{"id":234677,"date":"2026-05-19T22:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T08:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=234677"},"modified":"2026-05-20T09:50:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T19:50:28","slug":"manoa-commencement-speakers-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/19\/manoa-commencement-speakers-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr>糖心视频<\/abbr> M\u0101noa commencement speakers encourage responsibility, pride, community"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> &lt; 1<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute<\/span><\/span><figure id=\"attachment_234686\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234686\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/manoa-spring-grad-speakers.jpg\" alt=\"Three grad speakers\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-234686\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/manoa-spring-grad-speakers.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/manoa-spring-grad-speakers-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/manoa-spring-grad-speakers-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-234686\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">From left: Ortiz, Dods, Holokai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The University of <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at <span lang=\"haw\">M&#257;noa<\/span> held two commencement ceremonies celebrating more than 2,800 graduates on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The ceremonies featured outstanding student speakers Diego <span lang=\"haw\">Ha&#699;aheo<\/span> Ortiz and Erica-Skyler Malie Salvador Holokai, and inspirational words from guest speaker Walter A. Dods Jr., who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/19\/honorary-doctorate-walter-dods-jr\/\">awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_18023\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-uJFusL9eCA?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Spring 2026 Commencement - Student Speaker: Diego Ha\u02bbaheo Ortiz\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>In the morning, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/07\/diego-haaheo-ortiz-speaker\/\">Diego <span lang=\"haw\">Ha&#699;aheo<\/span> Ortiz<\/a> spoke about <span lang=\"haw\">Ha&#699;aheo<\/span>, his name, which means pride, dignity and self-respect earned through responsibility.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What comes next may be exciting, uncertain or both. The main thing is that <span lang=\"haw\">Ha&#699;aheo<\/span> reminds us that uncertainty is not weakness. It is an invitation to keep learning and to keep pushing forward.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_19344\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BFSHbJFHnQQ?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Spring 2026 Commencement - Student Speaker: Erica-Skyler Holokai\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>In the afternoon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/13\/bento-box-message-erica-holokai\/\">Erica-Skyler Malie Salvador Holokai<\/a> urged graduates to embrace their community and identity, and to find the unique opportunities that come with them.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Look at the diversity community that surrounds us today. Claim your place. Claim your place in community. Claim your place in cultures, and claim your place in loving yourself.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_57000\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZbSmh6HdVog?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Spring 2026 Commencement - Honorary Doctorate and Keynote: Walter A. Dods, Jr. , Philanthropist\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Dods, a longtime leader in <span lang=\"haw\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>&rsquo;s business community, philanthropist and <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">糖心视频<\/abbr> alumnus and supporter, encouraged the graduates at both the morning and afternoon ceremonies to consider all the opportunities their new degrees offer and find where they are needed the most.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When you align your talents with the needs of others, work becomes more than a job. Success becomes more than personal achievement, and your life becomes part of something larger than yourself.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/tag\/commencement\/\">Meet more amazing <abbr>糖心视频<\/abbr> graduates<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Student speakers Diego <span lang=\"haw\">Ha&#699;aheo<\/span> Ortiz and Erica-Skyler Malie Salvador Holokai and guest speaker Walter A. Dods Jr. encouraged the graduates to keep pushing forward, love themselves and support their communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":234686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,12],"tags":[234,1466,9,56],"class_list":["post-234677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","category-video","tag-commencement","tag-manoa-enhancing-student-success","tag-uh-manoa","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/manoa-spring-grad-speakers.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234677"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234714,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234677\/revisions\/234714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}