When Roli Ukoko traveled from Nigeria to Hawaiʻi for her daughter鈥檚 medical care, she never expected to become a patient herself. A chance observation during the visit eventually connected her with , where University of Hawaiʻi at M膩noa medical students help patients access free cataract surgery.

A staff member at Shriners Children鈥檚 Hawaiʻi noticed that Ukoko struggled to see despite her thick glasses. An eye exam revealed she had cataracts.

“I didn’t even know I had something very wrong with my eyes,” Ukoko said. “I thought it was normal.”

Ukoko had surgery on one eye in July and returned to Hawaiʻi in September for her second procedure as part of WikiVision鈥檚 Annual Cataract Surgery Day in Iwilei.

“This has been a dream come true,” she said.

Founded in 2021 by Hawaiʻi students Arabella and Alexander Tan, WikiVision provides free cataract surgery to people who are uninsured, underinsured or face barriers to care. Vivien Tham, a clinical professor in 糖心视频 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (JABSOM) Department of Surgery, said the nonprofit has helped more than 200 people regain their vision.

This year鈥檚 Annual Cataract Surgery Day served more than 30 patients, with community donations, volunteer staff from the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaiʻi and participating ophthalmologists supporting surgeries, eye drops and pre- and post-operative care.

Learning through patient relationships

For JABSOM students Caitlin Tanji, Brooke Yasuda and Cadie Young, who serve on WikiVision鈥檚 student team, the work begins months before surgery day. They conduct outreach, participate in screenings and pre-operative visits, and stay with patients through surgery and follow-up care.

“I feel like I’m learning a lot about medicine and what it means to be a physician in Hawaiʻi,” said Tanji. “It’s about patient education and being there for them before addressing any concerns.”

For Young, a first-year medical student, working with uninsured patients underscored the importance of active listening. “Just being there for them has been really impactful,” she said.

“I’ve learned that medicine is more than just treating a disease—it’s also about understanding how it impacts quality of life,” Tanji added.

During the summer of 2020, before her junior year at Henry J. Kaiser High School, Emily Westphal started her dual-credit studies at . Earning college credits while in high school is already an accomplishment, but Westphal was about to take it to another level.

Westphal learned about Kapiʻolani CC鈥檚 that spring and was immediately drawn to it. The 16-year-old approached Sally Pestana, Kapiʻolani CC鈥檚 optometry assistant program coordinator, hoping to register for the program. Unfortunately, Westphal did not meet one requirement: she needed to be 17 to qualify.

Pestana appealed to the program funder, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Industrial Relations (DLIR), advocating for Westphal to be a test case for youth apprenticeship. DLIR granted the exemption, allowing her to register in the Optometry Assistant Apprenticeship Program as a “pre-apprentice.”

“As a high schooler, I was looking for a job but I didn鈥檛 want to work in retail or food, and this program provided me with an amazing job through the apprenticeship as well as a challenge to learn about an industry I didn’t know much about,” Wesphal said. “After hearing about this program, I knew I had to do it and I am so glad that with the help of Sally and one of my school counselors, Ms. Shareen Murayama, that I was able to achieve this goal.”

Professional experience

The Optometry Assistant Apprenticeship Program is a one-year program that includes a 145-hour classroom course to prepare students for the national Certified Paraoptometric examination offered through the . It is the only training program in Hawaiʻi, serving students across the state. Students learn to assist optometrists in a professional setting by receiving technical classroom instruction and practicing patient service.

Westphal started the campus portion of the program in June 2020. Eager to fulfill the on-the-job learning part of the program, she took the initiative to seek employment with the program鈥檚 optometrist employer partners and was offered a position by Kari Chang-Moses at Windward Vision Center.

“The fact that she was not necessarily eligible for the Kapiʻolani CC optometry assistant program, but she still managed to be a part of the program was impressive,” Chang-Moses said. “The fact that she was willing to participate in the program, along with keeping up as a fulltime [high school] student, let us know that she had a great work ethic.”

Rapid Health Education Program

The Optometry Assistant Apprenticeship Program is part of the (RHEP) at Kapiʻolani CC. RHEP offers a variety of short-term healthcare courses tailored to potential students who may want to upskill or change careers.

Marcus Fikse, apprenticeship employment counselor for RHEP said, “In my experience working with many students throughout our Rapid Health Education Programs, I have seen all levels of dedication and commitment. For someone Emily鈥檚 age to have completed the program with such success and followed up with gainful employment, it really speaks volumes for her. I truly believe that Emily has what it takes to do very well and I look forward to following her successes along the way.”

Westphal turned 17 in March and can now register as an official apprentice. She said, “I am so happy doing what I do and I learn new things every single day. I never thought as a 17 year old I would know how to file insurance! It is such a great environment to work in and I am so glad with how everything worked out.”

Murayama, her high school counselor, added, “These advanced health programs and certification opportunities allow students to start to give back to their communities. And that鈥檚 a win-win for everyone.”

—By Louise Yamamoto