This article by Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence Director at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine Kelsea Kanohokuahiwi Hosoda was first published in Ka Wai Ola on December 1.
With deep federal budget cuts looming, many Native Hawaiian education programs at the University of Hawaiʻi are at risk of losing critical funding. These programs have never been just academic initiatives—they are lifelines.
As someone who walked the halls of UH as a student, and now as a faculty member, I can personally attest to the transformative power of these programs. They were the foundation that held me through some of the most grueling years of my academic journey, earning a bachelor’s in biology, a master’s in molecular biosciences and bioengineering, and a PhD in communication and information sciences.
The coursework was hard: physics, calculus, and organic chemistry challenged me. What got me through wasn’t just determination, it was community. It was the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program which provided tutors, peer mentors, and a support network that helped me succeed. At the time, that program was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.
Today, those kinds of programs face an uncertain future.
Now, as an assistant professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and the director of the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, I’m on the other side of the system, trying to secure funding to support the next generation of Native Hawaiian scholars pursuing careers in medicine and research.
And let me tell you: the funding landscape is tough. We’re navigating a time of financial scarcity, yes, but also one of rising disillusionment. Many students and families are questioning the value of higher education. Rightfully so. A college degree no longer guarantees a stable job or livable income, and the weight of educational debt feels unbearable for many.
This is exactly why we must invest in Native Hawaiian participation in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) at UH. The path forward lies not in abandoning STEMM, but in reclaiming it as a tool for lāhui advancement.
STEMM is still one of the most powerful tools we have, not just for upward mobility, but for sovereignty, resilience, and cultural perpetuation. Especially with the rise of generative AI and rapid technological change, we need more Native Hawaiians who can lead in these spaces – not just participate in them.
Our ancestors already did this. They were keen observers, data collectors, and innovators. Whether it was navigating using the stars, cultivating diverse food systems, or healing through ancestral knowledge they practiced science grounded in purpose and place. That legacy is in us. We must awaken it.
STEMM is not just about labs and equations. It’s about ensuring that our people can analyze, adapt, and act in the face of any challenge. It’s about building capacity for our lāhui through Native Hawaiian leadership in science, technology, and medicine. It’s about perpetuating ʻike kūpuna in the modern world while training future doctors, engineers, policy-makers, and scientists who will serve our communities first.
If we lose these programs, we lose more than funding. We lose access and innovation.
But if we fight for them—and if we cultivate Native Hawaiian brilliance in STEMM at UH—we won’t just weather the storm. We will lead the way forward.
