As peer mentors, Jamilyn Moriguchi and Sydney Burgher help other college students thrive. They were inspired by the Lunalilo Scholars Program at Kapiʻolani Community College program, which energizes non-traditional students to pursue higher education by providing a foundation, sense of belonging and confidence.
“I didn’t even want to go to college before I learned about the Lunalilo Scholars Program,” said Moriguchi, who earned an associate’s degree in psychology from Kapiʻolani CC in May, and now attends the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu. “It felt like my second home.”
Founded by Lester and Marian Kaneta in 2012, the Lunalilo Scholars Program has grown from its initial cohort of 22 students to an average of 60–90 recipients per year. More than 900 scholars have completed the program, demonstrating higher retention and graduation rates than comparable student groups.
Burgher said, “When I started the Lunalilo Scholars Program, I found myself in small groups with people I’d never met. But by the end of the weeklong Summer Bridge program, those strangers had become friends and that sense of connection inspired me to come back as a peer mentor.”
College is within reach
LaVache Scanlan, who has led the program since its inception, ensures every Lunalilo Scholar feels college is attainable.
“Our Summer Bridge program is really about breaking down perceptions,” said Scanlan. “Students explore how their personal experiences shape the way they see the world and one another. Our hope is to dispel the notion that college isn’t for them and ensure every scholar feels it’s within reach.“
Jennifer Wong-Ala, a member of the first cohort of Lunalilo Scholars who went on to earn a PhD, reflected on the program’s profound impact.
“When I learned I had been selected for the first-ever Lunalilo Scholars cohort at
Kapiʻolani Community College, I cried. That moment changed everything for me. The program gave me a foundation, a sense of belonging and the confidence to keep going.” Wong-Ala said. “The Lunalilo Scholars Program helped me find stability, purpose and a network of support that understood what it meant to start from scratch and keep going.”
Read more at the UH Foundation.
