Three generations of strong Native Hawaiian wahine

When the last of Maui County Councilmember Tasha Kama’s eleven children graduated from high school, she thought about going back to school at UH Maui College. “I’d never been there,” says Kama. “This huge institution was intimidating to those who haven’t gone on to higher education.” A year after she started dropping off one of her children at campus and getting a feel for the place, she “had to go to school.” She enrolled in 2011 and by 2015 she had an AA in Liberal Arts and an AS in Human Services.

Her experience as a volunteer at her father’s church, a community organizer, and as both student UHMC body secretary and president, helped her understand “how to be an agent of change.” She has tried to be just that as a member of the Maui County Council since her election in 2018. “Real change has to be at the policy-making table,” she says.

One of her daughters — and our current Director of Financial Aid — Kāhea Nae‘ole graduated in 2007 with Associate’s Degree in Business. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Business and information Technology (ABIT), a Bachelor’s in Education from UH Mānoa and, last summer, her Doctorate in Education.

Kāhea’s experience at UHMC prepared her for more than her advanced degrees and her career. It helped her develop into a strong Native Hawaiian wahine. “Kahele Dukelow (Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs) and her husband Keleikoa Ka‘eo (Hawaiian Studies Program Coordinator) mentored me, influenced the way I raised my own children in Hawaiian Immersion.”

Another daughter, Maika’i Sassaman, got her Associate’s in Early Childhood Education here and last summer got her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and SPED (Special Education) from Mānoa. She is a part-time teacher at Pā‘ia Elementary on the Kaiapuni (Hawaiian Immersion) side. “UHMC prepared me well,” she says. “The Early Childhood Education program is great. Program Coordinator Julie Powers and Instructor Gemma Medina are able to teach 15 or 20 students who learn differently, get everyone on the same page, encourage us. I wish the program could get bigger.”

One of Kāhea’s daughters, Anuhea, received her Associate’s in Liberal Arts from UHMC and a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Child Psychology and Sociology in Education. She works at Good Jobs Hawai‘i. She’s an advocate for Liberal Arts, especially for those unsure of what career they’d like to pursue. “You get to do a little bit of everything,” she says, “and that will help you decide.”

Daughter Jackie earned Associates in Applied Sciences in both Culinary Arts and Baking. After working in the industry, she came back to teach Baking. And she’s one of those who didn’t have any idea what she wanted to do after high school. After a few months on the Mainland, she started working at Makawao Garden Café and found her calling, eventually becoming a Pastry Chef. She also watched her mother’s journey finding her way as a strong Hawaiian woman. “There was a huge divide in my life between Hawaiian culture and culinary,” says Jackie. “When I started teaching, they came together. I’m the first Native Hawaiian to teach Pastry and I’m starting to see many more Native Hawaiian students.”

Kāhea’s cousin, Wailana Kamai received her Associate’s in Liberal Arts from UHMC in 2018, Hawaiian Studies in 2020, and graduated in Spring 2023 from UH Mānoa with a Bachelor’s in Interdisciplinary Studies. She worked for us as a tutor and in the financial aid office for four years. “I had very good grades in high school and I was accepted to a lot of colleges. But I lacked social skills so I decided to stay home for college,” she says. Although the pandemic made her Hawaiian Studies coursework difficult, she did it. “I really care about my culture and my heritage.” It also made her more confident.

If you’re thinking about college, here’s some advice. “UHMC is a solid school, it’s affordable and a great place to start, especially if you’re local,” says Kāhea. “There is so much funding support available.”

Her mother goes even further. “Lack of financial resources is one of the reasons people don’t go to college,” says Kama. “Get rid of the barrier, don’t be discouraged. Go see Kāhea at Financial Aid. The County has funding opportunities, too. If you need more help, come see me — we need engineers, folks with STEM degrees.”

And it’s never too late. “To get an education is sovereignty for the individual,” says Kama. “You can pick and choose where you want to go. We as Native Hawaiian wahine want to move forward, we have to have education.”

“College has a way of opening your eyes to the larger world,” adds Kāhea.

For complete information about UH Maui College, please visit http://maui.hawaii.edu/

Dr. Lui K. Hokoana is Chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i Maui College. Ka‘ana Mana‘o, which means “sharing thoughts,” is scheduled to appear on the fourth Sunday of each month. It is prepared with assistance from UH-Maui College staff and is intended to provide the community of Maui County information about opportunities available through the college at its Kahului campus and its education centers.