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Trini: WELCOME BACK TO
"LIVING 808."
GETTING A GOOD EDUCATION CAN BE
THE KEY TO OPENING UP YOUR
CAREER OPTIONS, WHICH CAN OFTEN
LEAD TO A HIGHER PAYING AND MORE
SATISFYING JOB.
TODAY WE'RE LEARNING HOW THE
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I'S
COMMUNITY COLLEGES CAN HELP YOU
MAKE A CAREER CHANGE.
WE WELCOME IN JASMINE CHOY, A
GRADUATE OF LEEWARD COMMUNITY
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OF
HAWAI'I.
AND SUMMER MILES, ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR AND TRANSITION AND
OUTREACH COORDINATOR AT LEEWARD
WAIANAE.
WELCOME.
THANK YOU.
Trini: JASMINE, WHY DON'T
WE START WITH YOU.
GOSH, YOU'RE A MOTHER OF FOUR
AND YOU JUST RECEIVED YOUR
MASTERS DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I
AT MANOA.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO GO BACK TO
SCHOOL?
AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, I STARTED
A FAMILY.
AFTER ABOUT TEN YEARS, I FOUND
MYSELF A SINGLE MOM OF FOUR.
AFTER APPLYING AFTER JOB AND NOT
HAVING NO EXPERIENCE.
YOU CAN'T PUT HOUSEWIFE OR STAY
AT HOME MOM.
THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS EQUATE TO
EXPERIENCE.
Trini: I WILL SAY THAT IS
PROBABLY ONE OF THE HARDEST JOBS
EVER.
BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
SO IT WAS EITHER CONTINUE
LOOKING OR GO TO SCHOOL.
MY OPTION WAS TO GO TO SCHOOL.
WE READ ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WHO
HAVE COLLEGE EDUCATION ACTUALLY
GET PAID MORE AND HAVING FOUR
KIDS IS NOT A CHEAP THING.
SO WANTING TO POI POI FOR THEM, NOT
JUST WHAT I HAD BUT GIVE THEM
POSSIBILITIES, IT MEANT GOING TO
AND YOU DECIDED TO START AT
LEEWARD.
CORRECT.
I WENT TO THE WAIANAE CAMPUS.
I TOOK MOST OF MY CLASSES THERE.
IT MADE SENSE BECAUSE IT WAS IN
MY COMMUNITY.
MADE A FIVE OR SEVEN MINUTE
FAMILY-ORIENT.
IT HAS A COMMUNITY FEELING.
EVERYONE KNOWS YOUR NAME.
FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS OUT OF
SCHOOL FOR THAT LONG, TEN YEARS,
OF IT A GOOD PLACE TO START.
RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TWO ASSOCIATE DEGREES,
TWO BACHELOR'S DEGREES AND YOU
RECENTLY GOT YOUR MASTERS.
CONGRATULATIONS.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
WHEN I BECAME A SINGLE MOM OF
FOUR, I WAS LOOKING FOR JOBS AND
APPLYING.
I FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE AT EASE
BECAUSE I HAVE COLLEGE
EDUCATION, AND THROUGH SOCIAL
WORK CLASSES, WE HAD TO DO
PARCTICUM.
THAT REALLY HELPED.
SO IT MAKES A EASIER SELL MYSELF
AS FAR AS HAVING UPHILL.
SHE MIGHT HAVE JUST GRADUATED
FROM COLLEGE BUT SHE HAS THIS
EXPERIENCE AND SHE COMES WITH
THIS ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE.
Trini: I THINK ANY BUSINESS
WOULD BE BLESSED TO HAVE YOU.
I REALLY DO.
WHAT DO YOUR KIDS THINK OF THIS?
THEY MUST BE PROUD.
THEY'RE VERY PROUD.
I HAD MY MOM, MY AUNTIE, MY
SISTER WHO HELPED WHEN I WAS AT
SCHOOL.
THEY'LL PICK THEM FROM THEIR
SCHOOL AND WATCH THEM UNTIL I
IT TRULY DOES.
AND IT WAS JUST A VERY LONG FIVE
YEARS TO GET ALL THE DEGREES,
BUT MY KIDS ARE VERY PROUD.
Trini: AND THEY SHOULD BE.
I REMIND THEM I CAN'T DO IT
WITHOUT THEIR HELP.
IT'S NOT JUST THE SACRIFICE I
MADE, BUT THEY HAD TO MAKE IT AS
WELL.
I THINK IT'S THAT REAL SENSE OF
OHANA AND THAT VILLAGE.
EVERYONE'S HELPING.
Trini: THAT'S A GREAT
STORY.
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.
THANK YOU.
Trini: SUMMER, YOU WORK AT
THE WAIANAE OFFICE.
AS A COORDINATOR.
AND YOU HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION
INTO COLLEGE.
TELL ME ABOUT THE CAMPUS THAT
YOU WORK ON.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS REALLY
INTERESTING.
VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW THAT WHILE
LEEWARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE HAS
ITS MAIN CAMPUS, WE HAVE A SMALL
HOW LONG HAS THAT CAMPUS BEEN
THERE?
SINCE 1972.
WE WENT TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS BUT
AT THE WAIANAE CENTER, IT'S
HELPING STUDENTS SUCCESS EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS
ARE UNIQUE AND SPECIAL.
EVERY STUDENT HAVE THEIR UNIQUE
STORIES, THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS.
YOU MAKE IT A POINT TO GET TO
KNOW THEIR STORIES AND PROVIDE
THEM A SENSE OF OHANA AND FAMILY
AND GIVE THEM ENCOURAGEMENT IN
ARTICULATING AND OBTAINING THEIR
THEY DESERVE CREDITS FOR TAKING
THAT FIRST STEP.
WE KNOW YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE.
TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF YOU AND
OTHER FACULTY MEMBERS TO HELP
THEM AND JUST GUIDING THEM.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TAKE TEN
YEARS OFF, WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THERE'S
SOMETHING ABOUT EXPANSION OR A
MOVE?
THAT SOUNDS EXCITING.
WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF
MOVING.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO MOVE TO
OUR NEW FACILITY NEXT TO MAILE
ELEMENTRY SCHOOL.
THANKS TO OUR VICE-CHANCELLOR
AND OUR TEAM, WE'RE WORKING
TIRELESSLY.
WE'RE SCHEDULED TO OPEN FOR FALL
SEMESTER.
Trini: FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE
WATCHING THAT MAY HAVE
CONSIDERED A CAREER CHANGE, WHAT
IS YOUR ADVICE TO THEM?
JUST DO IT.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE
CAPABLE OF UNTIL YOU GIVE IT A
TRY.
AND I LOOK AT IT LIKE, YOU MIGHT
NOT ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING YOU
THINK YOU HAVE TO, BUT IF YOU
ACCOMPLISH ONE THING YOU WANT
TO, THAT'S QUITE A SUCCESS
GO OUT THERE, ASK QUESTIONS.
CHECK THEM OUT ON THE WEBSITE.