Future ʻBows Discover UH Mānoa

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Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/sYm

***Suggested VOSOT script below***

Prospective students, their ʻohana, alumni and community members filled the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus on November 15, for Discover UH Mānoa, the university's largest annual open house.

The three-hour event offered guests a rare, all-access experience across campus, featuring more than 100 academic programs and student services, hands-on demonstrations, workshops, research activities, live entertainment and guided tours.

"I hope they walk away feeling that this is their ʻohana. We can't wait to welcome them in, support them, and help them reach every goal they're chasing," said UH President Wendy Hensel. "We're truly excited for this next generation, come on in, we're ready for you."

Event highlights

Visitors got a lively snapshot of campus life through hands-on workshops, research demos and student projects from a wide range of units at UH Mānoa everything from STEM, the arts, humanities and Hawaiian studies. The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience drew crowds with its cooking demonstrations, serving up green onion Korean pancakes and ʻuala desserts, made from locally grown ingredients. The UH Marching Band and UH athletes kept the crowd energized with performances and meet-and-greet opportunity.

The day also featured an Alumni Makers' Market, food trucks, free shave ice, prizes, giveaways, UH Bookstore merchandise, and guided housing tours, giving visitors a well-rounded look at life on campus.

​​"UH Mānoa offers something rare - world-class research opportunities, strong academic programs, Division I athletics, and a campus experience you won't find just anywhere. It's truly an exceptional place to learn and grow," said Vassilis Syrmos, Provost at UH Mānoa.

UH Mānoa's rising momentum

The annual comes as UH Mānoa continues to earn national recognition. The university recently climbed 62 spots in the 2026 Wall Street Journal Best Colleges rankings and set new records in research funding and philanthropy. Enrollment has also reached its highest level in five years, signaling strong demand from Hawaiʻi families and students from around the world.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/sYm

BROLL (1 minute, 42 seconds)

Various activities/booths at Discover UH Mānoa

SOUNDBITES

Wendy Hensel, President/University of Hawaiʻi
(15 seconds)

"I hope they take home that this is their ʻohana. We can't wait for them to come. We will take care of them and help them reach whatever goal they came in with. We're so excited to welcome in this next generation. Come on in, we're ready!"

Vassilis Syrmos/Provost, UH Mānoa

(17 seconds)

"UH Mānoa is a great research institution. Very few in the whole United States that give that experience. Great academic programs, D1 athletic programs, great campus. Great experience all around."

Mikaela Paet/Senior, Farrington High School

(12 seconds)

"Just walking around the campus makes me very welcomed. A lot of the programs interest me, specifically nursing."

VOSOT SCRIPT

iNTRO
Big crowds turned out at UH Mānoa as future students and their families got their first real taste of campus life.

NATS UH MARCHING BAND

VO

Visitors packed the campus for "Discover UH Mānoa," the university's biggest open house of the year. The event gives guests an all-access look at more than a hundred academic programs, workshops and hands-on demos. It's another way for the campus to show prospective students that UH Mānoa is affordable and nationally recognized.

SOT (Wendy Hensel, UH President)
"I hope they take home that this is their ʻohana. We can't wait for them to come. We will take care of them and help them reach whatever goal they came in with. We're so excited to welcome in this next generation. Come on in, we're ready!"

VO
The event comes as the university climbs national rankings and sees its highest enrollment in years.