The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) welcomed the first seven students of the Class of 2024—the 2020 graduates of the ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program. The graduates celebrated their completion of the program in early June.
ʻImi Hoʻōla (Hawaiian for “those who seek to heal”) is a 12-month post-baccalaureate program in JABSOM’s Department of Native Hawaiian Health designed to provide educational opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who wish to pursue a career in medicine and are deemed capable of succeeding in medical school.
Melia Takakusagi from ʻEleʻele, Kauaʻi grew up with family members who suffered from cancer, diabetes and heart issues. She desired to become a doctor in high school to improve the lives of others. “ʻImi is challenging academically and has made me grow so much as an individual, and as classmates, we are exposed to each other’s experiences. I would recommend it to others,” she said.
The graduates
- Sarah Albrecht, a graduate of Konawaena High School, Hawaiʻi Island, earned a BS in bioengineering at University of Washington.
- Joshua Ilustre, a graduate of George Washington High School in Chalan Pago, Guam, earned a BS in biology at the University of Portland.
- Collin Liang, a graduate from Roosevelt High School, Oʻahu, earned a BS in molecular cell biology from UH Mānoa.
- Piueti Maka, a graduate from Punahou School on Oʻahu, earned a BA in biology from Pepperdine University.
- Peggy Su, a graduate from Moanalua High School, Oʻahu, earned a BS in microbiology and a masters in public health, from UH Mānoa.
- Melia Takakusagi, a graduate from Waimea High School on Kauaʻi, earned a BS in cell and molecular biology from UH Hilo.
- Jennifer Wong, a graduate from Kapolei High School, Oʻahu, earned a BS in biology from the University of Washington.
The rest of their 2024 JABSOM classmates will join them in July and will likely look to them for insight as they delve into four years of long nights of studying, exams and bonding with each other as they pursue their dreams to become medical doctors.
