Highlights of Youth Summit 2015

We are grateful to the speakers and sponsors for making this Micronesian College Student Summit a success. Enjoy the video highlight of the summit.

Program Schedule

9:00–9:30am | Sign in

9:30–10:00am | Welcome

  • Vince Hazen, Director of the Honolulu Museum of Art School
  • Mary Therese Perez Hattori, Associate Professor at Kapi‘olani Community College

10:00–10:45am | Connecting to Host Culture

Associate Professor ‘Iwalani Tasaka and Kapi‘olani Community College student Jancerine Oneisom of Tonoas Island (Chuuk) will speak about core values of the host culture (Hawaiian) and about how connecting to native Hawaiians helped a Chuukese student in her academic journey.

10:45am–11:45pm | Culture-Based Leadership

Dr. Mary Therese Perez Hattori will speak about how an authentic leadership based on Chamoru ways and values helped her as a student and leader in Hawai‘i.  She will take participants through activities to identify authentic elements of their own cultures that can contribute to their own success.

11:45–1:00pm | Lunch Keynote Speaker

Lubuw Falanruw (Yap) is the CEO and Founder of ActivityRez as well as three other businesses in Hawai‘i; Digital Mediums, Hawaii Visitor Television, and Boom Ventures. He will share insights and advice based on his story as a successful serial entrepreneur.

1:00–2:00pm | Panel Presentation

Panelists will share their stories of navigating success; they will share some challenges they faced after leaving their home islands and strategies for dealing with those challenges.

  • Jocelyn Howard, Project Director, We Are Oceania & Facilitator at EPIC Ohana, Inc., MA. in Social Work
  • Joakim Peter, Healthcare Assister, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and Community Advocacy Manager at We Are Oceania, PhD Candidate in Special Education
  • Rockyner Hadley, Student research assistant for Advanced Studies in Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

2:00–3:45pm | Planning our Common Journey Together

Vidalino Staley Raatior,  Director of the Pacific Islander Student Center & AANAPISI Project at UH Hilo and a doctoral student at UH Manoa, will facilitate a discussion with panelists and participants.

  • Group 1: What is helping you succeed in college?
  • Group 2: What do you find challenging in your leadership?
  • Group 3: What outreach programs for Micronesian high school students is your institution doing?

In a large circle, each group will report on their discussions. The outcome of this discussion will include plans to advocate for and address needs of Micronesians in higher education.

  • What is our responsibility and how do we move forward?

3:45–4:00PM | Closing Circle

Closing reflections and remarks in a large group. Participants will be invited to speak if moved to do so.

4:00pm | Pau, Clean Up & Departure