Meet the Summer 2013 Leaders

Senior Leaders

Julia Gomes
Hometown Kaneohe, HI
Major(s) Mechanical Engineering
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Try new things! There are so many on-campus and dorm activities that you can participate in to meet new people.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? I love Hawai'i and the Aloha spirit. UH is a research institution, so there are many opportunities to get involved with something you're really interested in.
Favorite place to study on campus Sinclair Library on the third floor. Drinks are allowed (hello, coffee!), it is air conditioned, and there are keyboards you can play around on when you get bored.
Favorite place to go have fun The beach! There are close beaches no matter where you are and it is free!
Any secrets about the UH-Manoa campus that you'd like to share? There's an app to track the shuttle for those really hot days where you don't want to walk across campus.
What children's story character do you relate to the most? The white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland because he's always running around to get things done!
Any other quirky facts about you I can shaka with my toes.
Justin Miyano
Hometown Kobe, Japan
Major(s) Biology
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Work Hard Play Hard.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? UH showers you with opportunities to get experience in each of the departments you become a part of.
Favorite place to eat on campus Simply Ono! They have the best fish. It's super ONO!
Favorite place to relax The top of Koko Head. Best breeze and view after a good workout climbing up those steps!
Favorite snack Chocolate. Chocolate. And Chocolate. Why you ask? It is bitter-sweet, and filled with love and joy. What could be better than that?
Place where you would like to go on vacation to All the neighboring Hawaiian Islands and Brazil.
Any secrets about the UH-Manoa campus that you'd like to share? The funniest poems are found in the men's bathrooms in the physics buildings.
What song(s) fires you up? Let's Do It Again by J-Boog
Kimberly Onishi
Hometown Aiea, HI
Major(s) Secondary Education
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Know yourself. If you know who you are, you will never stray far.
Most embarrassing college moment Falling down the stairs at Campus Center. 'Nuff said.
Favorite place to eat on campus Usually I like to go to Bale. I enjoy their Pad Thai, Paninis, and Iced Coffee. It is pretty affordable and they have a pretty good variety to choose from.
Favorite snack Nature Valley Trail Mix Fruit & Nut Bar is one of my favorite snacks. It's perfect for that in-between class snack when you need a pick me up.
What song(s) fires you up? Bootylicious
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Arnold from Hey Arnold!
Any other quirky facts about you I like museums, folklore, and cooking!
Spencer Scanlan
Hometown Laie, HI
Major(s) Educational Psychology
Year in School Second Year - Graduate Student
Words of Wisdom Be the good student your mom thinks you are.
Favorite college moment When I found out there was a Panda Express on campus!
Favorite place to study on campus Pacific Island study room on the 5th floor of the Hamilton Library. The study tables are big enough to lay out all my study materials and plus the great view.
Favorite place to go have fun I enjoy working out so I prefer the fitness center.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to Tahiti!
What celebrity do you remind people of? Will Smith
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Cinderella
Kimberly Turalva
Hometown Waipahu, HI
Major(s) Nursing
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom With a positive attitude, perseverance and determination, you will definitely get to where you want to be. Don't hesitate to ask for help.
Favorite college moment When I found out that I was accepted into the nursing program here at UH-Manoa. I was so ecstatic that I literally screamed and jumped for a good 5 minutes straight.
Favorite place to eat on campus My favorite place to eat on campus is in the Campus Center because it has variety of food eateries available. Whether it be sushi, cheeseburgers or salads, the Campus Center caters to all taste palates.
Favorite place to go have fun Going around the island in my car with the windows down and playing tourist with my friends is what I consider as fun!
Favorite snack Can't go wrong with good old milk chocolate!
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I would like to visit all of the Disneylands in the world. From California, Florida, Hong Kong, Paris and Tokyo, I want to visit them all!
What nursery rhyme do you relate to the most? Itsy Bitsy Spider

Summer Leaders

Katy Ackman
Hometown Honolulu, HI
Major(s) Theatre
Year in School Freshman
Words of Wisdom Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
Favorite college moment My friends and I were singing the Harry Potter Puppet Pals song while walking to class. Before I knew it, a whole bunch of people I never met before had joined in!
Most embarrassing college moment On the first day of school, I thought I was late for my theatre class. So I ran in the room and started doing the exercise with the rest of the class. When I looked at the clock to see how late I was, I realized I was actually early and had walked in on the class before mine!
Favorite place to study on campus Sinclair Library. It's great if you need to study during lunch since you are allowed to eat in there.
Favorite snack Spam musubi. They are so delicious!
Place where you would like to go on vacation to England, Australia, and Korea.
What celebrity do you remind people of? My friends say I remind them of Anne Hathaway for some weird reason
Any other quirky facts about you When someone pokes me, I make a weird squeaking noise. :P
Allyson Arrieta
Hometown Kahului, Maui, HI
Major(s) Social Work and Philippine Language and Literature
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Freshman 15 will happen if you make it happen.
Favorite college moment Volunteering at Aloha Bash 2013 and getting an All Access Pass. Reason for that: I scored a picture with the lead singer of Common Kings.
Favorite place to eat on campus Bale, because I LOVE to eat Pho and tuna rolls.
Favorite place to relax Definitely my dorm room. My bed is the most comfortable thing ever, especially during stressful times.
Favorite snack Sour gummy worms. It tastes good and it helps me concentrate while studying.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to Japan.
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Spongebob Squarepants.
Any other quirky facts about you People compare my laugh to an alarm, literally.
Nikki Atienza
Hometown Bremerton, WA
Major(s) Communications
Year in School Junior
Words of Wisdom This is a fresh new start for you. Do things that you weren't able to do before and take advantage of what UH has to offer.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? I get to go to school in paradise!
Favorite place to eat on campus I like going to the different food trucks, like Sweet Revenge or Simply Ono, and eating outdoors. I like the idea of supporting local food businesses and having some fresh air while I eat.
Favorite place to relax The Japanese Garden because it's very peaceful and quite. The perfect place to get my mind off things.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I REALLY want to go to Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii so I can hike Haleakala and Mauna Kea.
Any secrets about the UH-Manoa campus that you'd like to share? UH-Manoa is home to over 3000 trees, with over 475 different species!
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls
Any other quirky facts about you I collect snowglobes of places that I've been to.
Raelyn Batacan
Hometown Nanakuli, HI
Major(s) Communications
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Make friends and don't be shy! There are secretly people who want friends to study and hang with.
Favorite place to relax This beach near my house. It's away from everything. Lay your back on the sand, listen to waves crash, watch clouds pass by and at night you can stargaze.
Favorite snack Cookies, I love cookies. Chocolate chip ones with milk. You can never go wrong with cookies.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to Europe, especially Greece.
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Dora the Explorer, I got that a few times.
Any other quirky facts about you I think handshakes are cool.
Brenden Burk
Hometown Haiku, Maui, HI
Major(s) Political Science and Sociology
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom College will present you with many challenges, some will be easy and others will be hard. But as long as you put in your all, you will always succeed!
Favorite college moment The first time I earned placement on the Dean's List. All that hard work had paid off!
Most embarrassing college moment Being corrected on the proper pronunciation of Kuykendall Hall after having already attended UH - Manoa for two years!
Favorite snack I love to snack on ume! It's salty, it's sour...it's delicious!
What celebrity do you remind people of? Zach Braff
Any other quirky facts about you I have to do things in multiples of three or five. For example, I only tap my fingers in sets of three, or carry money in multiples of five.
Sierra Callihan
Hometown Aiea, HI
Major(s) English and Political Science
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Explore! Take risks! Have fun! And most importantly, find your passion; once you do, you'll never "work" a day again in your life because every day will be filled with what you love doing.
Most embarrassing college moment Last semester, I accidentally stepped in dog poo and was unaware. I walked around campus for a while thinking "MAN, what is that SMELL?!" and looking around to see who it could be. Finally, I realized that it was me...
Favorite place to eat on campus I am in love with Taco Bell! I eat the #5 (Nachos) with two crunchy tacos nearly everyday before I go to work.
Favorite place to study on campus Sinclair Library is awesome because you can bring food and drinks in, but the third floor has the bonus of AC! So I tend to camp out there before finals!
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I am hoping to study abroad in France once I finish French 201!
Any other quirky facts about you I am very obsessed with any movie written or directed by John Hughes! I tend to quote them throughout the day.
Angela Caoili
Hometown Aiea, HI
Major(s) Political Science
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Take advantage of what UH Manoa has to offer to their students. Make an impression and do what you can to stand out amongst your peers.
Most embarrassing college moment Almost tripping many times because I was enjoying my ice cream. Haha.
Favorite place to eat on campus Starbucks, because I LOVE COFFEE!
Favorite place to study on campus I love studying outdoors at either Saunders or HIG courtyard because I love smelling the fresh air and being surrounded by nature.
Favorite snack (& why) Hello Panda because the pandas on the cracker part of the snack are so cute.
Any secrets about the UH-Manoa campus that you'd like to share? The computer room on the third level of Campus Center has reclining chairs that you can sleep on.
Any other quirky facts about you I can't keep a straight face no matter how hard I try.
Joshua Chun
Hometown Honolulu, HI
Major(s) KRS
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Go to class, take notes, study hard, and don't procrastinate.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? It's close to home and I love the beach.
Favorite place to study on campus Sinclair or Hamilton library because if I go home and try to study I just end up playing games.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I love going to Korea for vacation
What song(s) fires you up? Shinobi by Supreme Team
Roanne Deabler
Hometown Honolulu, HI
Major(s) English (pathway: Pre-pharmacy)
Year in School Junior
Words of Wisdom Never give in, never give out, never give up.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? When I was younger, I dreamed of playing volleyball for the Rainbow Wahine and watched all of the UH sports live on K5! I was also amazed by the vastness and beauty of the campus.
Favorite college moment When the audience at Manoa's Got Talent, a crowd of about 300 people, sang happy birthday to me. It was totally unexpected and it was all thanks to the sneaky planning of some very special people on my Activities Council 'ohana. It was the greatest present and one of the best nights of my life :)
Favorite snack Cheese Pizza Lunchables - such a fun and easy snack to make!
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? MuLan! She's my childhood icon. When I was four, I mimicked my favorite scene, when MuLan slices her hair with a sword. However, since I didn't have a sword, I used a pair of bright orange scissors to snip away lockets of my hair.
Betty Fletcher
Hometown Kapolei, HI
Major(s) Nursing
Year in School Junior
Words of Wisdom Getting involved in something that you're interested in is a great way to make friends! Check out the variety of clubs and organizations on campus.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? It was close to home and I wanted to be near my support group of family and friends who would all be here.
Favorite college moment Finding out that I was accepted into the nursing program and celebrating with my friends and family. Seeing your hard work pay off is very rewarding but sharing it with those who helped you is even better.
Favorite place to study on campus The second floor of the Hamilton library addition. Just remember to bring a jacket because it's freezing!
Favorite place to relax Home. Where else can you eat a bowl of macaroni and cheese and read Harry Potter without anyone judging you?
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Blossom from Powerpuff Girls
Any other quirky facts about you I used to take horseback riding lessons on a mare named Goldie who was on an episode of Lost.
Mark Gumtang
Hometown Waipahu, HI
Major(s) Kinesiology & Rehabilitation Science
Year in School Junior
Words of Wisdom Establish good study habits and study hard, but don't forget to have fun and relax.
Most embarrassing college moment One time during a class, I had to use the bathroom three times. There was only one exit in class, which was all the way on the other side of where I sat, It was also a lecture hall of about 200 students, so I had to walk back and forth in front of them.
Favorite place to eat on campus Cooking Fresh For You, it's a food truck near Kennedy Theater. The prices are reasonable for healthy dishes and of course, it's delicious.
Favorite place to study on campus Sinclair library because they allow food!
Favorite snack Grilled cheese sandwich because it's delicious and easy to make. I have it with a pickle on the side.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I would like to visit all the Disneyland's, with California being the first.
What song(s) fires you up? All of the Lights - Kanye West
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Stan Marsh from South Park
Laura Hanson
Hometown Aiea, HI
Major(s) Undecided
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Don't freak out, college gives you great experiences and, although it may seem daunting at first, it WILL get better.
Favorite college moment I loved attending my ballet classes, they were fun, the people in the class were energetic and funny and I always got a good workout.
Most embarrassing college moment It was raining. I was walking down the green steps at Campus Center and I slipped and fell about five steps down. My clothes were all wet, and lots of people were around. It was so embarrassing.
Favorite place to eat on campus Taco Bell. I love mexican food, so relatively cheap mexican food is always a must.
Favorite place to relax Sinclair Library. When I am done with all my work I sit and watch Netflix for hours and am instantly relaxed.
Favorite snack I love apples, they are just delicious. I eat one every day.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I would love to go to Copenhagen, Denmark.
What celebrity do you remind people of? Ellen Pompeo
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Madeline
Vyvy Huynh
Hometown Honolulu, HI
Major(s) Biology
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom No matter how old we are, we still need the love and support of our family.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? UH Manoa has one of the most beautiful campuses in the US. richest culture, and most caring people. I couldn't think of a better place to be!
Most embarrassing college moment One time I randomly butt-dialed my friend on my phone during a lecture. So in the middle of class, my friend was screaming "VYVY! VYVY!"
Favorite place to eat on campus Bale. I am a Full Vietnamese person, so whenever I feel stressed out, I always gorge on the same comfort food my mom makes for me at home.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I would love to visit Rome! I have always been interested in Greek and Roman Mythology, so to be immersed in a place where it all originated from would be amazing!
What song(s) fires you up? Move That Body by Nelly
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Sagwa the Cat
Jeffrey Kleyner
Hometown Mililani, HI
Major(s) AstroPhysics
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Get out there, socialize, and have fun. All while studying hard as well.
Most embarrassing college moment After studying all night for an upcoming final, I fell asleep halfway through that final and was woken up by the professor who told me I had failed, then laughed and said he was kidding and that I could make it up the next day.
Favorite place to study on campus at the computer lounge at campus center as it is relatively quiet, has computer and printers at my disposal, and I'm allowed to eat there as well.
Favorite place to relax At the beach as the sound of the waves lulls you to sleep.
Favorite snack Sushi, because well its sushi.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to I would go to New York to shop and eat great food.
What celebrity do you remind people of? Andy Samberg
Any other quirky facts about you I'm a photographer but I hate being in pictures
Robert Moran
Hometown Hilo, HI
Major(s) Economics
Year in School Junior
Words of Wisdom Meet as many people as you can! Find the balance of school, work, and extracurriculars that works for you.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? I wanted to get a good education while being able to take advantage of all the outdoor activities Hawaii offers. I enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere throughout the island as well.
Favorite place to go have fun Wa'ahila Ridge, because it's a great hike with an amazing view, and you can get there from the dorms!
Place where you would like to go on vacation to Chernobyl.
What song(s) fires you up? All Downhill From Here by New Found Glory
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Hey Arnold!
Dulce Ramos
Hometown Waipahu, HI
Major(s) Pre-Business
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Don't let your new atmosphere fear you! Go out and make the best out of your experience at UH Manoa.
What RIOs or other organizations are you a part of? Filipinos Linked in Pride (FLIP) club.
Favorite snack BBQ chips because I wouldn't get tired eating it.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to A vacation to Japan! Not only do I like the culture, I also want to try some authentic Japanese food.
If you had to eat only three types of junk food for the rest of your life, what would they be? Spam musubis, curly fries, and bbq chicken wings.
What song(s) fires you up? Chop Suey by System of A Down
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Flame Princess in Adventure Time
Any other quirky facts about you When I'm very concentrated on something, my tongue sticks out.
Elisabeth Seamon
Hometown Manoa, HI
Major(s) Psychology
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Don't settle for the fastest way out. Get the major you want even though it may set you back a year or two.
Favorite college moment Getting on the Dean's List for the first time.
Favorite place to eat on campus The cafeteria in Campus Center because I absolutely love pasta other noodle dishes and it's one of the only places conveniently located that offers that.
Favorite place to relax Bale because the environment is upbeat and fun. A lot of days there is even live entertainment.
Favorite snack Oreos and milk! No justification needed. :)
What song(s) fires you up? I Love It (I Don't Care) by Icona Pop
What celebrity do you remind people of? Kristen Stewart
Any other quirky facts about you I bowl competitively and I love it.
Flora Wang
Hometown Honolulu
Major(s) Nutrition - Dietetics
Year in School Sophomore
Words of Wisdom Learn how to manage your time wisely! It's really, really critical to find a balance that works for you.
Why did you decide to attend UH-Manoa? I grew up in Hawaii and love it here! There is really no other place in the world quite like it.
Favorite place to eat on campus Govinda's food truck is pretty much the best place to go for lunch or even a quick snack between classes. The people who work there are so friendly and the prices can't be beat.
Favorite place to study on campus I love both of the libraries equally because I love the A/C in Hamilton and the fact that I can eat in Sinclair.
Favorite snack I love snacking on fresh fruits and veggies. Nothing beats the nutritional value of a great fresh snack. And there's nothing to feel guilty about after!
Any secrets about the UH-Manoa campus that you'd like to share? The bathrooms in the basement of Sinclair Library are amazing! Probably the best ones on the whole campus.
Any other quirky facts about you I'm vegetarian and have been for the past 4 years. My change in diet led me to make different and better choices about what I ate.
John Witkowski
Hometown Seal Beach, CA
Major(s) Accounting
Year in School Senior
Words of Wisdom Find the right balance between work and play. Don't get too stressed out over school work.
Favorite place to eat on campus Definitely Da Spot food truck. The food is tasty, very reasonably priced, and they will hook you up with a good amount. Sometimes too much food!!
Favorite place to relax Out in the water surfing on the Northshore. Its very detached from everything that goes on in and around Honolulu and the university.
Favorite snack Tortilla chips and salsa.
Place where you would like to go on vacation to Bali in Indonesia, Fiji, or Mexico.
What celebrity do you remind people of? People say that I look like Dennis Leary.
What cartoon character do you relate to the most? Fry from Futurama