educational pursuits at BYU-Hawaii.
Aubrey Orozco, an alumna of Holomua 2013 from Texas, said, “Holomua was the affordable choice for me. It was between Holomua and SOAR, so naturally my parents wanted me to island hop to Holomua. At the time, I really wanted to go to BYU and really had no interest in going to BYUH.” By participating in the program, Orozco became one of the mentors who worked side-by-side with high school students in 2015.
“After being able to attend Holomua,” Orozco said, “I was so excited to be able to be a mentor at Holomua in 2015. I got to see the impact on the students who I mentored, and it helped me to know that I really wanted to work within the educational system.”
Holomua, BYU-Hawaii’s version of BYU’s Summer of Academic Refinement (SOAR), is a six-day-long summer program that introduces high school students to the different opportunities BYUH has to offer and prepares them for the ACT exam and other college prep courses.
According to BYUH’s Admissions website, Holomua is “inspired by the cultural importance of the voyaging canoe, Iosepa. Students are introduced to the knowledge, skills and resources that will assist them in their educational journey at BYU-Hawaii.”
Rita Dorothy Goodwin, a sophomore majoring in social science from Kalihi, attended Holomua in 2011. “I liked Holomua because I felt comfortable with who I was with and what was being taught,” she said. “The leaders taught in a way I understood. Because Holomua also took us on tours around campus and PCC, I felt like I was in a safe environment to choose any educational route I wanted.”
In addition to furthering her educational goals, Goodwin said she’s grateful to have attended because she met her now-husband, who she married in 2016. She said she recommends all high school students attend Holomua if they want to be exposed to college life.
Aukanai‘i Kapu, a 2013 Holomua alumni from the Big Island, said, “Aside from all the memories I made with friends at Holomua, nothing came close to the welcoming feeling I felt just by being there on the campus of BYUH.
“It is difficult to put into words that will best describe that feeling; but one that comes close to it is Aloha. I have no regrets of going. It has helped me to develop the necessary skills and characteristics of securing an occupation that will bless and provide the needs for myself and future family.”
Holomua 2017 will begin registration in the coming months. The program itself will be held from June 19-24, according to the Admissions website. Admissions will also be hiring mentors to assist with the program as well.
Writer: Dylan-Sage Wilcox