VNR: UH Hilo pathway prepares Hawaiʻi’s future engineers

Contact:

Link to video and sound (details below): https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/dxzdU7CasA

***Suggested VOSOT script below***

The University of Hawaiʻi's plan to train more engineers close to home is taking shape. UH Hilo's first pre-engineering pathway has grown from six students at launch to nearly 25 today. Students can start their engineering coursework on Hawaiʻi Island, then transfer to UH Mānoa to finish their degrees and prepare for careers in Hawaiʻi.

Hands-on at Mānoa

On November 12, students preparing to transfer got a firsthand look at the labs and equipment they can access at UH Mānoa. At the College of Engineering, students got hands-on with drones and explored 3D printing equipment. They learned how UH students and faculty are developing drones to help locate unexploded munitions in Hawaiʻi's rugged volcanic terrain. The group also stepped inside the machine labs at the Institute for Astronomy, where teams develop instruments for telescopes.

"There is a big industry out there and we want the students to understand what that is from an early age by getting their hands in the mud and possibly getting their degree and going back and working at home," said Song K. Choi, assistant dean of the College of Engineering.

For sophomore Kassandra Acidera, a Honokaʻa High School graduate, starting at UH Hilo helped put an engineering degree within reach. She plans to transfer in fall 2027 to study mechanical engineering.

"My biggest concern with college was money, so having that opportunity at UH Hilo to take all my pre-requisites and some of my engineering classes at UH Hilo and then transferring to Mānoa, it gave me the chance to be an engineer," Acidera said.

Fellow sophomore Colton Gapol, a Waiākea High School graduate, is set to transfer in spring 2027 to study electrical engineering. He said the visit made him feel welcome at Mānoa.

"They've done a really great job at welcoming us into the college and being like, 'Come. We want you to be here. We really want you to be here. We want you to succeed and we want you to go far,'" Gapol said.

Careers in Hawaiʻi

The pathway is part of UH's Space Science and Engineering Initiative, which creates more ways for Hawaiʻi students to pursue engineering degrees and supports the development of technology for telescopes on Maunakea and Haleakalā and for space missions. With state support, UH is planning a center in Hilo to build and test instruments. The broader effort aims to grow Hawaiʻi's technology sector and create more well-paying jobs on Hawaiʻi Island and across the state, particularly in astronomy and related fields.

"The students we're training today can become the engineers behind Hawaiʻi's next breakthroughs in astronomy," said Doug Simons, director of the Institute for Astronomy. "We want more Hawaiʻi students to see a future for themselves here, with jobs that pay enough to build a life at home."

Link to video and sound (details below): https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/dxzdU7CasA

VIDEO BROLL: (1 minute, 49 seconds)

0:00-1:49 - UH Hilo students tour UH Mānoa engineering facilities

***Pronunciation guide:

Colton Gapol (Gah-pull)

Kassandra Acidera (AH-sih-dare-uh)

SOTS

Colton Gapol/Sophomore, UH Hilo pre engineering

(10 seconds)

"They've done a really great job at welcoming us into the college and being like, 'Come. We want you to be here. We really want you to be here. We want you to succeed and we want you to go far.'"

Song K. Choi, Assistant Dean, UH Mānoa College of Engineering

(13 seconds)

"There is a big industry out there and we want the students to understand what that is from an early age by getting their hands in the mud and possibly getting their degree and going back and working at home."

Kassandra Acidera/Sophomore, UH Hilo pre engineering

(16 seconds)

"My biggest concern with college was money, so having that opportunity at UH Hilo to take all my pre-reqs and some of my engineering classes at UH Hilo and then transferring to Mānoa, it gave me the chance to be an engineer."

VOSOT SCRIPT

INTRO ON CAM

UH wants more Hawaiʻi Island students to see a future in engineering right here at home.

VO

UH Hilo students visited UH Mānoa to get a feel for where they could finish their engineering degrees. They're part of a pre-engineering program that lets them start in Hilo and transfer to Mānoa. Nearly 25 students are enrolled, up from six when the program launched last fall.

SOT (Colton Gapol, Sophomore/UH Hilo pre-engineering)

"They've done a really great job at welcoming us into the college and being like, 'Come. We want you to be here. We really want you to be here. We want you to succeed and we want you to go far.'"

SOT (Song K. Choi, Assistant Dean/UH Mānoa College of Engineering)

"There is a big industry out there and we want the students to understand what that is from an early age by getting their hands in the mud and possibly getting their degree and going back and working at home."

VO TAG

The program is part of UH's Space Science and Engineering initiative. The effort also includes plans for a center in Hilo to build and test instruments for telescopes and space missions.