Gabriella Wilson-Rytting, founder and creative director of Essence Marketing & Design, was chasing college credits before some of her Kapaʻa High School classmates were even thinking about higher education. While still in high school, she jumped at the opportunity to take dual credit courses, and earned her associate degree in liberal arts from Kauaʻi Community College by 2018.
“I remember how supported I felt by my professors and how much freedom I had to explore different areas of interest. The photography and illustration classes in particular lit something up in me—they made it clear that design was what I wanted to pursue,” Wilson-Rytting said. “I also appreciated the business class that opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, and the Hawaiian Studies program, which helped me reclaim and better understand the cultural context I grew up in. All of that shaped who I am today—not just as a designer, but as a business owner and storyteller.”
Her next educational chapter took her across the ocean to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, a leap she felt ready for thanks to the foundation she built at Kauaʻi CC.
Community college = solid base
“My advice: trust your foundation. Community college gives you such a solid base,” Wilson-Rytting said. “Your experiences from a smaller campus are still incredibly valuable, and they give you an edge when navigating a bigger university setting.”
That solid base propelled her to earn two degrees from UH Mānoa—a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and a bachelor of arts in cultural studies. Today, she channels her creativity and cultural perspective into Essence Marketing & Design. The Oʻahu-based company specializes in branding, website design, content creation and digital strategies tailored to small businesses.
“Everything is custom and intentional—there’s no cookie-cutter work here,” she said. “As a Native Hawaiian woman and small business owner myself, I understand the importance of culture, depth and representation.”
