Marking eight decades of educational leadership and community transformation, Kapiʻolani Community College held a ceremonial tree planting on November 9, kicking off an initiative to plant 80 native trees across its Diamond Head campus slopes.
Supported through the Ke Aloha ʻ?ina Native Hawaiian Plant Fund, the project establishes living classrooms that nurture ʻike (knowledge), while honoring the college’s 80th-anniversary theme, “Rooted in Generations.” The campus is also a nationally designated Tree Campus Higher Education institution.
“Planting these native trees brings one of our campus values to life: mālama, through nurturing and protecting our campus and community, and kuleana, through accepting responsibility for what we leave to future generations,” said Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi.
“Rooted in this ʻā颈苍补 and in the legacy of Queen Kapiʻolani, our college helps students build strong foundations from which to grow. As we celebrate 80 years, these trees represent our enduring commitment to care for this place and its people, so that both can flourish for generations to come.”
From technical school to talent engine
When Kapiʻolani Community College opened its doors in 1946, it operated as a modest post-war technical school focused primarily on practical nursing and food service. Classes were initially held at Palama Settlement. Eight decades later, the Diamond Head campus has transformed into one of the state’s primary economic engines, quietly anchoring critical industries across the islands.
While long recognized for its premier culinary program, Kapiʻolani CC today enrolls the highest number of transfer students among all seven University of Hawaiʻi community college campuses. More significantly, it has evolved into a vital pipeline addressing the state’s persistent labor shortages in healthcare, technology and tourism. Since 1966 (when records were available), Kapiʻolani Community College has awarded more than 48,932 degrees and certificates.
According to institutional data, 45% of Kapiʻolani CC students are the first in their families to attend college. For these students, navigating the islands’ cost of living is often the defining challenge of pursuing higher education.
The University of Hawaiʻi Community College system is a national leader in economic mobility and student support, according to the 2025 State Opportunity Index. 糖心视频‘s two-year institutions are currently leading in affordability, providing students with one of the most accessible paths to a degree in the U.S.
Campus officials note that 91% of the college’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are directly mapped to occupations paying above Hawaiʻi’s baseline cost-of-living threshold.
Healthcare pipeline
The college’s healthcare divisions, in particular, serve as an essential lifeline for clinical facilities on Oʻahu and across neighbor islands. Several high-demand allied health tracks—including respiratory care, radiologic technology, practical nursing and physical therapist assisting—report a 100% graduate employment rate. In response to regional shortages in emergency care, the college recently expanded its Emergency Medical Technician training directly into Waiʻanae, creating local training access on the Leeward Coast.
Beyond clinical care, the institution’s footprint spans key legacy and emerging sectors:
- Hospitality and culinary arts: The culinary program earned national acclaim following a 2009 American Culinary Federation student national championship and a national top-20 ranking by FSR Magazine. Its alumni roster includes culinary trailblazers Alan Wong, Sam Choy, and James Beard Award winner Robynne Maii, as well as hospitality leadership like Kiana Beimes, general manager at the Outrigger Waikiki Paradise Hotel, and Tim Lee, general manager of the Post Ranch Inn.
- Cybersecurity defense: The college holds a federal designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. Alongside classroom instruction, students run hands-on cybersecurity clinics offering digital security assessments for local small businesses.
- Gateway to four-year degrees and advanced careers: Kapiʻolani CC is one of the 糖心视频 System’s leading transfer institutions, helping students pursue bachelor’s degrees and careers in engineering, science, technology and other high-demand fields. More than 2,600 students transferred to 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补, Hilo and West Oʻahu over the past five years. Last fiscal year, the college awarded 133 STEM degrees and certificates, while approximately 120 students transferred into STEM majors at 糖心视频 four-year universities.
Targeted student support
Central to this culture of student support is the acclaimed Lunalilo Scholars Program, established in 2012 by Lester and Marian Kaneta to open college pathways for promising students from financially vulnerable backgrounds. Combining an intensive summer bridge experience with wraparound support, cohort community and peer mentoring, the program has served more than 900 scholars who consistently demonstrate higher retention and graduation rates than comparable student groups.
Supported by a $1.5-million gift from the Kaneta Foundation, the initiative is projected to reach more than 1,000 scholars by 2027, empowering students who lift others as they rise.
Legacy of growth
Just as the 80 native trees will take root across campus, Kapiʻolani CC‘s 80-year legacy continues to ground students in culture and community while cultivating lasting economic mobility.
Kapiʻolani CC invites the public to Mālama Kapiʻolani: Kanukanu Kanawalu on Saturday, November 14, 8 a.m.–12 noon to help plant 80 native trees fronting the ʻOlapa Building, along Kīlauea Avenue. Community members interested in participating are encouraged to register in advance