HONUA Scholars’ 2025 Laulima Symposium
On November 15, HONUA Scholars held its fourth Laulima Symposium at Hale ʻĀkoakoa on the beautiful Windward Community College. The symposium was a culmination of a year of new developments in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) in Hawaiʻi and a period of transitions for the organization. In my capacity as a contributor to the design of HONUA Scholars’ Proposal Competition, I learned from our local students from grades six through college about their definition and understanding of ke ola pono (the science of wellness) through short 2–3 minute pitches of their STEMM-based solutions. As a volunteer staff member, I also got to celebrate the organization’s success in expanding its outreach to high schools and community organizations across Hawaiʻi and its collaboration with professors in private and publicly funded institutions. The Laulima Symposium depends heavily on its network of volunteers, community leaders, and students in order to advance its broader goal to effect positive change in Hawaiʻi’s STEMM ecosystem, and I am proud of the work that HONUA has accomplished over the past year. To date, this symposium has taken us to Kapolei, Mōʻiliʻili, and Kāneʻohe, and I am excited to see what future iterations of this event hold for us.
Keynote presentation by Dr. Kamuela Yong on their journey to mathematics.
Opening our day with a recitation of E Hō Mai.
A concurrent pitch competition session featuring middle school, high school, and college students.
