Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 12, 1 December 1989 — Mahoney praised [ARTICLE]

Mahoney praised

Alu Like extends congratulations to Kalaokona Mahoney, career counselor at Alu Like, Inc.'s Maui island center. In appreciation of her outstanding record of on-the-job placements, from July 1988 to June 1989, she was presented a white

5. satin jacket with the Alu Like emblem, the only one of its kind, by Winona Whitman administrator of Alu Like's Employment and Training Frogram. Mahoney placed 82 out of a total 153 participants that year. Mahoney also places participants in other activi1 ties, such as in classroom training for jobs. One such student is Lui K. Hokoana, 21, of Maui. Heis a graduate of St. Anthony's High School in Wailuku and is pursuing a master's degree in eommunications from the University of Hawai'i. Hokoana recently sent his counselor a letter about his studies, excerpts of whieh are reprinted in the Alu Like Report with permission: ". . . Graduate school is sure tough; it's mueh more different than undergraduate work. But I think IH be aH right. "Grad school has a low representation of Hawaiian students. In my program, there are about 40 students, and yes, you guessed it, I'm the only Hawaiian. Such a sad statistic, but I hope when I finish, it wiH be a good example to other Hawaiians. I think Hawaiians are somewhat restricted by the limited role models they have. HopefuUy, as Hawaiian children see more educational role models, their outlook for education wiU change. No longer will they be satisfied with blue collar work; they may aspire to be lawyers, doctors, and teachers. The first task though, is to improve representation in higher education now and Alu Like is helping to meet that need! "I got some great news a few weeks ago from Maui. Pua Kanahele (instructor from Maui Community College) offered me a teaching position at MCC in Hawaiian Studies. She said the position would be avaUable next January. I told her that was great because I would be writing my thesis by then, and I could do it on Maui. "This position wiU also offer me the opportunity to pursue my Ph.D., whieh has been my dream. It seems reaHstic now. A few years ago, I thought I would never get past my BA. Me ka ha'aha'a ame ka 'oia'i'o. Lui