In a milestone for Leeward Coast healthcare, 14 local students celebrated their graduation from the inaugural Summer 2026 Waiʻanae Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program on Friday, August 28, 2026. The ceremony at the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center marked the first time this critical training has been offered directly in the community.
The groundbreaking program is a collaborative partnership among Kapiʻolani Community College, Leeward Community College–Waiʻanae Moku Education Center and the Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC). Supported by the UH Community Colleges’ Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative, the program brings EMT training closer to home, removing significant transit barriers for West Oʻahu residents.
‘Elevate our community’
“People who grew up on the West Side, it makes me feel special, and it makes us feel like—growing up in such a small city—we do matter, and we’re not just from the West Side,” said EMT graduate Lauren Debutiaco Odviar, a Waiʻanae High School alumna. “We’re smart, intelligent people who can give back to our community and elevate our community too.”
Good Jobs Hawaiʻi covered tuition, uniforms, books and testing fees. The rigorous summer curriculum prepared students through intensive classroom instruction, skills training, clinical experiences and field education. Graduates are now eligible for national certification and immediate local employment.
“What this means to me is to grow my future, not only for me, but also for my son, give back to the community, and just make my family proud,” said EMT graduate Jalen Rene Molina.
Following the official pinning ceremony, the cohort celebrated their achievements with family, instructors and community partners at a special lunch reception.
Decades in the making
Leeward CC Associate Professor Lucy Gay spent decades advocating for expanded healthcare training access for West Oʻahu students, ultimately opening dedicated classroom study and practice spaces for this inaugural cohort at Leeward CC‘s Waiʻanae Moku Education Center.
The program gained momentum last year when WCCHC‘s Chrissy Kuahine approached Leeward CC and Kapiʻolani CC about launching localized training to address the acute paramedic and EMT shortage on the coast.
EMT graduate David Di Martino, who lives in ʻEwa Beach and served as president of the group, said, “To be the first cohort, it was a risk, and I would say it paid off majorly, and I just hope it reflects that way out on the streets with the people of Hawaiʻi.”
