WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE MANOA ALUMNI? Here at Manoa, your achievements extend beyond your degree of completion. The connections you make, the communities you develop, the professors you encounter that nurture your growth provide the foundational stepping stones to propel you to great things on and beyond our campus. The success of a graduate stands at the core of our mission. We connected with our recent alumni to learn more about their experiences. With a variety of backgrounds, selection of career choice and path to success, one thing is certain - our alumni are proud to have been Made at Manoa.
The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa has over 194,000 alumni living in dozens of countries around the world! Here are a few fun and interesting facts about our UHM-azing alumni around the globe.
194K
ALUMNI WORLDWIDE!
66%
33%
1%
Hawai‘i
Mainland
Abroad
ALUMNI IN HAWAI‘I
94
Different Countries
ALUMNI IN U.S. REGIONS
2%
Midwest
85% 86%
13%
O‘ahu
Neighbor Island
West
4%
Northeast
2%
South
TOP 5 U.S. STATES IN WHICH ALUMNI RESIDE (EXCLUDING HAWAI‘I)
TOP 5 COUNTRIES IN WHICH ALUMNI RESIDE (EXCLUDING U.S.)
Washington 4,962
Japan 1,202
Canada 315
Oregon 2,000
S. Korea 377
Florida 2,511
California 19,263
TOP 5 U.S. CITIES IN WHICH ALUMNI ARE EMPLOYED Honolulu, HI 21%
San Francisco, CA 5%
Seattle, WA 3%
China
Vietnam 459
Texas 2,842
350
TOP COMPANIES IN WHICH ALUMNI ARE EMPLOYED
Los Angeles, CA 4%
New York City, NY 5%
Amazon
Korean Air
Bank of Hawaii
Nordstrom
Boeing
State of Hawai‘i
Hawaii State DOE
University of Hawai‘i
Kaiser
U.S. Geological Survey
TOP 5 U.S. STATES MAJORS
Liberal Arts 11,444
Accounting 5,663
Psychology 5,599
Elementary Education 5,315
Nursing 3,965
WAVERLY HEURTELOU Technical Recruiter; Cruise Office of Student Academic Services Bachelor of Business Administration, Human Resource Management, UH Manoa, 2017 San Francisco, CA Originally from the Bay Area, Waverly chose UH Manoa because of the diverse student body, great business school program and for the opportunity to step outside of her comfort zone. She is now a technical recruiter for Cruise, a company working on building a self-driving rideshare service.
What I love the most about my job as a technical recruiter is being able to help candidates find their dream job and setting them up for success throughout the interview process. I work for Cruise which is a company working on building a self-driving rideshare service so it’s been really exciting to be at the forefront of what transportation will look like in the future.�
DANNY SEPKOWSKI Photographer Bachelor of Arts, Psychology; Master of Education, Educational Administration, UH Manoa, 2008, 2011 Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Being a professional photographer allows me to enjoy nature and spread aloha around the world. Being published in National Geographic and doing work for Oakley has been a great experience, but what I enjoy more nowadays is helping people improve their photography skills.” Danny Sepkowski is an award-winning photographer whose photographs have been featured in National Geographic, Canon, and the Smithsonian. His short film “A-Frame” is also gaining international attention. Danny’s aim is to continuously engage not only the visual part of our senses, but to stimulate our innermost passions and desires through his art.
DANIEL CHUN Director of Sales, Community & Public Relations – Hawai‘i; Alaska Airlines Bachelor of Science, Travel Industry Management, UH Manoa, 2002 Honolulu, Hawai‘i Daniel Chun’s extensive knowledge of Hawai‘i’s tourism industry stems from his years at Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau and then as the State of Hawai’i’s governor-appointed tourism liaison. He brought that knowledge and experience with him to his position at Alaska Airlines in 2011 as their Regional Manager of Sales and Community Marketing where he helped with the successful merger with Virgin America. He was promoted to Director of Sales, Community & Public Relations in 2017.
My time at UH really helped me to learn about myself. I had a few prospective majors before I landed at the university’s School of Travel Industry Management. It was there that I really found my home and a place where I felt that I belonged.�
DOORAE SHIN O‘ahu Chapter Coordinator; Surfrider Foundation Bachelor of Arts, Interdisciplinary Studies, UH Manoa, 2015 Honolulu, Hawai‘i
Being born and raised in Pennsylvania made me crave a new experience that would make me grow as a person and expose me to more of the world. UH Mānoa was the perfect fit, and I felt right at home from the day I landed. Ten years later, I am still here, growing my career in environmental advocacy and connecting deeply with my friends and community on O‘ahu.” Doorae Shin has roots in environmental activism at UH where she, in conjunction with the Surfrider Foundation, gathered signatures to ban styrofoam food packaging at any of the ten UH campus dining locations. She has also worked for the Kokua Hawai‘i Foundation as their Plastic Free Hawai‘i Program Manager. She is now with the Surfrider Foundation as their O‘ahu Chapter Coordinator.
EMILY GOMES Structural Engineer at the Boeing Company Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering, UH Manoa, 2012 Bothell, Washington Emily was born and raised in Kane‘ohe. While a student, she was active in the Society of Women Engineers at UH Manoa. She was accepted as a summer intern at Boeing and is now a structural engineer at The Boeing Company. She has worked on a wide range of wing edges structures and components including flap supports, wing landing gear doors, flaps and fixed panels.
I chose engineering because I liked math, but my time at UH taught me the fun aspect of engineering is solving real problems and coming up with innovative solutions. My professors focused on building a solid foundation of understanding, and provided opportunities to apply it in exciting and challenging projects. I use those skills every day to integrate aircraft wing assemblies, analyze flight load effects on wing structure, and optimize parts for weight, strength, and manufacturing.�
SASHA DOMINY Actress and Fashion Designer Bachelors of Science, Apparel Product Design & Merchandising UH Manoa, 2008 Brooklyn, New York
My college years allowed me a huge amount of selfdiscovery. I had a very diverse college experience being an APDM major, UHM Cheerleader, and local resident. I got the artistic teachings, excitement and strict physical training from athletics, and world travel from my time living in Italy with the UH exchange program.�
Born and raised in Hilo, Hawai‘i, Sasha is now living out her dreams of working as an actress in the Big Apple. Reflecting on her diverse college experience, she regularly finds herself utilizing the skills she gained at UH Manoa. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., Sasha picked up her sewing sheers and fabric and began sewing masks, employing the techniques she learned as an Apparel Product Design & Merchandising major and providing masks to those in need.
LYNDSEY HARAGUCHI-NAKAYAMA Hanalei Taro & Juice Co. and the Ho’opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill B.S. Tropical Plant & Soil Sciences, ‘01 Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i From a young age, Lyndsey Haraguchi-Nakayama learned the importance of a strong work ethic while harvesting taro on her family farm in Kaua‘i - the largest taro farm in the state of Hawai‘i, spanning over 100 years and six generations. After earning her undergraduate from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, Lyndsey returned to Kaua‘i to manage the family farm, where today, she leads both the Hanalei Taro & Juice Co and the Ho`opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill, a non-profit agrarian museum which educates the community on the agriculture history of Hanalei and importance of sustainability for future generations. In 2017, Lyndsey was featured in Forbes Magazine “Five Women Rocking the Food Scene in Hawai‘i” and in 2018, named one of the 20 for the Next 20 by Hawai‘i Business Magazine, a group of emerging Hawai‘i leaders who will have a significant impact on the State of Hawai‘i in the next two decades.
I was very grateful to receive a four year scholarship from the College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources. Other universities offered me scholarships, but one of the main reasons why I attended UHM was because of their tropical plant program, which is unlike anywhere else.�
JESSICA VILLANUEVA Teacher, Suisun Elementary School B Ed Elementary Education & Special Education, UH Manoa, 2007 Vallejo, California
Every professor I had was amazing and I loved how they mentored us. They really taught me how to be knowledgeable, effective and to be good at what you do and to have a passion for what you do. Being in Hawai‘i, the aloha spirit, translated into everything that we did. What makes me such a great teacher is my relationships with my students and my families and I learned all of that at Mānoa because its embedded in the culture and it’s the spirit of the people.” In 2017, Jessica was named one of the country’s top educators and selected for the Milken Educator Award. Deemed the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Educator Award has been the nation’s premier teacher recognition program for 30 years.
DERICK FABIAN Founder of 7Sketches BA Art Studio, UH Manoa, 2012 Honolulu, Hawai‘i
My passion for art, guided by the education I received at UH Mānoa, brought me to where I’m at today. It’s amazing to still be doing what I loved most as a child, to have my artwork enjoyed my this many people from all over, travel to share my work, and make connections with creatives I have always been a fan of!” Although art was his lifelong love, Hawai‘i artist Derick Fabian bought the conventional wisdom that says, “If you major in art, you major in starvation.” He spent years searching for ways to combine his talent with something more sensible, but a conversation with a counselor at Kapi‘olani Community College helped him “cave in to his passion.” He then went on to pursue his BA in Art at UH Manoa where he wrote and illustrated a comic strip for the student newspaper Ka Leo O Hawai‘i that he titled “7Sketches”. 7Sketches went on to become his brand known for his original sticker art, apparel, and prints. Blending the spheres of cartoons, anime, comic books and manga, along with hiphop and local culture, 7Sketches has created a world of mashup characters that are infiltrating Hawai‘i. Follow Derick and his art on Instagram @7Sketches
TY SANGA Freelance Filmmaker, Writer & Producer, Family Ingredients BS Ethnic Studies, UH Manoa, 2006 MFA Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University Honolulu, Hawai‘i Ty Sanga is a renowned Native Hawaiian freelance film maker, director and indigenous story-teller. In 2010 his short, Stones, won best short at the Maui Film Festival and was screened at NMAI’s Pacifika Showcase in New York and Native Cinema Showcase in Santa Fe. The film was an official selection for the Indigenous Shorts Showcase at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the first film entirely in the Hawaiianlanguage to be shown at Sundance. Today, Sanga writes and directs a food-travel television series called Family Ingredients, the first-ever Hawai‘i production included on the PBS’ national prime-time lineup. In its pilot episode in 2014, the series won a regional Emmy at the 43rd Annual Northern California Area Emmy Awards in San Francisco.
My films have allowed me to travel and share Hawai‘i’s stories with the world. To see them resonate with people not from the islands validates what I am doing because these stories have a universal message and people want to hear them.�
DR. ANELA CHOY Research Oceanographer, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute BA Environmental Sciences, UH Manoa, 2004 MS Oceanography, UH Manoa, 2008 PhD Oceanography, UH Manoa, 2013 Honolulu, Hawai‘i
One of my most influential experiences on campus was co-founding the SOEST (School of Ocean and Earth Science Technology) Maile Mentoring Bridge during my graduate studies which provided a source of inspiration and led to many peer and faculty-based relationships that are still important to me today. This program was born out of the hope that as the faces of science change against a rapidly evolving and increasingly diverse society, that we can provide Native Hawaiian and local students fulfilling, meaningful and exciting career paths in earth science.” Dr. Anela Choy, is a postdoctoral fellow in biological oceanography and marine ecology at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). In 2016, she was one of five women in the U.S. who was selected for the L’Oréal Woman in Science Fellowship, which recognizes exceptional female scientists with grants of $60,000 each for their innovative research and dedication to inspiring the next generation of women in STEM. Source: L’Oreal
COLBY HANSEN Airport Operations Specialist - Polices & Procedures, Hawaiian Airlines BBA Management & International Business, UH Manoa, 2015 Snohomish, Washington One of the aspects Colby enjoyed most about UH Manoa, was essentially being able to go to college in different locations throughout the world while he was a student. He took advantage of the opportunity to study abroad in Spain, and spent a year on exchange at the University of Alabama while earning his degree in business.
I chose UH MÄ noa for its sense of community. There was so much diversity of people from around the world. Being with Hawaiian Airlines now, there is a mutual understanding, connection and extended community I have especially with others in the company who also graduated from MÄ noa whether it be recent or many years ago.â€?
JOEY RAMIREZ Digital Media Manager, Los Angeles Lakers BA Communications, UH Manoa, 2015 Los Angeles, California
I love everything about what I do. I put in a lot of work, and long hours, but I never feel like I’m working. Everyday is something new and exciting; I watch every single Lakers game in person, talk to players in person. I can’t ask for anything more.” Growing up, Joey Ramirez always knew he wanted to work in sports. Coupled with a passion for writing and journalism, Joey pursued a degree in Communication and worked on-campus at the student newspaper, Ka Leo O Hawai‘i, covering various aspects of athletics - from basketball to football, on-camera and radio. Now a digital reporter for the Los Angeles Lakers, Joey looks back at his time at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and credits landing his dream job to the experiences he had as a Rainbow Warrior.
TIFFANY QUEZADA Co-Founder & Design Lead, Hobnob BA Speech Communications, UH Manoa, 2006 Hilo, Hawai‘i
I never imagined I would be here today. I could have moved, but I wanted to build my business here and contribute to the startup ecosystem, locally. Hawai‘i is a great place, especially for tech. I believe in our community, our ties. Being an entrepreneur is being a problem solver; you are always learning - failure is the tuition for success.” Tiffany Quezada, Co-Founder & Design Lead of Hobnob, a Honolulu-based startup focused on helping people reimagine the way they get together through beautiful mobile invitations. Born and raised in the town of Hilo on Hawai‘i Island, Tiffany is a passionate entrepreneur with a love for beautiful design. She is a self-taught designer with a background in event management, fashion, and non-profit marketing. Previously she co-founded Minded, a Blue Startups Accelerator company (one of the top 20 U.S. Accelerators, TechCrunch). Tiffany graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Speech Communications.
808-956-2586 1-877-UH-ALUMS (toll-free) uhalumni.org/manoa contact@uhalumni.org facebook.com/uhmanoa instagram.com/uhalumni twitter.com/uhalumni youtube.com/universityofhawaii Visit us! Experience a campus tour by calling 808-956-7137 or visituhm@hawaii.edu “Made At Manoa” Typography: Erica Kunihisa ‘12 Born and raised in Mililani, Erica lives, breathes and even sweats design. She earned her BFA in 2012 at University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and currently is freelancing in Portland, Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys hikes, movies and concerts. Follow her exploits on Instagram at @ekunihisa. The University of Hawai‘i at Manoa is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.