Empowering Voices

Written By Karl Hennen

If three is a magic number, the combination of UH Hilo women, their Mentoring Program, and exchanged support should prove uplifting as the Program enters its third year this fall. From humble origins as a small initiative of dedicated people, the Program now offers thirty guiding roles. Its development testifies success for every woman on campus – mentors included – is only a helping hand away. The Program even has a kindred spirit in Tiana Wai, past mentee and current Office Manager at the UH Hilo Women’s Center, with her own, remarkable journey of achievement.

Tiana Wai, office manager for the UH Hilo Women's Center.

Oahu-born and raised within the village of Nu'uuli in Pago Pago, American Samoa, Wai transferred to UH Hilo with an Associate’s degree in Business Management. It was not the easiest of moves. A first generation college student, Wai encountered issues leading her to rethink her Business major for the Communication field. Yet Wai’s determination to flourish mirrored her welcoming the new environment’s hardships— including differing perspectives about her college direction.

“I had no help in understanding the system … [or how] to break through the barrier and adapt to a new academic culture,” she describes of a path that was, at times, misleading. “It took me a while, but I liked the challenge and it only made me stronger.”

Involving herself with UH Hilo's Office of Applied Learning Experiences (ALEX) internship fair, Wai secured an internship with the UH Hilo Women's Center and used its outgoing experiences as a springboard to become a staff member of the Mentoring Program on campus during its earliest run. Although Wai couldn’t attend the Speed Mentoring Day, she was nevertheless embraced by its then-coordinator, Ashley Fukuchi. Such encouragement has been a part of the Program three years and counting.

The Women’s Mentoring Program grew out of an existing multicultural effort with AAUW (American Association of University Women) Hilo to support women on campus. Other collaborations have included such organizations as Zonta’s Hilo branch. No matter what the mission of the partner group involved, however, they and the Mentoring Program are united by a desire to provide academic, financial, and personal stability for any student identifying as female. From the Program has emerged the Women’s Speed Mentoring Day.

“‘Why don’t we do something fun?’” explains Hannah Wu, Coordinator at the UH Hilo Women’s Center, on her inspiration behind the Speed Mentoring Day. The Day serves as the initial stage of the Women’s Mentoring Program. Wu contends a streamlined approach like speed-dating is enjoyable for students needing help. It also works.

Under this premise, female mentees locate a female mentor within their interest level. The application process’ exclusivity ensures an equal number of mentors to mentees. With a mentor of their choosing, mentees are comforted with one-on-one support that’s flexible to their schedule.

Noting how underrepresented students are not always professionally successful, Wu believed a conversion of the multicultural program into one for diverse women was a fair decision. Wai agrees.

Wai, who is of Hawaiian, Portuguese, Samoan, and Native American (Mohawk) descent, was as drawn to UH Hilo for its cultural diversity as she was the Women’s Mentoring Program to help minorities. Female students across different ethnicities may face domestic violence, job discrimination, and child rearing problems— the last especially without a care center available on campus. After interning for the Women's Center through the Office of Applied Learning Experiences (ALEX), participation in her school community and the Mentoring Program’s outreach to minority women went hand-in-hand for Wai.

During the year-spanning Program, mentors are required to meet with mentees for a minimum of two times each semester. Besides this, student mentors don’t have to be experts. All they need, like the women they assist, is to identify as female and provide guidance in any realm. Help can range from being a friend, giving advice, and studying recommendations to links of employment or scholarships. Mentees should come away knowing they can balance their lives with a surmountable graduation.

The benefits for mentors and mentees are, in Wai’s words, “limitless”. There are innumerable advantages women involved acquire from the Program normal classroom settings may not deliver. Professionally, “[mentees] have these people (mentors) who have been there, done that, and… can help guide [them] to the right direction, especially as a professional reference”, she says. Their mentors provide “the inside scoops of where they want to be. It’s like hidden knowledge.” That’s not even counting a caring ear to listen or other essential avenues by which the mentees feel supported.

As for the mentors themselves?

“They love mentoring,” opines Wu, “when [they’re] able to help a young person make a change for the rest of her life. It’s the whole altruistic nature of wanting to help and making a difference in someone’s life. It just makes you happy.”

“This is a meaningful [opportunity] for self-development, personal growth, and an overall experience,” adds Wai, on both mentor and mentee outcomes. The Women’s Center at UH Hilo reports mentored women acknowledge an increase of nearly 94% in work-related productivity. Mentees have also described higher future incomes, promotion rates, and job satisfaction. As mentors, the Program offers a chance for the UHH female body to directly impact their fellow sisters. They can utilize hands-on experiences to navigate leadership positions, influencing similar women around them.

Students interested in joining the Mentoring Program must acquire an application from uhhwomen@hawaii.edu and submit it to the Student Services Center 223. Alternately, they can scan and email a copy of their application to the same address. The Program is taking applications for a headcount, but also to emphasize its quality and how the opportunity is limited to those sincerely motivated. The Women’s Speed Mentoring Day of the Program will be held on October 2, 2014 from 5:00-6:30 PM at University Classroom Building 127.

With chances to grow and mentor women in need, individuals like Wai are living inspiration. Wai has left a lasting impression on UH Hilo, where her love for her career is even clearer than the Student Services Center’s windows. In addition to serving as Office Manager, Wai enjoys working behind the Women Center’s social media outlets. Graduating this semester, when she will receive a Baccalaureate degree in Communication with a Certificate in Business, Wai has come a long way, transcending classrooms and working hands-on to visible results. She deservedly sees her success story across the Pacific reflected in female mentees also making their dreams reality with the help of fellow UH Hilo personnel.

“What’s important for women in the Mentoring Program is we need that form of support to make our own choices,” Wai relates. “Being a mentor is important because everything you say to someone, even a simple ‘Good job’, can impact them in the future. You remember that one moment when someone looked at you and told you, ‘You can do this’. I feel like this (the Women’s Mentoring Program) is that extra boost to make advantages for women. We put these programs together to emphasize they need to be made aware of that— that they are important.”

As the Women’s Mentoring Program makes its third footstep on the University of Hawaii at Hilo, it is a step among many in the right direction for womankind and, as Wai understands, limitless, obtainable accomplishments.

Tiana Wai is a Communication major and Office Manager at the UH Hilo Women’s Center. She can be reached at tianawai@hawaii.edu. The Women’s Mentoring Program at UH Hilo is currently run by Sarah Haas. For information about the Center or Mentoring Program, please contact Haas at (808) 932-7381 or uhhwomen@hawaii.edu, or visit the Women’s Center Homepage.