University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa public health and nursing alumna Aime Le has been crowned the 74th Cherry Blossom Festival Queen, one of Hawaiʻi’s longest-running ethnic festivals hosted annually by the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce. Her fellow contestants also voted her Miss Congeniality in recognition of her compassion, professionalism and interpersonal leadership.
“As queen, I serve as a cultural ambassador representing Hawaiʻi through community service, educational outreach and cultural exchange programs locally and internationally,” said Le.
Le earned dual bachelor’s degrees in public health and Japanese in 2020 and a bachelor of science in nursing in 2022. She was also inducted into the Japanese National Honor Society–College Chapter for academic excellence in Japanese language studies.
During her time at UH Mānoa, Le participated in student leadership and service organizations including Mortar Board National Honor Society, Hui Ola Pono Public Health Club, HOSA-Future Health Professionals and Atherton YMCA community programs. She also took part in medical mission and service-learning trips to the Philippines and Kauaʻi and completed a rural clinical rotation in Yap, Micronesia.
“My time in Yap further strengthened my appreciation for community-centered healthcare and cross-cultural connection,” Le said.
Supporting kūpuna through community care
Now a nurse practitioner, Le earned her doctor of nursing practice degree in the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner track from the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene at UH Mānoa in spring 2025. In fall 2025 and spring 2026, Le volunteered with the Memory Café at the UH Mānoa Center on Aging, a free monthly garden-based program for people living with memory loss and their care partners.
“At the Memory Café, I can help support dementia-friendly spaces for kūpuna and caregivers through nature-based activities, social connection and community engagement,” she said.
Le hopes to continue bridging healthcare, culture and community service throughout her career while advocating for compassionate, inclusive care across generations.
“We are so privileged to have someone like Aime be a part of the Memory Café,” said Christy Nishita, a gerontologist with the Center on Aging. “The combination of her personal qualities and professional training has made her the ideal volunteer. She has helped to nurture not only our garden but also the growth of human relationships among students, staff and community participants. I know she will make a superb Cherry Blossom Festival Queen.”
Three members of the 2026 Cherry Blossom Court also have UH ties: Princess Lauren Sayuri Katayama and First Princess Jacqueline Kiemi Osumi are UH Mānoa alumnae, while Princess Kiʻilaweau Kakie Aweau is a current public health PhD student.
