Anson Lazaro is graduating from Kauaʻi Community College this spring with a Certificate of Achievement in Electrical Installation and Maintenance Technology (EIMT). His next step is joining the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) apprenticeship program. The union will then cover the cost of his continued training and certifications—paving the way toward his dream of becoming a licensed lineman.
After graduating from Waimea High School in 2022, Lazaro initially left Hawaiʻi to play college baseball but returned home after realizing the cost was unsustainable. That’s when he connected with Kauaʻi CC’s Waiʻaleʻale Project, a scholarship program that gives eligible Kauaʻi and Niʻihau residents an opportunity to try college.
“The Waiʻaleʻale Project helped me be able to afford classes at Kauaʻi CC,” Lazaro said. “The beginning goal was just to learn the foundation of what to expect in the electrical field.”
Saving time and money
That foundation quickly grew into a clear path forward, thanks in part to new EIMT instructor Veronica Rose. A 47-year veteran of the IBEW local 640 in Phoenix, Arizona, Rose has brought valuable union connections and opportunities to Kauaʻi CC students.
This semester marked the first time the IBEW director of apprenticeship flew from Oʻahu to meet with Kauaʻi CC students, along with the IBEW local business rep—creating a direct pipeline from Kauaʻi CC to apprenticeship programs.
“The certificate [in EIMT] gives students a door open into the apprenticeship that is not available to the normal person,” said Rose. “It allows them to skip the first year of apprenticeship classes and bypass testing preliminary qualifications.”
First-generation graduate
Attending Kauaʻi CC has required commitment. The drive from Waimea to the Līhuʻe campus is about one hour each way. Lazaro also works two jobs—averaging a combined 32 hours a week—as a crewmember for Blue Ocean Adventure Tours and as a ramp agent for Alaska Airlines.
“Graduating means a lot,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to finish college, and I hope my younger sister sees that and follows her own path to college.”
Waiʻaleʻale Program Coordinator Lahea Salazar said, “Anson possesses the right combination of drive, intelligence and interpersonal skills to excel and make a difference in this world. Truly, as a first-generation Native Hawaiian male, he has worked hard to stay committed to his college education with the determination to change his life, and it is with no doubt that he is a bright light for others in his family and all those he meets!”
—By Caitlin Fowlkes
