{"id":236454,"date":"2026-06-22T15:41:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T01:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=236454"},"modified":"2026-06-22T15:41:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T01:41:37","slug":"newest-imi-hoola-grads-celebrate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/06\/22\/newest-imi-hoola-grads-celebrate\/","title":{"rendered":"Newest ʻImi Hoʻ\u014dla grads celebrate move to medical school"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"People
2026 ʻImi Hoʻ\u014dla graduates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One year ago, a dedicated cohort of students entered the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM<\/abbr>)\u2019s ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> Program<\/a>. On June 10, standing before family and friends, graduates celebrated the completion of their year-long post-baccalaureate journey and their admission to medical school. The ceremony marked the culmination of a year of long hours and academic and personal growth.<\/p>\n

Building a foundation for success<\/h3>\n

For more than 50 years<\/a>, ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span>, which means “those who seek to heal,” has helped prepare students for the academic rigor of medical school while developing a commitment to serve the community.<\/p>\n

While the coursework tested students academically, graduates cited the cohort’s strength as a reason for their success.<\/p>\n

“The people who I graduate with are really amazing people,” graduate Tyler Chock said. “I’m really happy to have made it here with them.”<\/p>\n

That sense of community was evident as the cohort gathered for the final grade reveal of the spring semester. Students braced themselves for what had become a familiar process. Instead, the tutors entered and delivered the news all at once.<\/p>\n

\"People
ʻImi Hoʻ\u014dla class with their letters of acceptance to JABSOM<\/abbr><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“They just said that we all passed, and we were all done,” graduate Nanea Delostrico recalled. “We all kind of jumped up and hugged each other. It was a beautiful moment and just a big celebratory excitement that we had all made it, and we all did it together.”<\/p>\n

The completion ceremony was capped off by a speech from 2005 JABSOM<\/abbr> graduate and 2001 ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> alumna, Chia Granda. Graduates were then presented with gifts from the McGuire \u02bbohana and Friends of \u02bbʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The Queen\u2019s Health Systems provided stipend support to students during their time with the program and has extended its commitment by awarding five full-tuition, four-year medical school scholarships to the current ʻImi<\/span> graduates. The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation has also provided its second recipient with a full-tuition, four-year scholarship to support a current graduate’s medical education.<\/p>\n

Now that ʻImi<\/span> Hoʻōla<\/span> is behind them, the graduates turn their attention toward the next chapter of their journey: medical school.<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2026 \u02bbImi Ho\u02bb\u014dla graduates marked the end of a rigorous year of academic preparation as they begin their journey to medical school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":236462,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[1004,31,9],"class_list":["post-236454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-imi-hoola","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t