University of Hawaiʻi President Wendy Hensel visited the UH Maui College Molokaʻi Education Center on Tuesday, April 8, marking the final stop in her statewide tour of 10 UH campuses and six education centers.
Hensel began her visit at Molokaʻi High School, meeting with Early College students—high school students who take UH courses and earn both college and high school credits. Molokaʻi High currently has just over 50 Early College students out of 334 total enrollment. Hensel asked the students what they thought about the Early College program and how it could be improved. In turn, the students asked her about her career path and how she became UH president.
“I think it was great that she came to talk to us, because now we know what we can do and other opportunities we can explore,” said Solid Wong, a Molokaʻi High School freshman. “She also explained what her journey was like, and how others could follow a similar path. That’s awesome.”
Hensel then met with retired Molokaʻi Education Center administrators, who shared the history of the center and its impact on the island. Afterward, she joined the center leadership and staff, along with UH Maui Chancellor Lui Hokoana and Interim Vice President for Community Colleges Della Teraoka, for lunch to continue conversations about the center’s important role in the community.
The afternoon included a listening session with six center graduates and current students. They shared their educational experiences, the challenges they faced, and how higher education has positively influenced their lives and careers.
“It was a day of inspiring stories that really moved me about the power of education and the importance of having access on every island so that we meet the needs and goals of our entire community,” said Hensel. “It’s very rural here, more isolated than our other campuses, so ensuring that we have opportunities on Molokaʻi is critical.”
Making a difference
The Molokaʻi Education Center has about 150 students enrolled in spring 2025 along with 100 non-credit students. Over the past four years, the center has awarded 47 associate degrees and 52 certificates.
“I hope the president understands how important higher education is on this island, and how it has made such a tremendous difference,” said Kelley Dudoit, UH Maui Molokaʻi Education Center Coordinator. “The people of Molokaʻi really make the most of what they have. I hope she also gets a genuine feeling for the aloha of this place.”
Hensel concluded her visit with a reception and a question-and-answer session with about 30 community members. Topics included academic pathways, credit transfer challenges within the UH System, and expanding local opportunities.
“She’s engaging, she listens, and she gives me hope that we’re on the right track, even in challenging times,” said Donna Haytko-Paoa, a retired Molokaʻi Education Center administrator. “It’s clear she cares. She heard us, she met with us, and she was physically here.”
Hensel says she will use the insights gathered during her statewide tour of UH campuses and education centers to develop a strategic plan outlining goals and priorities, which she will present to the Board of Regents.
During her visit, she also stopped at Kaunakakai Elementary, where nine Oʻahu and Maui-based dentists, dental hygienists, assistants and nurses were providing free dental services as part of the Hawaiʻi Keiki: Healthy & Ready to Learn Program, a partnership between the UH Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene and the State Department of Education.
For more information about President Hensel, visit the Meet President Hensel webpage. She is also active on social media and encourages the UH community to connect with her on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
