HONOLULU Magazine October 2025 by aio Hawaiʻi

W H Y A R E W E S O A N X I O U S ? P. 3 4

| M I X O L O G Y G O E S M A I N S T R E A M P. 8 1

T H E PAT H T O P R O

LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1888 Maui’s Wehiwa Aloy, a first-round draft pick for the Baltimore Orioles

OCTOBER 2025 | VOLUME LX NO. 3 | $5.99

Pursuing professional sports is an arduous, costly journey—yet it’s a dream that burns big in Hawai‘i. P. 22

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HONOLULU Magazine emerged from Paradise of the Pacific, a publication commissioned by King Kalākaua that began in 1888, making it the oldest continuously published magazine west of the Mississippi.

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editorial design Editorial Director Creative Director

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Digital Editor

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Aaron K. Yoshino

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Got an event you’d like to promote? Submit your event listing at honolulumagazine.com/ local-events. (ISSN 0441-2044) © 2025 PacificBasin Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized copying, distribution, or adaptation is strictly prohibited and will result in liability of up to $100,000. Published monthly by PacificBasin Communications. Advertising and business offices: 1088 Bishop St., Ste. LL2, Honolulu, HI, 96813-4204. Phone: (808) 537-9500. MATERIALS Publisher cannot be held responsible for care or return of manuscripts, photographs or art. Unsolicited material must be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope and return postage. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters to the editor and other material submitted. Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION: one year $24.99. Foreign: one year $39.95. For subscription inquiries, additional rates, information, notification of change of address and subscription service, please call (800) 7884230. POSTMASTER Send address changes to HONOLULU Magazine, 1088 Bishop St., Suite LL2, Honolulu, HI 96813. Subscribers notify the same office. Please include new address and old address (mailing label preferred).

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

AMONG ITS MORE NOTABLE INGREDIENTS: FIVE STARS AND FIVE DIAMONDS.

Disappear in a culinary experience as rare as the accolades that adorn it. As a recipient of both the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five-Diamond awards, Mugen blends hyper-seasonal ingredients with impeccable technique and global inspiration, resulting in dishes truly worthy of the term “masterpiece.”

SAT., NOV. 8 | 5 TO 8 P.M. SI P + SHOP AT K AHAL A MAL L Enjoy early holiday shopping with exclusive discounts and visit 11 merchants while enjoying their paired wine and light bites!

Tickets on sale at hnltix.com

C E L E B R A T I N G H AWA I‘I’S S O U L OCTOBER 2025 | VOL. LX NO. 3

FEATURES 22 The Path to Pro Pursuing professional sports is an arduous, costly journey, requiring grit and an all-in commitment from young athletes and their families. So why does the dream burn so big in Hawai‘i?         BY DON WALLACE, ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY DIANE SEO

34 Why Are We So Anxious? Anxiety is on the rise, and women are more than twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder over their lifetimes. BY M A RY VO R S I N O

43 College Guide Our annual College Guide helps parents and students navigate the road to and through college while diving into new ways colleges are equipping students for post-graduation careers.

DEPARTMENTS    6 Editor’s Page

GOING PRO ISN’T FOR THE FEEBLE

Hawai‘i has an abundance of elite athletes vying for sports glory. BY DIANE SEO

9 Currents Vintage baseball makes a comeback with retro uniforms, rules and more. Plus, find Pride events happening this month, a surprising mecca for lobster rolls and a new use for surfboard foam. 81 ‘Ono   RAISING THE BAR

Craft cocktails have gone mainstream in Honolulu, spurred by a new generation of mixologists. BY NOELLE CHUN

88 Afterthoughts       SAVED BY THE WAVES

A convalescent surfer ventures back offshore. BY MINDY PENNYBACKER

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION 63 Kitchen + Bath Gallery Celebrate National Kitchen and Bath Month with an inspirational look at before-and-after transformations from local architects and designers. Find out how you can join a vintage baseball league on page 15. ON THE COVER: Wehiwa Aloy. Photo by Aaron K. Yoshino

OCTOBER 2025

E D I TO R’ S PAG E

Going Pro Isn’t for the Feeble Hawai‘i has an abundance of elite athletes vying for sports glory despite the odds of success.

URING THE TWO DECADES I lived away from

the main draw. To even compete in the qualifiers, lower-ranked players from around the world had to play the “futures” and “challengers” events that are pathways for players to rack up wins to compete on the ATP Tour. These lower-tiered matches aren’t the high-profile events you see on TV; sometimes they resemble junior tournaments with a few spectators watching from bleachers. The thing that struck me was how incredibly good these lower-ranked players were. Their serves, forehands, backhands—all mind blowing. Many of them, however, never make it to the ATP or other top-tier tournaments. And if they happen to advance to the bigger stage, they often lose in the early rounds, failing to win enough prize money to even cover their travel expenses. The competition in these qualifiers, and in the ATP itself, is intense, to say the least, and I quickly learned that being a professional tennis player, no matter how excellent you may have been as a junior or in college, is often a financial and emotional grind. That’s what I thought about while editing this month’s cover story by Don Wallace about the oft-pursued path to pro sports. Hawai‘i has so many amazing athletes, unbelievably good, and with this promising pipeline of talent emerging at the earliest ages, it’s no wonder so many dream of sports glory. But success is more than elusive. Many of our best athletes aren’t good enough to play at the highest levels of college sports, and even if they do succeed as college athletes, most drop off the radar after attempting to go pro. Yet, it remains a burning aspiration not just for young athletes, but their parents. Kids barely out of diapers are out there on soccer and baseball fields, showing fierce determination as their parents watch intently from the sidelines. Families of standout young athletes often spend their savings traveling to get them in front of recruiters or college coaches. Why do so many local kids pursue this amid the slim odds? As Don found, the reasons are varied. Funding college away from the Islands may be one, and as we all know, the financial rewards of athletic success can be extremely lucrative. There’s also the sheer passion for sports. Dreams are fueled by talent, and it’s only human to want to showcase that talent at the highest level. So, the path to pro remains one of our community’s high aspirations—a journey fraught with challenges but rich with hope, with winners and many more contenders. anthony consillio

Hawai‘i, I worked primarily as a journalist for various media companies. One career deviation, however, was the time I spent working for the ATP, the organization that runs men’s professional tennis globally. I played tennis as a kid and teenager, and while I wasn’t a top player with college prospects, I loved the game. So, while living in New York many years later, I reached out to ATP’s communications director to inquire about working there. He told me if I wanted to talk about a job, I could come to Lisbon, Portugal, where he was working a tournament. I flew out that week and not long after, ended up with a communications position at ATP’s Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, headquarters. It was a dream job. I got to travel to tennis tournaments around the world, working behind the scenes. To this day, I’ve never had a more demanding job, but it was thrilling. I intersected not just with top players, but with those competing in the qualifiers—guys gunning for spots in

Participants practiced with professional soccer players at a youth soccer clinic, held in July at Waipi‘o Peninsula Soccer Complex.

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

DIANE SEO EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DIANES@HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM

MAUI NOTICE MAUIFIRES FIRES CLASS SETTLEMENT NOTICE CLASS SETTLEMENT The case et al., v.v. Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., The case is is called: called: Nova Nova Burnes, Burnes, et al., Hawaiian Electric ElectricCompany, Company,Inc., Inc.,etet etal.al. al. The Burnes, et al., v.v. Hawaiian The case case is is called: called: Nova Nova Case Burnes, et al., Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., et al. No. 2CCV-24-0000964 2CCV-24-0000964 Case No. Case Case No. No. 2CCV-24-0000964 2CCV-24-0000964

COURT AUTHORIZED LEGAL NOTICE COURT COURT AUTHORIZED LEGAL NOTICE COURTAUTHORIZED AUTHORIZEDLEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE

ABOUT THE CASE. A proposed Settlement has been reached with a ABOUT THECASE. CASE.A proposedSettlement Settlementhas hasbeen been reached reached with ABOUT THE ABOUT THE CASE. A Aproposed proposed Settlement has been reached with a a number of companies, individuals, and Hawai‘i government entities number of companies, individuals, and Hawai‘i government entities number of companies, individuals, and Hawai‘i government entities number of companies, individuals, and Hawai‘icaused government entities (the “Defendants”) in a lawsuit over damages by the August (the “Defendants”)in lawsuitover overdamages damagescaused caused by by the the August August (the “Defendants”) inina a alawsuit lawsuit over damages caused by the August (the “Defendants”) 2023 Maui wildfires (the “Settlement”). This is the official Court2023Maui Mauiwildfires wildfires(the (the“Settlement”). “Settlement”). This This is is the the official official Court2023 2023 Maui wildfires (the “Settlement”). This is the official Courtauthorized notice about the Class Settlement—not a solicitation. authorized notice about the Class Settlement—not a solicitation. authorized notice notice about about the the Class Class Settlement—not Settlement—not a a solicitation. solicitation. authorized WHAT ARE THE SETTLEMENT BENEFITS? The Global Settlement WHATARE ARETHE THESETTLEMENT SETTLEMENTBENEFITS? BENEFITS? The The Global Global Settlement Settlement WHAT WHAT ARE THE billion. SETTLEMENT BENEFITS? The $135 Global Settlement total is $4.037 From this total amount, million will be total is $4.037 billion. From this total amount, $135 million will be be total is is $4.037 $4.037 billion. billion. From From this this total total amount, amount, $135 $135 million million will will total be put toward a Class Settlement Fund, and the remainder will be put put toward a Class Settlement Fund, and the remainder will be put put toward a Class Settlement Fund, and the remainder will be put put toward Class Settlement Fund, and the remainder will be put toward the Settlement Fund. toward theaIndividual Individual Settlement Fund. toward toward the the Individual Individual Settlement Settlement Fund. Fund. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ATTORNEY FOR THE MAUI WILDFIRES, IF YOU ALREADYHAVE HAVEAN ANATTORNEY ATTORNEYFOR FORTHE THEMAUI MAUI WILDFIRES, WILDFIRES, IF YOU ALREADY IFYOU YOU ALREADY HAVE AN ATTORNEY FOR THE MAUI WILDFIRES, SHOULD CONSULT THEM ABOUT WHETHER TO SUBMIT YOUSHOULD SHOULDCONSULT CONSULTTHEM THEM ABOUT ABOUT WHETHER WHETHER TO TO SUBMIT SUBMIT YOU YOU SHOULD CONSULT THEM ABOUT WHETHER TO SUBMIT A CLAIM WITH THE CLASS SETTLEMENT FUND OR INDIVIDUAL A CLAIM WITH THE CLASS SETTLEMENT FUND OR INDIVIDUAL A CLAIM WITH THE CLASS SETTLEMENT FUND OR INDIVIDUAL FUND. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT A SETTLEMENT CLAIM WITH THE CLASS SETTLEMENT INDIVIDUAL SETTLEMENT FUND. PLEASE NOTE FUND THAT OR YOU CANNOT SETTLEMENT FUND. PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN BOTH. SETTLEMENT FUND. PLEASE NOTE NOTE THAT THAT YOU YOU CANNOT CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN BOTH. PARTICIPATE IN PARTICIPATE IN BOTH. BOTH. THE SETTLEMENT? The Class definition WHO WHO IS IS INCLUDED INCLUDED IN IN THE SETTLEMENT? The Class definition WHO IS INCLUDED IN SETTLEMENT? The Class definition includes nine of that covered different WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE THE SETTLEMENT? Classby includes nine categories categories of damage damage that are areThe covered bydefinition different includes nine categories of of damage that are covered covered byinto different parts of this Settlement. You may have damages that fall more includes nine categories damage that are by different parts of this Settlement. You may have damages that fall into more parts ofone this Settlement. You have damages that fall more than these Real Property Loss; Personal Property parts thisof You may may damages fall into into more thanofone ofSettlement. these categories: categories: Realhave Property Loss;that Personal Property than oneBusiness of these these Interruption; categories: Real Real Property Loss; Personal Personal Property Loss; Personal Income Loss; than one of categories: Property Loss; Property Loss; Business Interruption; Personal Income Loss; Evacuation; Evacuation; Loss; Business Personal Loss; Physical Injury; Wrongful Travel Claim; to Loss; Business Interruption; Personal Income Loss; Evacuation; Evacuation; Physical Injury;Interruption; Wrongful Death; Death; Travel Income Claim; Damage Damage to Property Property Physical Injury; Wrongful Death; Travel Travel Claim; Damage to Property Property on For detailed of Class categories, visit Physical Injury; Death; Claim; to on Maui. Maui. For a a Wrongful detailed explanation explanation of the the ClassDamage categories, visit the the on Maui. For explanation website. onofficial Maui. Settlement For a a detailed detailed explanation of of the the Class Class categories, categories, visit visit the the official Settlement website. official official Settlement Settlement website. website.

HOW DO DO III SUBMIT SUBMIT A AA CLAIM CLAIM FOR AASETTLEMENT SETTLEMENT BENEFIT? BENEFIT? The HOW FOR A The CLAIM FOR BENEFIT? The HOW DO DO I SUBMIT SUBMIT CLAIM FORthe A SETTLEMENT SETTLEMENT BENEFIT? The easiest way to file aaAclaim claim isison on official Settlement website, easiest way to file a is the official Settlement website, easiest way to file claim on the official Settlement website, easiest way to file a claim is on the official Settlement website, www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com, using our guided claim form. www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com, using our guided claim form. www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com, using claim form. www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com, using our our guided guided claim form. Claim forms must be submitted by December 22, 2025, ororyou you Claim forms must be by December 22, 2025, or forms must be submitted by December 22, 2025, Claim forms must be submitted submitted bywill December 22, 2025, or you you will not receive a payment, but you be bound by the Court’s will not aa payment, but bebebound bybythe receive payment, but you will Court’s will not not receive receive a check payment, butyou youwill will be bound bound by the theCourt’s judgment. You can can the Settlement Settlement website for updates updates orCourt’s sign judgment. You check the website for or sign judgment. You can check the judgment. You can or check the Settlement Settlement website website for for updates updates or or sign sign up to receive receive email text notifications. notifications. up to email or text up up to to receive receive email email or or text text notifications. notifications. HOW DO I OPT OUT OR OBJECT? You may opt out of the Settlement HOW DO II OPT OUT OR OBJECT? You may opt out of the Settlement HOW OR You opt out the Settlement HOW DO I OPT OPT OUT OUT OR OBJECT? OBJECT? YouIf may opt you out of of the Settlement on theDO website by October October 7, 2025. 2025. If may you do, do, you will not receive on the website by 7, you will not receive on the website by October 7, 2025. If you do, you will not receive on the website by October 7, 2025. If you do, you will not receive any benefits from the Class Settlement, but you will retain your any benefits from the Class Settlement, but you will retain your any benefits from the Class Settlement, but you will retain your any benefits from the Class Settlement, but you will retain your right to sue the Defendants. If you sign the Individual Settlement right to sue the Defendants. If you sign the Individual Settlement right to sue the Defendants. If you sign the Individual Settlement right to sueand the Release, Defendants. If you signan theOpt Individual Settlement Agreement and Release, do not not submit an Opt Out Form. Form. If you you Agreement do submit Out If Agreement and do an Form. you choose to remain remain in the the Class, Class, you submit may object object to the theOut Settlement by Agreement and Release, Release, do not not submit an Opt Opt Out Form. If If by you choose to in you may to Settlement choose to remain in the Class, you may object to the Settlement by October 7, 2025. Full details about how to opt out or object are choose to remain in the Class, you may object to the Settlement by October 7, 2025. Full details about how to opt out or object are October 7, 2025. Full available on the website. October on 7, the 2025. Full details details about about how how to to opt opt out out or or object object are are available website. available on available on the the website. website. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The The Court Court will will hold hold a a hearing hearing on on WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The will a January 8, 2026, to decide decide whether to approve approve the Settlement Settlement andon WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? whether The Court Court will hold hold a hearing hearing on January 8, 2026, to to the and January 8, decide whether approve Settlement and award attorneys’ fees (no more more thanto 15% of the thethe Class Settlement January 8, 2026, 2026, to to decide whether to approve the Settlement and award attorneys’ fees (no than 15% of Class Settlement award attorneys’ fees (no 15% Class Settlement Fund, plus general excise tax than of 4.7120%), 4.7120%), costs, and Class award plus attorneys’ feesexcise (no more more than 15% of of the the Classand Settlement Fund, general tax of costs, Class Fund, tax of 4.7120%), and Representative awards excise (no more more than $10,000). The costs, Court appointed appointed Fund, plus plus general general excise tax of$10,000). 4.7120%), costs, and Class Class Representative awards (no than The Court Representative (no more than appointed Class Counsel to toawards represent class members. A full fullThe list Court of attorneys attorneys is Representative awards (no class moremembers. than $10,000). $10,000). The Court appointed Class Counsel represent A list of is Class represent members. A list attorneys available on the theto website. Youclass or your your attorney may may attend but are not not is Class Counsel Counsel towebsite. represent class members. A full fullattend list of ofbut attorneys is available on You or attorney are required. Full details on your your rights and optionsmay are available available online. available on website. You or attorney attend are required. details on and options are online. available Full on the the website. Yourights or your your attorney may attend but but are not not required. required. Full Full details details on on your your rights rights and and options options are are available available online. online.

833-296-0890 833-296-0890 || www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com 833-296-0890 833-296-0890 || www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com www.MauiFiresClassSettlement.com

A WHIMSICAL CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE

DECEMBER 4 – JANUARY 4 H AWA I ‘ I C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

G ET YOUR TI CK ETS NOW – D O N’ T M I S S O UT! alohaimmersive.com

O F F I C I A L H OT E L PA RT N E R

M E D I A PA RT N E R

L E T T E R TO S A N TA

➸ KUNG HEE FAT CHOY! P·20 // AN EXCLUSIVE SHORT STORY P·21 // PASTA LA VISTA , BABY P·23

LIFE

HONOLULU

The Green will be performing Oct. 19 at Bishop Museum.

HAPPENINGS

Time For Holo Holo

➸ AFTER DEBUTING in Palo Alto, California, in 2022, then expanding to other West Coast cities, the popular Holo Holo Music Festival makes its first-ever O‘ahu appearance this month at Bishop Museum. The can’t-miss concerts for island and reggae music lovers feature artists J Boog, Katchafire, Landon McNamara, Eli-Mac, Fia and Johnny Suite on Saturday, Oct. 18, while The Green, Josh Totofi, Collie Buddz, Ooklah the Moc, Paula Fuga and Kanaka Fyah perform Oct. 19. Dan Sheehan, co-owner of Good Vibez Presents, organizer of the event, grew up in ‘Ewa Beach and has described island music and reggae as “the soundtracks of my childhood.” —Diane Seo, photo by Eli Kutler

OCTOBER 2025

CURRENTS

HAPPENINGS

October Picks

SEE MORE SPOOKY THINGS TO DO AT HONOLULUMAGAZINE.COM / HALLOWEEN-EVENTS

Top events this month.

Shopping Sip + Shop Goes Brunch Oct. 11 / 11 a.m. International Market Place / $50

PRESTON MENESES

COURTESY: HAWAI‘I LGBT LEGACY FOUNDATION

Spend a day strolling, shopping and tasting different wine at participating boutiques and stores in the heart of Waikīkī. This event, organized by HONOLULU Magazine, is made for those who love to sip while they shop. hnltix.com, @honolulumag

Celebration AIA Honolulu’s Architecture Month Events throughout October Various venues / Ticket prices TBA

Festival Mid-Autumn Festival Oct. 4 / 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Chinatown Cultural Plaza Free admission

AIA Honolulu is hosting a slew of architecture events, from a photography class to a career seminar to a hands-on youth architectural workshop. aiahonolulu.org, @aiahonolulu

Enjoy mooncakes and other traditional treats, feed the Chinese lions for good luck and join the lantern parade at this annual festival. chinatown808.com, @chinatown808hi

SPOTLIGHT

Where to Shop and Dine During Pride Month Show your support at these LGBTQIA+owned businesses. BY ANDREA LEE

Anh Chi Em This VietnameseAmerican bakery, which pops up at Fishcake in Kaka‘ako, serves up traditional treats like banh bo nuong (pandan honeycomb cake) alongside Vietinspired creations like jasmine tea cake. @anhchiembakery

The state’s biggest celebration of gender and sexual identities returns with a concert, fabulous parties, a parade through Waikīkī and a drag brunch. honolulupride.com, @honolulupride

Concert Kolohe Kai: What Aloha Means Oct. 11 / 6 p.m. Waikīkī Shell / From $57

Shopping The Mana Up Showcase Oct. 26 / Livestream on YouTube 3 and 5 p.m., broadcast 7 p.m.

Don your aloha attire and groove with island reggae musician Kolohe Kai, who embarks on his album release tour, along with special guest Protoje. ticketmaster.com, @kolohekaimusic

Check out the latest products from Mana Up’s 10th cohort of Hawai‘i entrepreneurs and shop them right at home. And don’t miss the in-person market at Bloomingdale’s on Nov. 6. manauphawaii.com, @manauphawaii

Island-Boy You’ll find everything from thoughtfully curated sunglasses, clothing and leather handbags to candles, ceramics and eclectic hair claws at this Kaimukī boutique. islandboy.shop, @islandboy.shop

Festival Honolulu Pride Oct. 16–19 / Various venues Ticket price varies by event

Pō‘ai by Pono Potions Head downtown to enjoy coffee, tea and mocktails made with Pono Potions’ artisan syrups as well as vegan baked goods from ‘Ulu & Kalo Bakery. ponopotions.com, @ponopotions

The Public Pet Spoil your fur baby with treats, toys and accessories, many locally sourced, at this Wai‘alae Avenue pet shop. thepublicpet.com, @thepublicpet

Salvage Public The sportswear brand in South Shore Market and Kapahulu puts out fresh takes of distinctive Native Hawaiian motifs on apparel and accessories, from tees to tote bags. salvagepublic.com, @salvagepublic

ISTOCK /GETT Y IMAGES PLUS, CHINUMARU

BY ANDREA LEE

LAUNCHED

New In Town What’s opened in Honolulu recently. BY BRIE THALMANN

A ARON K. YOSHINO

THOMAS OBUNGEN

PUA LOUNGE BY FIGHTING EEL

NANI’S CAFÉ

Just follow your nose to the back of Fighting Eel’s Mānoa boutique and you’ll find Pua Lounge, the local label’s new lei and flower shop. Hit the bouquet bar for your pick of loose stems or pop into the fridge for fresh lei by Make Lei Sis and lei po‘o by The Pua Huntaz. 2964 E. Mānoa Road, Mānoa, (808) 207-4454, fightingeel.com, @fightingeel

Mixing a quaint country aesthetic with old-school okazuya eats, this buzzy North Shore spot soft-opened in June at Waialua Shopping Center to long lines. Build your own bento from deli classics, such as cone sushi, nishime, fish patties and corned beef ‘ulu hash. Or snag readymade Goteborg musubi and plates piled high with chow fun, mochiko chicken and kalbi. 67-292 Goodale Ave., Waialua, (808) 637-6373, naniscafe.com, @nanishapacafe

COURTESY: PEARL AT K ALAUAO

NĀ MOMI ‘EKOLU

Dial in your short game at this 1.2-acre pitch-andputt course that recently debuted at the Pearl at Kalauao golf course in ‘Aiea. Its Hawaiian name translates to “the three pearls,” aptly representing its three 30-to-40-yard holes, which feature challenging undulating terrain and a sand trap. 98-535 Ka‘ōnohi St., Pearl City, (808) 487-2460, pearlatkalauao.com, @pearlatkalauao

COSENTINO CIT Y HAWAI‘I

Known for its innovative surfaces used for kitchen, bath and flooring, the Spanish company now boasts a glitzy 2,900-squarefoot showroom at Waterfront Plaza. Browse full-slab mock-ups and see the latest styles from its Silestone, Dekton and Sensa lines. 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 5D, Kaka‘ako, (808) 470-7341, cosentino.com, @cosentinocityhawaii

COURTESY: COSENTINO CIT Y HAWAI‘I

OCTOBER 2025

CURRENTS

A ARON K. YOSHINO

Get this lobster roll at the new Hawaiian Style Seafood in Waikīkī, which planned to open on Kalākaua Avenue this fall.

E AT I N G

Roll With It A new entrant gives Waikīkī a trifecta of lobster roll specialists— within a block of each other. BY M A R I TA K E TA

OT LONG AFTER CHEF JON MATSUBARA debuted a lobster roll at

Feast in Mānoa, the ensuing social media frenzy created lunchtime lines that snaked around the corner. Businessmen, police officers, office workers and retirees came from as far as Wai‘anae and Mililani. “The ‘ōpala guys in our neighborhood, they jumped out of the garbage truck and said, ‘Oh, we ordered online,’” says Matsubara, who trained at Alan Wong’s and New York’s Jean-Georges and Tabla. “We said you guys are 15 minutes early. They’re like, ‘No worry, we’re gonna go around the block, pick up rubbish.’ So that’s what they did, then they came back.” That was in 2020, when pandemic restrictions had cut business by 70%. Long story short: The lobster roll didn’t just save Feast, it became its signature item— and the catalyst for the 6-year-old restaurant’s first expansion. Seeing tourists’ unabated appetites for the lobster rolls he billed as “Hawaiian-style” at the KCC Farmers Market, Matsubara this fall planned to open Hawaiian Style Seafood in Waikīkī. 12

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

It doesn’t faze him that Wicked Maine Lobster and Royal Lobster, the island’s two dedicated lobster roll specialists, are less than a block away. Both sell traditional lobster rolls with melted butter, and Wicked Maine, a micro chain from California, also sells another with bacon and avocado. Matsubara’s lemony, butterdrenched Maine lobster meat mixed with bonito-and-soy umami mayo and fresh dill on King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls hammers home the Hawaiian part of his theme. He also has on the menu a seafood omakase of Kaua‘i shrimp, Kualoa oysters, Kona abalone, kampachi and aku; and Kaua‘i garlic shrimp cocktail with chicharrones. “It’s a healthy competition. There’s always room for another good version of seafood, especially if it’s showcasing local farmers and fishermen,” Matsubara says. “Lobster might disappear—no problem. We’re still surrounded by fish, ogo, Kaua‘i shrimp. There’s so much abundance of pristine local ingredients and we have an opportunity to cook it up local style.”

CURRENTS

TRENDING

Play Time COURTESY: SURF BLOCK MAUI

Adults are purchasing blind boxes and other toys alongside kids. BY ANDREA LEE

HE “KIDULT” TREND HAS ARRIVED IN HONOLULU, with

adults picking up collectible toys and blind boxes—you don’t know exactly what you’re getting until you open them, offering a gambling thrill plus a community of fellow enthusiasts eager to trade. Here are some of the toys popular with grown-ups:

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Better Build A Maui architect has created an eco-friendly building material made from recycled surfboard foam.

LEGO

GUNDAM

Lego launched kits for adults in 2020 and saw sales jump as people turned to brick building as a pandemic pastime. Today the boxes, black to indicate they’re for adults, make up half of the Ala Moana store’s stock, allowing Lego enthusiasts to build architectural, botanical and technological structures.

Gundam model kits have always had an older customer base because of their intricate builds. Modeled after the iconic giant robots featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam anime, the toys helped bring the franchise to the masses. Customizability is one of their selling points.

LABUBU

SMISKI

You’ve likely seen this mischievous creature accessorizing bags around town. Designer toy company Pop Mart saw 170% revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025 thanks to the surging popularity of Labubu, a character created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung. Once Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink posted a Labubu plush keychain on her Instagram story, the toy blew up across the world.

Made by Dreams Inc., the same Japanese company that produces Sonny Angels, these little guys have popped out of blind boxes since 2009, but only more recently entered the mainstream global toy market. With their small stature, neutral expressions and glow-in-the-dark bodies, Smiski are charming companions in home and work spaces.

A ARON K. YOSHINO

BY BRIE THALMANN

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS aren’t usually the kinds of things we geek out over. After all, a brick is a brick, a cinder block is a cinder block, right? Except when they’re not, as in the case of Surf Blocks, the composite concrete forms made from, of all things, recycled surfboard foam. Architect David Sellers dreamt up the material in 2023 as a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional cinder blocks. Consisting of around 85% Styrofoam waste sourced from local surfboard manufacturers, the Ha‘ikūmade blocks divert waste from Island landfills and reduce the amount of concrete used by 30%, thus lessening the need for imported materials. For those of us without architecture degrees or contractor licenses, here’s how they work in layman’s terms. When building a steel-reinforced concrete wall, like those used to frame a home, the blocks are stacked into place, steel rods are inserted for reinforcement and then concrete is poured into the core. The benefits are plentiful. Along with being extremely durable (they’re five times stronger than wood framing at a similar cost), Surf Blocks provide energy and acoustic insulation, and are resistant to fire, mold and pests. How rad is that? surfblockmaui.com, @surf.block.maui

OCTOBER 2025

BY THE NUMBERS

Hot Jobs of the Future Here are the industries where new jobs are expected. The state forecasts that 41,000 new jobs will open in Hawai‘i by 2032, led by health care and food services positions. Our Islands’ total employment is projected to grow by 6.1%, increasing from 671,010 jobs in 2022 to 712,200 by 2032, according to Hawai‘i’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations’ Research and Statistics Office. —Diane Seo

Most Jobs Created in the Top 5 Industries (between 2022 and 2032)

Health care, social assistance 9,580 Food services, drinking places 7,480 Accommodations 3,750 Admin, support, waste management, remediation 3,160 Transportation, warehouse 2,960

ILLUSTRATION: GETT Y IMAGES, ANNA _ LENI, COMPOSITE BY JAMES NAK AMURA

NUMBER OF JOBS AVAILABLE ( BY OCCUPATION )

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A Different Kind of Vintage A Waikīkī artist is reviving 19th century baseball in Hawai‘i— and he’s looking for players to field more teams. BY M A R I TA K E TA

“T

HE BATS ARE HEAVIER,

AARON K. YOSHINO

the gloves are smaller, the uniforms look like they came straight out of the 19th century,” Hawai‘i illustrator Matias Solario says about vintage baseball. “It’s almost impossible to look cool. And it’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball.” So much fun that he’s launching the Aloha Vintage Base Ball Association, which will play with the rules, uniforms, equipment and lingo of 1880s baseball (runs are aces, outs are hands, and umpires are always called “sir”). By late summer Solario had enough players for two teams—the Waikīkī Base Ball Club and the Royal Hawaiian Base Ball Club—and was looking to field at least one and possibly two more. Why? Beyond the lure of the game, which he played in college, something clicked when he discovered the vintage leagues competing across the country. Now Solario wants to showcase the specific history of baseball in Hawai‘i. Like the fact that Alexander Joy Cartwright— enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as the father of modern baseball—laid out the Islands’ first official ball field in Makiki after his 1850 arrival from New York; it later became known as Cartwright Field. (His grave at O‘ahu Cemetery has long drawn devotees, including Babe Ruth in 1934.) There’s also the fact that some late 19th century Hawai‘i teams were desegregated. “We’re trying to incorporate more ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i that we were finding in newspapers from the era. We do want to set

ourselves apart from the other leagues,” Solario says. “The history of baseball literally begins in the Pacific, here in Hawai‘i, and I really want people to know that.” The season opens Nov. 16, though “we’re trying to be creative with how we structure the season,” he says. Anyone over age 18 is eligible. alohavintagebaseball@gmail.com, @alohavintagebaseball

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Hawaiian Heirloom Jewelry is Back Hiluhilu is the newest collection to draw us back to our roots.

WE’VE BEEN THOROUGHLY ENJOYING the recent resurgence of heirloom-style Hawaiian jewelry. Steeped in mo‘olelo and history, with a dash of nostalgia for some of us, the pieces offer a beautiful connection to local culture. Now, adding to the array is Hiluhilu, a new collection of Hawaiian bangles and rings born from a collaboration between Kumu Hula Sonny Ching and local jewelry labels Paradisus and Jason Dow Jewelry. Why heirloom styles now, when fast fashion is de rigueur? “People are yearning for jewelry with roots,” Ching says. “These pieces represent family, memory and place, whether you’re from Hawai‘i or deeply connected to it in spirit.”

COURTESY: HILUHILU

BY BRIE THALMANN

Customer First Since 1954.

For over 70 years, we’ve been helping Hawaii build. Since opening our first store in Kailua, our commitment has been simple: the best service and quality products for our customers. We’re here to help you with your next project.

OAHU Kailua • Mapunapuna • Kapolei • KAUAI Koloa • www.HardwareHawaii.com

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hiluhilu.com, @hiluhilujewelry

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The idea for the project came about many years ago when Ching and Paradisus co-owner Akemi Ueda, who jointly design the Sonny Ching Collection under the Paradisus umbrella, dreamt up heirloom bangles for Ueda’s three children. “Hiluhilu means to beautify or dignify,” Ueda says. Made in Hawai‘i, the elevated range is crafted from solid 14-karat gold. And what makes it feel especially fresh are the intricate designs hand-engraved by Dow, which represent Hawaiian mana‘o and motifs, from fern fronds and spears to fishing nets and weaving patterns. “It’s an invitation to carry forward tradition, meaning and personal legacy in a distinctly luxurious way,” Ueda says.

COURTESY: HILUHILU

CURRENTS

OCTOBER 2025

CURRENTS

ARCHITECTURE

Minimal Impact This off-the-grid Maui escape melds striking design with self-sufficiency.

DÉCOR

Bright Ideas Studio Endo designer Miles Endo draws from the worlds of taiko and photography to create luxuriously modern light fixtures. RESIDENCE: Tokyo-born and Kaimukī-raised, he lives in Los Angeles and has a design studio in San Gabriel Valley, California. AESTHETIC: Minimalist lighting sculptures blended with elements of repetition and art deco. “I strive to create statement pieces with clean lines, where every element feels intentional and proportional.” MUSICAL BEGINNINGS: “I had long wanted to create my own collection of lighting fixtures but wanted it to be personal and original. Then, about 10 years ago, I was in a period where I was building taiko drums. I remember a distinct moment when I was making a large drum body. The lights in the workshop were shining through and highlighting the texture of the interior. At that moment, I found the inspiration for my first collection, called Hira after the drum. The aesthetics of my designs have evolved over the years, but many fixtures are still shaped like a ring of light.” SNAP DECISIONS: “I’ve studied photography and have done my

own product photography, which taught me about various types of light, be it direct, filtered or reflected. This knowledge guides my approach, from material choices to when to reflect light onto a surface. Cloudy or indirect light makes for more flattering portraits, and I use this idea of omnidirectional diffused light in most of my fixtures.” RECENT INSPIRATIONS: “Natural patterns, but also jewelry light-

ing fixtures are like jewelry for your home.” —Brie Thalmann

studioendo.com, @studio_endo

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usually come to mind when we think of off-grid living in Hawai‘i. But assumptions of a backcountry, granola experience went out the window when we laid eyes on local architecture and engineering firm Hawai‘i Off Grid’s recent project in northeast Maui. Nestled among a sea of rolling hills in lush Ha‘ikū, the 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath sanctuary seamlessly marries modern aesthetics with climate-forward design. Intentional in its clean-lined simplicity, the home’s dramatically angled roof slopes to the east and west for optimal solar energy and rainwater capture—a catchment system on property collects and stores 15,000 gallons of water utilized by a solar hot water system. Architect David Sellers strategically aligned the build for optimal airflow, installing large openings and clerestory windows to reduce the need for air conditioning. Inside, a honed concrete floor offers an industrial vibe while regulating indoor temperatures. Even the abode’s striking façade is rooted in sustainability. Made from charred cypress, the Japanese shou sugi ban siding is both beautiful and resistant to pests and rot, eliminating the need for chemical treatments, painting and staining. —BT

hawaiioffgrid.com, @hawaiioffgrid

ABOVE: A dark, modern color palette allows the home’s exterior to blend harmoniously into its surroundings. RIGHT: The serene back porch. FAR RIGHT: High ceilings and elongated layouts give the interior an airy feel.

TRAVIS ROWAN PHOTOGRAPHY

A ARON K. YOSHINO

SLEEK, SEXY BUILDS aren’t what

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OCTOBER 2025

Pursuits

Tonkatsu, local ice cream, Korean barbecue and more are coming to

Kaka‘ako.

BY M A R I TA K E TA

Matty Wong on Lake Murray in South Carolina

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CURRENTS

PURSUITS

The Reel Deal Matty Wong is the first person from Hawai‘i to qualify for the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments. BY DIANE SEO

ISHING FOR MATTY WONG is

tournament in 2018, which he ended up winning. “It was just a local club event and from there, I got bit by the bug,” Wong says. Fast forward a few years and tournaments later, and Wong won the 2021 BASS Nation Championship, on Uncle Bob’s boat. That victory earned him an invitation to the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, making him the first person from Hawai‘i to qualify for the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments. “The boat was very outdated compared to my competitors’ boats,” he says. “It had one working gas tank and not a lot of storage for anything,or the latest and greatest electronics.” This past summer, Wong announced his retirement from professional fishing. He says he’s ready for his next chapter, which includes developing an outdoor adventure show, something he’s long dreamed about. He also made an Emmy Awardwinning short film with Nella Media Group, Aloha Goes Both Ways, that’s now playing on Hawaiian Airlines flights. The film documents his 2021 BASS Nation victory. So despite ending his professional career, fishing still is steering Wong to new opportunities. Throughout his life, he says it’s grounded him and offered so much joy. “When I do it, time stands still, and it suspends my reality,” he says. “It’s always there for me, guiding me—and somehow, it just all comes together.”

PRESTON MENESES

far more than a hobby, sport or even, despite the name of this series, a pursuit. It’s given him purpose, solace and threaded his life with one serendipitous adventure after another. It started at age 2, when the now 37-year-old began fishing with his dad for tilapia at Ala Moana Beach Park, barely sturdy enough to hold his bamboo pole. Almost immediately, he was “obsessed,” and over the years, his love for it only grew. Then in his 20s, with hopes for a musical and acting career, he moved to LA, but found after a few years that Hollywood was depleting his spirit. His desire for acting waned, and LA’s music scene wasn’t what he thought it would be. His reprieve: fishing at lakes and ponds in city parks. So how did Wong, a Hawai‘i guy who grew up surfing, wind up as one of the country’s elite anglers? Serendipity, of course. Wong’s “Uncle Bob”—his father’s close friend, a fisherman—passed away, and Wong bought his boat, a 1990 Ranger 364v. “Even though the thing was super old and rough, it could still float, and I was able to get out in the water and fish the California Delta for a couple years, spending as much time as I could away from LA,” Wong says. It so happens that California is an epicenter for bass fishing, so Wong, who by then was quite skilled at reeling in the freshwater fish, joined a local bass fishing club, then entered his first

OCTOBER 2025

JOSUE SILVA , BACKGROUND IMAGE: GETT Y IMAGES, LUPENGYU

Soccer clinic

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Deyan Radosavljevic relocated from Hawai‘i to train at a Major League Soccer academy.

Pursuing professional sports is an arduous, costly journey, requiring grit and an all-in commitment from young athletes and their families. So why does the dream burn so big in Hawai‘i? by D O N WA L L A C E additional reporting by D I A N E S E O

OCTOBER 2025

FEATURE

THE PATH TO PRO

T WAS JUST A SUGGESTION.

At age 3, Deyan Radosavljevic’s parents, Wendy and Ivan, signed him up for O‘ahu’s noncompetitive i9 soccer program. Originally from Serbia, Ivan had played soccer at BYU-Hawai‘i, and Wendy volunteered him to be the coach. “Ivan really didn’t want to go down that path with our kids,” she says. But Deyan loved the game and excelled from the start. When members of the U.S. Olympic Development Program visited the Islands and selected an all-star team, Deyan was tapped as central midfielder. Then … Wendy takes a deep breath. Deyan received a coveted invitation to id2, which prepares elite youth soccer players for U.S. Soccer’s national team programs. At age 11, Deyan wasn’t just accepted; he was assigned to an age group two years older. “He was the first kid that young to be selected,” she says. “They had him fly to the continent, everything sponsored by Nike, and there he was selected as one of the top 22 players in the country. We were just amazed and shocked.” Academies across the country reached out. “Every (Major League Soccer) team has an academy that is a feeder to a pro pathway,” she explains. Today, 15-year-old Deyan is training full time at an MLS academy in Seattle. A professional career is closer than ever, but it’s come with significant sacrifices. For one thing, Deyan and Ivan now live in Washington, while Wendy has remained in Hawai‘i with their younger son, Dimitri, also a talented soccer player. As the Radosavljevics have discovered, navigating the path to pro isn’t for the fragile—for a child or parent. Sports are deeply woven into our culture, and with the nonstop buzz about staggering pro contracts and college endorsements, it seems almost rational to go all-in from an early age. But how does the path unfold? What are the sacrifices? The odds? kkk

“Off to the PROS” THAT’S WHAT THE HEADLINE of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s sports

page blared the day after this year’s Major League Baseball draft in July. Five Hawai‘i players were drafted, two in the first round: No. 7 pick Aiva Arquette, a Saint Louis School grad who played for Oregon State, and No. 31 pick Wehiwa Aloy, a Maui native named the best amateur baseball player in the U.S. while at the University of Arkansas. Drafted in later rounds were Bruin Agbayani, Matthew Miura and Jaxon Grossman. For Arquette and Aloy, guaranteed $7.1 million and $3.1 million signing deals, respectively, it was a dream come true. For Agbayani and Miura, who secured $361,600 and $358,000, it was a downpayment on a dream. But for their families, there was a sigh of relief. All those years of encouragement and financial support, starting with T-ball and Little League, club teams, school teams, all-star teams, tryouts for

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

scouts and recruiters—and thousands of hours of practice and training—had paid off. Of course, the draft meant something different for the hundreds of local baseball players not chosen—the inevitable ending for 98% of young athletes in every major sport. Some will head to college to play or, if already in college, persevere, hoping for next year’s draft, or else angle for an invite to the minor leagues. They still have shots at the majors. Of five Hawai‘i players on MLB rosters as of July, none were top 400 draft picks. Kaua‘i pitcher Kirby Yates didn’t bother to sign after being the No. 798 pick in the 2005 draft. Instead, he went to community college in Arizona, and over the next decade toiled in the minors. (He had brief stints in the majors—but often for a week or less—only to be sent back down.) Finally, in 2017, he stuck around with the San Diego Padres and in 2019 was selected to the MLB all-star team. Yates, now a Los Angeles Dodger, was an all-star again in 2024 while playing for the Texas Rangers. kkk

The Keiki Sports Economy AS YATES DISCOVERED, the road to the pros has

many a twist and turn. And we’re not only talking about the big three—football, baseball and basketball—or their underfunded women’s counterparts. First, though, it’s important to acknowledge the joy in sports and love of the game that are preludes to every young athlete’s success. Clearly, only with passion can a kid contend for alluring incentives and the glory of winning games, championships, allstar selections and MVP awards. And while it’s unlikely young athletes are focused on financial considerations—unless it’s the cost of new kicks or cleats—the economic potential is real for their parents. More than half of all Division I and II student-athletes receive some level of financial support from their schools, according to the NCAA. And with soaring college costs, a scholarship might be the only way some athletes can afford higher education, especially to schools outside Hawai‘i. Yet, securing a scholarship is hardly guaranteed. Only about 2% of high school athletes are awarded athletic scholarships to compete in college, the NCAA reports.

Wehiwa Aloy

A ARON K. YOSHINO, BACKGROUND IMAGE: GETT Y IMAGES, INSUNG JEON

First-round draft pick, Baltimore Orioles

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Sage Miller

ANTHONY CONSILLIO, BACKGROUND IMAGE: GETT Y IMAGES, MATT HENRY GUNTHER

Winner of 13 Hawai‘i state championship swim medals

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FEATURE

To gain a spot among this elite, young athletes and their parents commit often at a very early age to grinding it out on fields, on courts and in stadiums. Those who can afford it spend the summers and parts of the school year traveling to training camps and competing before recruiters. For geographically distanced Hawai‘i athletes, the investment of time and money is significant.

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In the Fast Lane

THE PATH TO PRO

and was denied,” says Christopher Chun, executive director of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association. The rationale? “It’s because they value the amateurism aspect of sports. And this is the one can of worms we don’t want to open.” Hawai‘i is one of only eight states to disallow the payments. And while it may not seem directly related, it’s worth noting Hawai‘i is one of two states that doesn’t allow gambling. The result, Chun says, is that instead of obsessing about money, prep athletes here have the luxury of not turning themselves into a brand, at least not yet. kkk

RECENT ‘IOLANI GRAD Sage Miller, who won 13 Hawai‘i state

championship swim medals during high school, began swimming at age 3; she’s devoted tens of thousands of hours to her sport, training both in the pool and with a personal trainer. Traveling to national swim meets so college coaches could see her compete paid off—she’s now a freshman at USC on a swim scholarship, with aspirations of making the 2028 U.S. Olympic team. “It does help to go to those big meets because it’s added motivation to drop your time when you’re competing against faster swimmers,” she says. “It’s a bigger stage, and that pushes me.” Miller’s parents, who both swam competitively for UH, committed early to not just supporting her swim career, but her brother’s at New York University and younger sister’s. “With all of us being swimmers, my parents were definitely invested and involved,” Sage says. “We’re super lucky to have them do that for us.” kkk

The Big Business of College Sports THE FIERCE COMPETITION for college scholarships, endorse-

ments and payouts, and possible pro careers, has turned youth sports into a lucrative $40 billion-a-year industry, according to a recent New York Times article about how private equity is buying up training facilities, sport camps, tournaments and events. Since 2021, athletes have been compensated with name, image and likeness fees, commonly known as “NILs.” Some stars, even high schoolers, have received millions of dollars. And the NCAA voted this year to allow colleges and universities to pay athletes directly from a donor pool capped at $20 million annually. For a multigenerational family in Hawai‘i squeezed into a house or apartment where both parents work multiple jobs, the allure is clear. And the buzz about some high school quarterback getting $12 million to flip colleges might give any ‘ohana pause when their kid throws a perfect spiral across the living room with his Nerf football. In Hawai‘i, however, NILs aren’t allowed for high school athletes. “Our board didn’t approve it. It’s come up twice

Hawai‘i’s Punch SO FAR, the restraint on NILs hasn’t hurt Hawai‘i’s outsized impact on national and even international sports. “I’d say that among our young athletes the mood is upbeat and optimistic,” says Keith Amemiya, chairman of the Governor’s Sports Task Force. “They’ve seen so many local athletes reach the pinnacle in their respective sports. What’s amazing is a small state like Hawai‘i has had four Heisman Trophy finalists: Manti Te‘o, Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa, Dillon Gabriel. And Mariota won. That’s incredible, right?” Success breeds high expectations in those following such footsteps. It also opens doors. “In the not-sodistant past, college recruiters mainly came from the Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences,” Amemiya says. “Now Hawai‘i players are being recruited nationally. It’s not uncommon to see our athletes in the SEC and Big 10. And I wouldn’t limit it to football. Just a couple of years ago we had the college softball player of the year, Jocelyn Alo, playing for Oklahoma where she won several national titles.” There’s a flip side to Hawai‘i protectionism. Football players and parents may well target powerhouse high schools like Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas and California’s St. John Bosco and Mater Dei, negotiate a deal, and move out of state. Those schools have been essentially paying athletes for decades, long before NILs, using a variety of scholarships and inducements, including jobs for parents. Of course, national exposure is a big lure, and the chief reason numerous local athletes have transferred to West Coast power schools. Five years ago, Micah Alejado’s mom moved with him from ‘Ewa Beach to Las Vegas so he could attend Bishop Gorman on scholarship. In Vegas, the standout quarterback led his team to three consecutive state titles and a MaxPreps national championship. And when Alejado signed with UH, so did Bishop Gorman’s quarterbacks coach, Chad Kapanui. After an entire season without throwing an interception, the 5-foot-8 Alejado chose to return home to play OCTOBER 2025

FEATURE

THE PATH TO PRO

as a Warrior. Instead of being deemed too small to play, he seems assured of getting his shot among the “Braddahhood.” Waiting in the wings will be another Hawai‘i quarterback from Bishop Gorman, Maika Eugenio, who just enrolled at UH.

the highest level. Even our newspaper sports page covers locals more deeply than anywhere.” Finally, he adds, “because of our close-knit culture, Hawai‘i athletes play not only for themselves but for the entire state.”

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Polynesian Athletes in Demand SPORTS TALENT AGENCY The Standard has built its business representing Polynesian athletes. “It’s about having someone who understands the culture and the beliefs,” says Deen Agustin, a Native Hawaiian agent there. “If there’s a complicated family dynamic, having an agent who grew up in that dynamic helps. We’re here to understand their needs and their circle.” Agustin represents former Campbell High phenom Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, an incoming freshman starting quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley, and four other athletes. So what’s Hawai‘i’s secret sauce? “Being from a small state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes our athletes tougher and hungrier to succeed,” Amemiya says. “Also, they’re a product of a strong family culture. We all support our athletes to reach

kkk

Do Start Early HAWAI‘I STARTS ’EM YOUNG. At 10, golfer

Michelle Wie became the youngest player to qualify for a U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship and the youngest to qualify for an LPGA tour event. Future Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion Carissa Moore won her first surf contest at age 11. Titan Lacaden was offered a UH football scholarship at age 11 by then-coach Nick Rolovich, a promise current coach Timmy Chang honored after Lacaden’s standout career at Saint Louis. He’s now a freshman on the roster. Starting young doesn’t mean specializing, however. Two-time state wrestling champion Zaira Sugui of Moanalua High School played basketball as a child, switched to gymnastics, then volleyball. “When I got older, I started boxing at Powerhouse Gym,” she says. She was 10.

“It costs a lot to take part in mainland camps, and that makes Hawai‘i kids and their families even hungrier and more appreciative of the opportunities.” — Keith Amemiya

“Boxing started with my dad. He put me and my brother up to it.” She joined Powerhouse’s boxing club, then something else caught her attention: “There was a wrestling program, and I jumped in. By around 10 and 11, I was boxing and wrestling.” While competing in the two sports, Sugui says she discovered roughness, aggression and a zest to improve. As a result she’s entering her senior year with an eye on a Division I scholarship to the University of Iowa, where Hawai‘i Olympic medalist Clarissa Chun is the wrestling coach. kkk

Strong Character and Discipline Are Vital WHEN UH MEN’S BASKETBALL coach Eran

Ganot scouts players, he says, he gives them the “soul test.” “Is this a guy who loves the game, loves the team game, and wants to be coached? We look for high character guys with a work ethic,” Ganot says. Lacaden didn’t let his head swell up after receiving national publicity for his scholarship offer at 11. Six years later he passed the soul test when, as Saint Louis’ star wide receiver, coach Tupu Alualu needed an offensive spark and moved him to running back. Although considerably undersized at 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds, Lacaden excelled. In the state championship game against Kahuku, he rushed 31 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Crusaders nabbed the title. kkk

What Was His X Factor? “THE BOY HAS A BIG HEART. It’s bigger than his size,” Alualu told the Honolulu StarAdvertiser after Lacaden was selected for the Hawai‘i Hall of Honor for 2025 athletes. “He’s self-motivated.” Does boxer-wrestler Sugui like working out? “Yes,” she says emphatically. “I work throughout the week. I wrestle, play CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

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Field of Dreams Wailuku’s Wehiwa Aloy is ready for his shot at big-time baseball after being tapped as a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles. By Diane Seo

A ARON K. YOSHINO

s kids on Maui, Wehiwa Aloy and his younger brother, Kuhio, used to watch a lot of Southeastern Conference baseball on TV. “A lot,” Wehiwa says. “Vanderbilt, Arkansas, all those teams.” While both were talented Little League sluggers, they could only dream of playing in the SEC from their Wailuku living room. Fast forward a decade or so, and the Aloy brothers didn’t just play in the SEC (they were teammates last year at the University of Arkansas), they wildly exceeded their dream. Wehiwa and Jamie Aloy Wehiwa won this year’s prestigious Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur Kuhio spent his freshman year at BYU before baseball player in the nation. He also was named joining his brother and the Razorbacks. SEC player of the year. Then in July, the Baltimore Yet, what the Aloys instilled in their sons has proven Orioles tapped him as a first-round draft pick, invaluable. They prioritized the importance of being sending him closer to playing big-time pro baseball. good people—humble, respectful, family-oriented Kuhio isn’t far behind. Like his brother, he was and devout to their faith (they are Mormon). Learning named first-team All-SEC last season. And over the from his own days in sports, Jamie also taught them to summer, he was crowned champion of the Cape Cod accept failure. “There’s so much emphasis on winning Baseball League Home Run Derby, blasting home run that kids these days don’t know how to lose,” he says. after home run at the high-profile collegiate event. “That’s one of the main lessons we taught them, to An MLB career seems a good bet for him, too. keep pursuing things when they lose … to look at the So, how did the Aloy brothers get here? bigger picture.” And their most recent college loss Genetics, in part. Their father, Jamie Aloy, was was a heartbreaking one, with Arkansas falling by a standout baseball player for UH and was drafted just one run to eventual national champion LSU in by the San Francisco Giants in 1999. But even with the semifinals of the 2025 College World Series. baseball in their blood, nothing about sports is Wehiwa credits his upbringing for his steady guaranteed. Wehiwa showed promise as Baldwin High temperament, perspective and success. “Being culturally School’s star shortstop, but the Aloys didn’t have the raised in Hawai‘i helps a lot,” he says. “We grew up money to send him all over the country to be seen by super close to family, and I’m thankful for that.” coaches and scouts. “We traveled some with Wehiwa, Now, looking ahead to proving himself but it was minimal,” Jamie says. “Financially and in the minors and moving up to the majors, geographically, it’s not beneficial for us to be living Wehiwa says he’s just “going from there, going in Hawai‘i if our kids dream about being professional through the ranks and just playing.” athletes. But we weren’t chasing anything. We were Jamie, meanwhile, can’t help but reminisce about just providing the opportunity for our sons to have the days his young sons would spend watching some type of vision of where they could play.” college baseball on TV. “They’re living their dreams With limited exposure, Wehiwa’s only offer now, and the thing I know is that they never gave came by way of Sacramento State, where he up, and as parents, we never gave up on them.” went for a year before transferring to Arkansas. OCTOBER 2025

FEATURE

THE PATH TO PRO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

football here and there, and Monday through Friday am training at the gym with my dad.” Does she lift weights? “Every day.” Meanwhile, Deyan Radosavljevic started watching motivational videos when he was 5, his mother says. “Since Deyan was 12, he’s trained six hours every single day. And he’s just turned 15, the age when others start. I wish I’d had his passion and determination and work ethic at his age.” At his MLS academy, education is not funded, so the Radosavljevics had to figure out how Deyan would continue his schooling after leaving Maryknoll. They ended up going with Pearson, an online, NCAA-accredited program that preserves his eligibility for a scholarship. Even while attending two-week tournaments with his team, including one in Qatar, Deyan is pulling straight A’s.

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Seize the Day

Agustin recalls. “Later that year, I ended up joining the Standard and flew him out for our camp.” Agustin got the Campbell star into Elite 11, a national quarterback showcase. “He rocketed up the board once he could show his talent in front of a lot of people,” Agustin says. “He wasn’t able to show it at Campbell, but against the top QBs in the country, he had recruiters thinking, ‘Gee, I think he’s the best.’” Sagapolutele’s now poised for the pros. According to a report by longtime sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins: “You can make an argument he has the strongest arm in the country but doesn’t just throw all fastballs and has really improved in his ability to change speeds and throw with touch. His deep ball accuracy is among the best in the country as well, and he can really layer the football into tight windows. … (He) has a very high ceiling and NFL potential.”

training programs and teams is now not just commonplace for aspiring young athletes to reach the next level, it’s critical. For some athletes with the means and connections, the moves and countermoves resemble a chess game. Baseball player Bruin Agbayani won Position Player of the Year for Saint Louis this year; his father and coach is Benny Agbayani, the former New York Mets sensation. This came after two seasons at ‘Iolani, followed by a transfer to Mililani, and a junior year at Page High School in North Carolina. Now an MLB draft pick, he has a scholarship to play at the University of Michigan as insurance.

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The Path of Dillon Gabriel

kkk TO LAUNCH sports careers, young athletes

typically go through camps, tournaments, showcases and combines that double as recruiting services. This means summer travel to the continent. “It costs a lot to take part in mainland camps, and that makes Hawai‘i kids and their families even hungrier and more appreciative of the opportunities,” Amemiya says. “If you’re a good ballplayer in Southern California, you can drive to a tournament every weekend. If you’re from Hawai‘i, you have to be selective when you can travel to the continent.” Not everyone can afford it, so those athletes have to do more to be seen. As a Saint Louis player whose time on the field was hampered by injuries, Marcus Mariota’s shot came when his family sold their O‘ahu home to afford showcases on the continent. He ended up with a scholarship to the University of Oregon, the Heisman Trophy and being drafted to the NFL. Although his pro career has had its ups and downs, he’s excelled as a backup quarterback, currently with the Washington Commanders. When Sagapolutele couldn’t afford extensive travel to the continent, he went on social media and lured recruiters to his highlights. “He had a low three-star rating,”

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

Knowing When to Stay and When to Go SAGAPOLUTELE’S PATH, however, has not

been entirely linear. After initially signing with Cal, he was lured to Oregon, where both Mariota and Mililani’s Dillon Gabriel had reached superstardom. But after seeing Oregon’s crowded quarterback roster, he returned to Cal when its starting quarterback transferred. At age 11, Deyan Radosavljevic too was courted by several MLS academies, including the LA Galaxy. “But we literally took an entire year, went really slow, and he went to each academy to try out, feel it,” his mother says. Initially Deyan and his parents chose the Austin Football Club’s academy in Texas managed by European League and FIFA World Cup veteran Claudio Reyna. It was cutthroat, then Reyna was implicated in a scandal and resigned. “After that debacle, we had Deyan transfer to the Seattle Sounders where he is now, in his third season,” Wendy Radosavljevic says. “He’s been called up for the U.S. national team a couple of times, in Atlanta and San Diego.” Indeed, changing positions, schools,

AT 5-FOOT-11, Gabriel was considered

undersized as a quarterback. But Mililani’s 5-foot-11 McKenzie Milton had blazed a trail at the University of Central Florida, and fellow Mililani grad Gabriel got a shot there too. In his freshman year, Gabriel threw 27 touchdowns and the Knights went 9-3. But his sophomore season was a 6-4 disappointment, and his junior year was cut short by injury. Instead of standing pat, Gabriel aimed higher, declaring as a transfer for UCLA, then switching to the University of Oklahoma. The Sooners went 6-6 that year but Gabriel threw for 25 touchdowns, and the following year as a fifth-year senior threw for 30 more as Oklahoma went 10-2. With one year of eligibility left, he decided on a final upgrade: He transferred to Oregon, knowing it was loaded with national championshipcaliber talent. And he led the Ducks to a 13-1 record, threw 30 touchdowns and was a Heisman finalist. The culmination of Gabriel’s chase for bigger stages was being drafted in the third round this year by the Cleveland Browns; he signed a four-year rookie contract with the team worth $6.2 million, and in August was named the team’s backup quarterback.

OCTOBER 2025

success, have them fully explain how this process is going to look.” In those last two to three months before a draft, don’t put your future in the hands of an agent you’ve talked to six times, Agustin adds. “Go with someone you’ve built a relationship with over a longer time.” kkk

Play the Long Game AS THE HOPSCOTCH career of pitcher

JOSUE SILVA

Kirby Yates suggests, perseverance, chasing opportunities and improving over time are key to succeeding at the pro level— assuming a baseline of exceptional talent and good luck. One of the longest and steepest learning curves en route to the big time happens in golf. Fortunately for Kaiser High alum Chan Kim, it’s also one of the only sports where 35 isn’t considered retirement age. After being a standout at the University of Arizona, Kim turned pro in 2010 and played lower circuits—the Canadian Tour, Challenge Tour, Asian Tour—before settling on the Japan Tour, where he won eight tournaments, including the $600,000 Japan Open. He could have stayed in Japan, but his dream was to make it to the PGA, so he joined the Korn Ferry Tour, where winning two tournaments in 2023 gave him the points to qualify for the PGA Tour. “Definitely means the world to me,” he told the media at the time. “This is what I came here to do.” Since getting his PGA Tour card, Kim has played well, with his 2025 prize money exceeding $900,000, but more importantly, earned points toward keeping his PGA eligibility. The pressure is on, but he’s lining up his shot.

Deyan Radosavljevic playing in the Generation Adidas Cup in Florida this past April

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Agents Can Wait WHEN DEYAN RADOSAVLJEVIC was playing in the Generation Adidas

Cup, a large and elite global tournament, he was approached by top agencies. “They said they’ve been watching him for quite a while, they’d done write-ups on him, had projected where they could see him going,” Wendy Radosavljevic says. “They think he’s going to have great success.” Since Deyan’s goal is to play in Europe, he’ll have to wait until he turns 18. The MLS does sign players as young as 14, but, according to his mother, “the first written contract is such a low amount, like $60,000. You can go to a D-I school and make a lot more money than from an MLS contract. The longer you can wait without an agent the better. Several kids in America who signed at 16 are kind of stuck with that contract now.” Agent Agustin agrees. “It is pretty intense on the agent side,” he says. “People with no business experience are calling themselves agents, uncles who think they know what they’re doing are advising nephews, and there are a whole lot of false promises thrown around. ‘Oh, I can get you 250K.’ Well, that money’s not there.” Agustin has had athletes come to him privately with concerns. “They show me a contract they’ve signed and say, ‘What do you think?’ And it’s some of the most exploitative language you’ve ever seen. And these are 16- and 17-year-olds who don’t know better.” Agustin has three don’ts for young athletes: “One, if a street agent or coach tells you something and it feels wrong or feels off, it probably is wrong. Two, don’t allow pressure, or people, to make that decision for you. Be really picky, because you are the one making the journey. Three, beware of the online world. Do a lot of research. Make sure this person has a proven track record of

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The Path to Pro Is Never Easy AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RUN playing golf for Kamehameha

Schools and UH, earning his way onto the Big West’s first team, 2024 graduate Blaze Akana felt emboldened to try his luck in the pros. He got a taste of the sweet part when competing for two consecutive years at the Sony Open, where he basked in the support of the home crowd.

OCTOBER 2025

Blaze Akana

A ARON K. YOSHINO, BACKGROUND IMAGE: GETT Y IMAGES, PANYA

Competed at the past two Sony Open golf tournaments

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HONOLULU MAGAZINE

But after competing with minimal success around the country on the lower circuit, he returned home and is now teaching golf at Waikele Country Club. “I’m taking a little halt,” he says. Traveling on his own dime was costly and emotionally depleting. “Golf ’s one of those sports where you can put in so many hours and still not get the results you want,” he says. “You have to really be dedicated, and fall in love with practicing every single day without expecting results. “College golf was awesome. Everything is paid for, and you’re traveling with five of your best friends and your coach. Then once you go pro, you’re playing for your paycheck, and you’re paying for everything. And if you don’t play well, you’re going home. It’s a lot tougher when you go pro.” For MLB draftees as well, once the applause cycle has run, it’s back to the grind. For most, even Arquette and Aloy, getting drafted is just a foot in the door. Now they’ll disappear from public view for a few years, or even longer, as they prove themselves in the minor leagues. How long can it take? At 31, pitcher Rico Garcia (Saint Louis, Hawai‘i Pacific University) has been called up or claimed a half a dozen times by MLB teams for short relief stints; he’s appeared in 32 games. In July, the New York Yankees claimed him from the Mets. He was cut loose after a poor outing, and again picked up by the Mets, then the Orioles—all in a week’s time. kkk

Waiting for Their Shot TWENTY-FOUR Hawai‘i minor leaguers are

currently toiling in towns like Lake Erie, Lansing and Wichita. Most are paid a pittance and will never qualify for the oneyear minimum MLB salary of $760,000. But the situation is even less promising in basketball. Hawai‘i’s high schools are not pipelines to either D-I programs or the NBA. In fact, this spring Tolu Smith of Kahuku was the first Hawai‘i player in 68 years to play in an NBA game. He appeared in exactly one game, scoring 14 points and grabbing eight rebounds in 22 minutes for the Detroit Pistons. Local women have fared better finding starting roles in college, usually at West Coast schools. But getting to the next level is a challenge.

THE PATH TO PRO

EARVING MARQUEZ

FEATURE

FROM LEFT: Ivan, Dimitri, Deyan and Wendy Radosavljevic

One reason, especially for boys, is basketball’s explosive popularity around the globe. To offset the advantages of bigger programs, UH coach Ganot has had to throw a wide net— particularly over Europe. Such globalism raises the ante for local players hoping to stay at home. Even if you do get to the next level and play D-I, the NBA is increasingly out of reach thanks to becoming what The New Yorker recently called a “tutelage sport,” like golf or polo, where it helps to be born into basketball royalty. Of the 450 players on NBA rosters today, 35 are nepo babies, including Bronny James, whose father LeBron nudged the Los Angeles Lakers to draft him. Still, Ganot and UH have worked out a stealth path to the pros. It involves Europe again, but also Japan, Mexico, South America and dozens of countries where professional leagues field teams in small cities. “We’ve placed over 200 of our players in the various foreign leagues,” Ganot says. “They can have real careers.” At the moment, only one local is playing pro overseas—Kahuku and UH grad Samuta Avea, who helped his French team win its first-ever Pro B championship in May. In volleyball, brothers Kawika and Erik Shoji, both U.S. Olympians, have had similar luck finding spots on European teams. While Kawika is now retired, Erik continues to play in Poland, where his Zaksa team has won four Polish League trophies since he joined in 2021.

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Ignore the Odds “HIS GOAL is to get to Europe,” Wendy

Radosavljevic says of Deyan. She knows the odds, having listened to speakers. “Maybe one or two of your kids will make the pros— that’s out of 50 to 60 kids” in the elite MLS program, she was told. Yet, the way she sees it, there are options. “Each kid needs to know his own plan A and plan B. Some are very realistic and just want to go to college on scholarship, others maybe want a D-I school,” she says. Sound advice, just not for Deyan. “There is no backup plan,” she sighs. “I do think his future will take him to Europe. His hard work, his work ethic … you have to have a bit of luck, but he’ll end up in Europe playing soccer.” Meanwhile, Deyan’s younger brother, Dimitri, is also a talented player with pro ambitions. “We’ll follow them as much as we can,” she says.

Don Wallace is the author of One Great Game: Two Teams, Two Dreams, in the First-Ever National Championship High School Football Game.

OCTOBER 2025

GLOBALMOMENTS/ISTOCK /GETT Y IMAGES PLUS VIA GETT Y IMAGES

Why are We So Anxious? Anxiety is on the rise, and women are more than twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder over their lifetimes. by M A R Y V O R S I N O photos by A A R O N K . Y O S H I N O

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Ruth Pukahi speaks out about her anxiety and depression to help others with mental health issues.

RUTH PUKAHI WAS cleaning out

her children’s rabbit cage when her chest started constricting and her breathing got labored. She thought she was having an allergic reaction, so she zipped over to a nearby drugstore for Benadryl. Walking the aisles, her symptoms worsened. She couldn’t concentrate and started feeling lightheaded. As she struggled to breathe, a pharmacist called 911. Pukahi chuckles when she recounts the incident now, several years later, but acknowledges that as concerned firefighters took her vitals, she was scared, then embarrassed and frustrated. It wasn’t an allergic reaction that was leaving her gasping for air. It was a panic attack. “The fireman looks at me and says, ‘Your vitals are normal. Have you ever had an anxiety attack before?’ All I could say was ‘I’ve got to get back to my kids at home,’” recalls Pukahi, who describes the experience as a wake-up call but hardly a one-off. Panic attacks are something the Honolulu resident now lives with— they happen about once a month. But thanks to her therapist, she’s prepared when she recognizes the triggers. “I know it’s my body’s way of protecting me,” she says. Looking at Pukahi, a children’s librarian and single mom of five biological and two adopted children, you’d be hard-pressed to guess she occasionally suffers from crippling anxiety and depression. The 48-yearold has a warm, bubbly personality, a smile at the ready, and an active social media presence that champions selfaffirmation for women and encourages moms to be real about their mental health challenges. In short, she looks like she’s got it all figured out. 36

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

For mental health professionals, however, Pukahi’s story is a familiar one, underscoring a so-called “silent epidemic” for tens of millions of people in the U.S. who struggle with anxiety. In our country, the condition is widespread and the number of people suffering from it remains above pre-pandemic levels. And in Hawai‘i, where anxiety rates have historically been lower than the rest of the nation, clinicians are seeing an increase in cases, especially among younger women. “Since the pandemic, more people have come out of the closet per se with anxiety disorders. So many more people are seeking out our services,” says Kumi MacDonald, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawai‘i. “They probably had anxiety before, but maybe it’s been more accelerated because of extra stressors.”

FEATURE WHY ARE WE SO ANXIOUS?

A More Anxious Society U.S. CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES

analyzed by the Kaiser Family Foundation show roughly 23% of Hawai‘i residents report having anxiety disorder symptoms, compared with 27% for the nation. Meanwhile, the latest data available shows that about 9% of children here were diagnosed with depression or anxiety in 2023—up from 5% in 2017, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Nationwide in 2023, 13% of children were diagnosed with depression or anxiety. Honolulu psychologist Mary Church, who specializes in treating anxiety, says the implications of a more anxious society are signiﬁcant, as anxiety symptoms and disorders left untreated can lead to risky behaviors and have lasting negative consequences on a person’s relationships, career and overall health. “A lot of people differentiate between fear and anxiety. Fear is something we can identify as a reasonable threat. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a suspected threat,” she says. “It’s about the future and our need for certainty. Clients working with me—they often want to know what’s going to happen in the future. At the same time, anxiety and depression often go hand in hand because the brain is focused on losses.”

Women More Likely to Suffer From Anxiety WOMEN ARE MORE THAN twice

as likely to develop anxiety disorders over their lifetimes and, complicating the picture, frequently seek to manage anxiety on their own—until they reach a crisis, experts say. National ﬁgures show that the prevalence of anxiety disorders is higher among younger women, ages 18 to 29, than the general population, and Hawai‘i psychologists say their client lists reﬂect those statistics. “In Hawai‘i, who’s the most depressed and anxious? It’s the relatively young-to-middle-aged women,” Church says. “That age of adolescence into adulthood is so important and most anxiety disorders actually emerge in adolescence.” For example, she says, one of her clients came to her at age 18 with obsessive compulsive disorder and recounted how as a young child she’d asked her mother for something to worry about because she couldn’t come up with anything on her own. “It’s what her brain wanted, to solve every problem small and large,” she says. Church, however, notes she also has clients with anxiety in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Her oldest client is in her 90s.

MOST COMMON ANXIETY DISORDERS Generalized Anxiety Disorder Chronic, exaggerated worrying about everyday life. May become exhausted by worry and experience headaches, tension or nausea. Social Anxiety Disorder Intense fear about social interaction, often driven by irrational worries about humiliation. Panic attacks are a common reaction to anticipated or forced social interaction. Panic Disorder Characterized by panic attacks and sudden feelings of terror sometimes striking repeatedly and without warning. Causes powerful physical symptoms including chest pain, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath and stomach upset. Phobias Places, events or objects create strong, irrational fear. Several things can trigger those reactions; to avoid panic, will work hard to avoid triggers. Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

CAUSES

Scientists believe that many factors combine to cause anxiety disorders:

COURTESY: NAMI

Genetics: Studies support evidence that anxiety disorders “run in families,” as some families have a higher-than-average amount of anxiety disorders among relatives.

Kumi MacDonald

Environment: A stressful or traumatic event such as abuse, death of a loved one, violence or prolonged illness is often linked to the development of an anxiety disorder.

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Mary Church

OCTOBER 2025

FEATURE WHY ARE WE SO ANXIOUS?

Why Women?

Social Media and Dating Apps

ANISA WISEMAN REMEMBERS VISITING a doctor in high school for

AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE TIME

we spend on our phones—is that making us more anxious? Kaplan thinks so. “There are a lot of unsettling things going on in the world, no question, but that’s always been true to some degree. What’s different now is how constantly we’re exposed to it,” he says, adding that social media is also providing unrealistic imagery that distorts the truth and fuels insecurity and self-doubt. Add to that the phenomenon of doomscrolling—falling down a rabbit hole of commentaries, videos and posts about “all the terrible things happening in the world,” Kaplan says. “That behavior absolutely heightens anxiety.” Church notes another reality of the modern condition: dating apps, which frequently overemphasize appearance and can lead to fears of rejection. “There’s a lot of pressure on people to be beautiful,” she says. “We’ve replaced meeting in person with dating apps that focus on a photo.” Mestisa Gass, program director at Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, says local clinicians must also be aware of unique stressors in the Islands, from the high cost of living to the reality of multigenerational living. “I hear people being concerned about paying for child care, housing, and caring for their aging parents,” she says. “Families need support to juggle all these demands.”

Anisa Wiseman

Aaron Kaplan

COURTESY: MESTISA GASS

stomachaches, vomiting and panic attacks, and breaking down in tears when asked during her exam, “Are you OK?” Stress at home, including a mom struggling with bipolar disorder, was crippling her. Through high school and into college, she barely managed her anxiety. “The panic attacks got really gnarly,” she says. Then, after a miscarriage and with her mother spiraling, she hit rock bottom. She attended NAMI Hawai‘i’s family support groups and realized, “I’m not the only one dealing with this.” Now 34, Wiseman is the deputy director of NAMI Hawai‘i, providing resources and support to others with anxiety. One thing she makes sure to relay: Mental health is a continuum. For example, Wiseman sometimes spends a day at home recovering from a particularly anxiety-provoking situation. And she no longer beats herself up over it. “I think it’s important to give yourself that grace,” she says. It’s unclear why Wiseman and other women are far more likely to battle with anxiety, but psychologists have their theories. Church says women tend to assume more stress from an earlier age. “Women do double duty. They’re the mothers and the caregivers for the parents,” she says. Honolulu psychologist Aaron Kaplan agrees that women and girls often feel greater pressure with their many roles at work, in social settings, as parents and as partners. “That leads to a kind of perfectionistic approach to life,” he says. “The tendency to compare themselves to others plays a big part in this.” Men likewise face societal pressures, and experts believe the gender disparity in anxiety rates may be at least partly due to underreporting among men.

Mestisa Gass

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

FEATURE WHY ARE WE SO ANXIOUS?

What Anxiety Does to the Body

Getting Help

ANXIETY HAS BEEN a public health concern for decades, but the pandemic

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD HEALING, Gass says, is identify-

exacerbated the issue, mental health professionals say, not only driving up cases but cutting people off from social groups, activities and supportive care that were helping them deal with daily modern life. To be clear, not all anxiety is bad. In fact, a little bit is good. “From an evolutionary standpoint, anxiety can be seen as a motivator to take action,” Kaplan says. “After all, how would an animal survive in the wild if it were about to be eaten by a predator and just yawned and took a nap? In the modern world, anxiety can help motivate us to meet challenges at work and anticipate needs so that life can be managed.” Anxiety becomes a problem when it appears “out of proportion to the situation at hand,” Kaplan says, or impacts a person’s health, well-being and outlook. At its extreme, anxiety can be classiﬁed as a disorder, like panic disorder, agoraphobia (fear of public places), social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. With anxiety disorders, previous trauma often plays a role. The good news is that treatment is effective. Anxiety manifests differently for different people but symptoms can include nervousness or a feeling of dread, panic, increased heart rate, rapid breathing, fatigue, sweating, trouble concentrating or paying attention, and poor sleep. “Clinical anxiety becomes debilitating or disruptive to a person’s life,” says psychologist Shannon Hayes, owner of Aspects of Life Counseling in ‘Aiea. “It can be chronic or manifest with small bursts here and there. For some, it can be paralyzing.” And anxiety can take a heavy toll on your body. “Our bodies aren’t meant to stay in a state of anxiety,” Gass says. “There can be an increased risk for issues like heart disease, chronic pain, decreased immune response and gastrointestinal issues.”

ing the stressors in your life and figuring out how to address them. Part of that, she says, is understanding the level of support you might need to move forward. “You want to find a meaningful way of approaching your concerns that fits with your identity and beliefs,” she says, noting that therapy is both common and effective. In some cases, medications might also be appropriate. For milder symptoms, small changes in life can pay big dividends, like getting enough sleep, exercising, taking time to relax, and having “radical acceptance” of things you can’t change, she says. “A tool we don’t focus on enough is a support system,” Gass adds. “Surrounding yourself with loved ones who have strong mental health literacy … and who assist through practical help or emotional support can be incredibly helpful and validating.”

Shannon Hayes

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS More than 40 million U.S. adults (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder, while 7% of children ages 3–17 experience issues with anxiety each year. The following are typical symptoms: Emotional • Feelings of apprehension or dread • Feeling tense or jumpy • Restlessness or irritability • Anticipating the worst and being watchful for signs of danger

Physical • Pounding or racing heart and shortness of breath • Sweating, tremors and twitches • Headaches, fatigue and insomnia • Upset stomach, frequent urination or diarrhea

Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness

OCTOBER 2025

FEATURE WHY ARE WE SO ANXIOUS?

CHILDREN AND TEENS WITH ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION IN HAWAI‘I 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 2022-2023

14,712 (6%) 15,628 (6%) 14,065 (6%) 16,058 (7%) 20,430 (8%) 22,087 (9%)

Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health

TREATMENT Different anxiety disorders have their own distinct sets of symptoms, and each type has its own treatment plan. The following are common types of treatment: • Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy • Medications, including anti-anxiety medications and antidepressants • Complementary health approaches, including stress and relaxation techniques

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

Helping Herself, and Others PUKAHI, THE MOTHER OF SEVEN, says regular therapy sessions and a healthy diet have eased her symptoms and given her more ways to cope. She’s now focused on helping others by documenting her experiences on Instagram and Facebook. In a recent video, she wore a paper crown and pink dress and twirled and curtsied for the camera. “I was feeling unwanted and unloved, so I took care of me,” the text on screen reads. Sitting in her family van on a recent afternoon, Pukahi says, “I go on social media to share my story because I know it inspires others.” After taking a moment to steady her voice and push back tears, she adds, “I need other women to know they’ll be OK. It’s hard to get out there, especially as you’re still wading through things. But if I can do it with seven kids, so can you.” After two divorces and having survived domestic violence and nearhomelessness while singlehandedly raising her children—the oldest is 22 and the youngest just 7—she regards anxiety as an ongoing journey, and not something that will suddenly disappear. “I’ve worked on loving myself and seeing that I am of value. It’s been worth it,” she says. Pukahi recalls how she recently got anxious thinking about a new relationship, challenges her children are having and her own insecurities. “My fear of not being accepted reared its ugly head,” she says. But rather than falling into old habits, she took deep breaths and reassured herself that everything would be OK. “I’m constantly reminded to take care of myself because when I do have a panic attack, I just shut down,” says Pukahi. “I know I have to move forward. If I’m living in the past, I’ll never get anywhere.”

Ruth Pukahi, third from left, with her seven children

Lauren Agena attends her barre fitness class.

Control what you can. Get your MAMMOGRAM. Lauren Agena chose to face her Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer diagnosis with a positive mindset. Guided by a compassionate health care team, she underwent treatment and emerged with a renewed sense of energy and purpose. Today, she continues to dance to her own script and pursue her passions. Take control of your health. Get a mammogram every year starting at age 40, or earlier if you have a family history of breast cancer. Women who get a mammogram during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October at one of our medical centers or clinics will receive a special gift, while supplies last. Schedule your mammogram today. We make it easy with online scheduling at

HawaiiPacificHealth.org/Mammogram.

Hawai‘i Pacific Health is proud to be the first health system in Hawai‘i to have earned the Integrated Network Cancer Program accreditation from the Commission on Cancer.

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College Guide MAGAZINE PRESENTS

Landing a Job

Preparing in High School + Surviving College + Important Test Dates

p. 43

2026

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I

contents

P. 46

Landing a Job P. 54

Pursuing a “Dying” Field P. 55

Timeline to Success P. 58

A Local Kid’s Guide to Surviving College

P UB LI S H ER DONNA KODAMA-YEE EDI TORI AL DI RECTOR DIANE SEO EXEC UTI VE EDI TO R KATRINA VALCOURT C RE ATI VE DI RECTO R JAMES NAKAMURA S ENI O R ART DI RECTO R CHRISTINE LABRADOR STRATEGI C PARTNER S H I P S MICHELLE STOFLE ADVERTI S I NG EXEC UTI VE DONNIE FORD

P. 60

Preparing for College in High School

ADVERTI S I NG P ROJ ECT M AN AGER MICHELLE OKADA

WRITTEN, DESIGNED AND PUBLISHED BY

ALL ILLUS TRATION S BY

Hailey Akau

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

A PRIVATE COLLEGE EDUCATION THAT’S AFFORDABLE

CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY’S HAWAI‘I GUARANTEE Designed for Hawai‘i high school seniors, our Hawai‘i Guarantee Scholarship helps meet the cost of in-state undergraduate tuition* at Hawai‘i‘s state university. *Hawai‘i Guarantee Scholarship does not apply to students pursuing a nursing major.

Learn more about our Hawai‘i Guarantee Start your Chaminade application today COMPLETE YOUR FAFSA: Include Chaminade University code 001605

YOU’RE INVITED

Chaminade Preview Day NOVEMBER 8 | 10 A.M.

See why our Silverswords call our campus home!

• Take a student-led campus tour • Chat with faculty, staff and current students • Explore world-class academic programs • Discover the #1 Best Student Life in Hawai‘i (Niche, 2025) • Learn about student support services and resources • Meet with an admissions or ﬁnancial aid counselor

3140 Wai'alae Avenue, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96816 (808) 735-4711 | chaminade.edu

ADHM0007_HonMagCollegeGuide_FA2026_Ad.v3.indd 1

8/8/25 10:30 AM

Landing a Job Colleges are designing new AI tools, internship opportunities and courses to better equip students for post-graduation careers. BY A N NA B E L L E I N K

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

LANDING A JOB

I S I NG U N E M PL OY M E N T R AT E S. Widescale layoffs. A growing dependence on generative AI. Recent college graduates are facing one of the toughest job markets in years. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported in March that unemployment among people 22 to 27 reached 5.8%, almost 2% higher than the overall unemployment rate. The last time this group faced such tough work prospects, excluding the height of the pandemic, was 2013. Hiring has also slowed significantly—and seemingly abruptly. Last fall, employers planned to hire 7.3% more graduates from the class of 2025 than they did from the class of 2024, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. That expectation dropped to 0.6% by spring, a period of economic uncertainty marked by talks of tariffs, government and corporate layoffs, and inflationary pressures.

This trend is not going unnoticed by college administrators, who see firsthand how the slowdown on hiring is impacting their students and recent graduates. “For a lot of students, it’s creating a lot of anxiety: having to change career plans, even relocate,” says Ryan Tin Loy, senior career development adviser at Hawai‘i Pacific University. “Things are very stressful for our current graduates.” But as economic threats loom and the threat of unemployment grows, colleges are creating new ways to support their students. We spoke with administrators at colleges across the country that are popular among Hawai‘i high school graduates to see what they’re doing to prepare their students for a challenging job market. “I cannot control the economy, so what we’re going to do is we’re going to control what we can control: increasing our efforts to provide as many different postgraduation opportunities and internship opportunities for students,” says Jennifer Kim, associate vice president of career and professional development at Chapman University in Southern California.

INSTEAD OF FEAR ING AI, EMBRAC E IT THE USE OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE in the workplace has been a hot topic since

the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, with some experts claiming the technology could be responsible for the recent decline in entry-level positions available to new college graduates in such fields as computer science, engineering and finance. But for some colleges, AI isn’t necessarily a threat—it’s a tool. “I think students almost have to be using those tools,” says Heather Doering, associate director of business career programs at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. “At least on the business side, we have employers saying on their job descriptions they want students to have AI literacy.”

Upcoming Dates December FAFSA forms become available. The online FAFSA application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time on June 30, 2026. However, many colleges will require this earlier. Complete the CSS Profile to find more scholarship options. Hawai‘i Community Foundation also opens its scholarship application process. Check hawaiicommunityfoundation.org for updated deadlines.

February/March The deadline for financial aid applications at most colleges.

March/April Many colleges send out acceptance letters during this month.

May 1 Many colleges require that you reply with your intent to enroll by this date.

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

LANDING A JOB

Crunching the Numbers at UH Mānoa (2025–2026 School Year)

$11,520

$33,552

$17,280

In-state tuition (includes Native Hawaiian nonresidents, active duty military and other exemptions)

Nonresident tuition

Western Undergraduate Exchange rate

Pacific Island Exemption rate

The past two years have seen a 400% increase in the use of the term “AI” in job descriptions, according to data from Handshake, a job search engine widely used by Gen Z. Many colleges are addressing this change through workshops or courses that teach students how to ethically use AI. Others are taking a more direct approach, launching their own AI tools for students to use as they begin to enter the job market. At Chapman, students can access the Chapman Career AI, a comprehensive career platform launched in 2023 that uses artificial intelligence to assist students with virtual mock interviews, résumé and cover letter drafting, and LinkedIn profile development. Oregon State University pays for students and recent graduates to access similar virtual tools, including the AIenabled résumé reviewer VMock, and Standout, an interview preparation platform that gives students instant feedback on their practice recordings. In April, the college also developed a custom AI chat, the OSU AI Career Assistant. Peer career assistants can use the technology to offer students additional feedback, practice guides and sample interview questions during advising sessions. This year—anticipating student concerns over federal hiring freezes and workforce reductions—career education staff at OSU used AI to identify available county and city jobs that are comparable to federal ones. “Helping students figure out how to think outside the box, how to

see what’s also available, is something we really pride ourselves on,” says Elizabeth Simmons, OSU’s senior director of career development. Likewise, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa utilizes AI both in its curriculum and in its efforts to help students land internships and jobs, although Career Center director Wendy Sora says the university continues to prioritize personalized, human-centered career counseling. “We want students to be able to leverage AI,” she says. “We don’t see it as a solution or answer for all career-related matters.”

C OMPUTERS CAN’T C OMPE TE SOME COLLEGES ARE ADAPTING their curriculums to better prepare students for the changing demands of employers. Chaminade University revised its general education program in 2020, which administrator Jennifer Creech says could give students a leg up in today’s job market—one that increasingly favors applicants with demonstrable soft skills. In the face of a world increasingly run by computers and AI, these skills give students a way to stand out. “Our general education follows a scaffolding approach that intentionally weaves in adaptability, communication skills, critical thinking,” she says. “It’s also a holistic design that ensures that every graduate that leaves Chaminade will have both an academic knowledge and the soft skills that employers value the most today.” The college also recently formed advisory boards composed of a broad spectrum of industry and community leaders who provide ongoing feedback on the curriculum’s alignment with workforce needs and emerging trends. But Chaminade is not the only college placing an emphasis on soft skills. At HPU, first-year students take a course on adapting to college and strengthening their communication, teamwork, leadership and professionalism. CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025 10AM - 1PM UH MĀNOA CAMPUS

Discover what makes UH Mānoa #UHM-azing at our open house event “Discover UH Mānoa.” Visit our campus, tour the facilities, engage with our faculty and staff, meet current students, experience campus tours, and so much more! From our academic programs to research discoveries and opportunities, and student services - there is something for everyone! For more information, visit: discovermanoa.org

#TakeMeToMānoa The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is an equal opportunity institution.

LANDING A JOB

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 48

Still Hopeful in a Tough Job Market NINA SHAW Senior, Chapman University

into a desire to become a creative director—a dream she’s spent the past three years working toward through Chapman University’s graphic design program. But what she didn’t realize when she started her degree was how difficult it would be to land a job after graduation. “The job market is not too good,” says Shaw, who graduated from Mililani High School. “I have friends who graduated; it’s taking everyone five, six months to find a job. And especially with graphic design, it’s a super saturated market right now.” With so many people competing for the same spots, unfilled entry-level positions are becoming increasingly rare. Those that do remain open, Shaw says, often require at least four years of experience and skills beyond the traditional scope of graphic design. Shaw says the steady rise of artificial intelligence is another source of concern. At a recent portfolio review, where local designers came to the school and offered students feedback on their work, a reviewer told Shaw he had just replaced an entire department with AI. Still, Shaw hopes to find opportunities in her field. “A lot of my professors tell us that AI is going to change the way we design, but it won’t take away the jobs—you need people to come up with the ideas,” she says. “While AI could do the products, we’re the idea makers.” In the meantime, she’s doing everything she can to acquire professional experience. Last year, as creative director for Chapman’s art department, she directed creative campaigns, oversaw art directors and gave presentations. The experience, she says, helped her land a summer internship at Sony Music Group, where she created visuals for various artists. “This internship has taught me that I do have the capabilities of doing what I want to do,” she says. “I feel a lot more confident in myself and my design after this summer, and being able to find a job—I know I’ll be able to do it.”

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

COURTESY: NINA SHAW

INA SHAW’S LOVE OF ARTWORK AND CRAFTS evolved

Students rate themselves on their skills and reflect on how they plan to develop them during college. “These are skills that allow students to take on a variety of different careers,” says Joseph Barnett, director of HPU’s Center for Academic Success. “As the workforce changes with things like AI and changing job markets, our students are able to adapt.” Other colleges are taking a more direct, career-focused approach. Last summer, OSU launched a new core education curriculum that includes two required courses centered around career readiness and development. The program, called Beyond OSU, teaches students how to connect their education to suitable careers and provides them with internships, undergraduate research and service opportunities.

IT ’S AB OUT WHO YOU KNOW NETWORKING IS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT of landing a job, especially for

recent college graduates. “Networking is the number one thing I talk about with our students, because ultimately, that’s going to be what cuts through and gets you an interview,” Doering says. Yet according to Sarah Phillips, an administrator and former professor at Pacific University in Oregon, many students come to college without potential employment connections. “Before I taught at Pacific, I taught at Yale—those students didn’t need help, right?” Phillips says. “They came from families that were going to take care of them just fine. Our students are different. They’re going to be just as successful, but they need some scaffolding.” With about 20% of its student body coming from Hawai‘i, the school has a Hawai‘i Outreach & Programming office, where current families, faculty and alumni with Hawai‘i ties can connect with students and offer them one-onone support and guidance. The office also houses Nā Haumāna O Hawai‘i, a

LANDING A JOB

CONTINUED ON PAGE 52

Navigating a Changing Landscape KŌNANE MORIKAWA Senior, Columbia University

HE OCEAN HAS ALWAYS HELD AN ALLURE FOR KŌNANE MORIKAWA, a

COURTESY: KŌNANE MORIKAWA

student-run club that hosts an annual lū‘au and hōi‘ke. Phillips says the office creates opportunities for alumni from Hawai‘i to keep in touch with the college, which can prove helpful when graduates are looking for work back home. Oftentimes, alumni who’ve successfully landed jobs call Janalei Chun, or “Auntie Jana,” the office’s director, to share other opportunities and connections that students can take advantage of. “You have to network people, have to know somebody and call somebody, and having a huge network of alumni—of tens and thousands of alumni—is incredibly helpful for that,” she says. “I would say that is especially true in the Islands, where it’s small and folks are really interconnected.” Most colleges also host regular career fairs, where recruiters meet with students on campus. OSU alone organizes more than 30 career fairs each year, along with informational and mock interview sessions with employers. At Chapman, students meet with alumni and potential employers in more intimate settings through its Career Networking Nights.

Kamehameha Schools graduate raised in Kailua. “I would always beg my parents to go to an aquarium, despite living in Hawai‘i and seeing fish every day,” she says. “So I always knew I wanted to do something with the ocean.” Now, she’s studying environmental science at Columbia University in New York City. After graduation, she hopes to work in environmental planning. Despite environmental policy rollbacks brought on by the Trump administration, Morikawa believes Hawai‘i’s ecological sensitivity and cultural values will create a need for that kind of work. “We can’t really afford, with infrastructure, to have any reactive planning. We have to develop now,” she says. “We have vulnerable communities, especially with Indigenous people, and because so much of our land is coastal, we get hit first by environmental hazards.” But Morikawa worries tension at her university could impact her future. Last March, the Trump administration canceled more than $400 million of Columbia’s federal funding because of its response to campus protests against the war in Gaza. Morikawa says the situation has limited potential research opportunities and thrust her into politically charged conversations. “Every time I tell someone I go to Columbia, it’s either Trump or the protests or surveillance—it’s the top comment I get, even during interviews,” she says. “The way I navigate through that question could potentially lead to whether or not my job is in jeopardy.” Even so, Morikawa is cautiously optimistic about her career prospects. She says the university is doing everything it can to assist students in her program, including facilitating or connecting them with hundreds of research jobs and internships. Last summer, she interned with landscape design firm PBR Hawai‘i, doing environmental planning and architecture. “I was really fortunate to get this internship,” she says. “A lot of internships here—since they relied on federal grants—were pulling out.”

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

LANDING A JOB

Continuing Education

G E T TING A FO OT IN THE D O OR

ARIS CARLOS Graduate student, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

ANOTHER MUST: LANDING AN INTERNSHIP.

LANNING A CAREER IN CYBERSECU-

School graduate Aris Carlos spent the past few years pursuing his undergraduate degree in computer science at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Early in his college tenure, Carlos felt confident about his future job prospects on O‘ahu. “I was leaning more toward an opportunity within the government to do cybersecurity,” says Carlos, who received his degree last summer. “Because of us being in Hawai‘i, given that there’s a big military presence, I figured that I would be OK in terms of jobs overall.” But even before graduating almost a year early, Carlos was hit with reality: an increasingly competitive job market, hiring freezes and a rising unemployment rate within the industry. While he sees cybersecurity as more stable than other areas of computer science, he says he hasn’t been unaffected by these challenges. Last April, Carlos was selected as a candidate for an internship with the Defense Information Systems Agency, a division of the U.S. Department of Defense. But when the Trump administration imposed a hiring freeze, the program was canceled. “I was like, shoot, I don’t know what to do, because a lot of internship stuff closed up,” Carlos says. Now, he’s continuing his education at UH Mānoa and pursuing a master’s degree in computer science. He hopes it will improve his chances of finding work after graduation. “I hate to say it, but a bachelor’s degree is kind of like nothing now,” he says. “Me pursuing my master’s is so that I can be more knowledgeable in what it is I want to do.”

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

AARON K. YOSHINO

RITY, Moanalua High

College administrators say students should aim to have relevant job experience in their desired fields before they graduate. In 2024, LinkedIn reported that those who participated in internships during college were 22.9% more likely than their nonintern counterparts to obtain full-time positions within six months of graduation. Now more than ever, with entrylevel positions becoming increasingly difficult to secure, colleges are encouraging students to pursue internships year-round. At UH Mānoa, several academic programs—such as Human Development and Family Studies, and Fashion Design and Merchandising—now require students to participate in internships and capstone projects. “We want students to recognize their whole self, all the things that they’re doing to really build those career competencies, because it doesn’t just happen in the classroom,” Sora says. “It’s also what they do outside.” Other colleges are bolstering on-campus job opportunities to build students’ skills. “We’re really excited to make sure that if our students do not have the financial means or the time to obtain external internships, we’re going to maximize their on-campus work experience,” Kim says. “They can leverage their on-campus employment to parlay that into other internships and their postgraduation employment opportunity.” Despite the challenges, college administrators say they’re confident they can still forge paths for student success. “I believe students come to college with hopes and dreams, and I just feel like part of our purpose being here is really to support students in actualizing the things that they work so hard for,” Sora says. “Our students of today are leaders of tomorrow.”

COURTESY: CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY/TOMMY SHIH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51

LANDING A JOB

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

STUDENT TO STUDENT

Pursuing a “Dying” Field COURTESY: ANNABELLE INK

If journalism is dying, I’ll just learn how to chase ghosts.

BY A N NA B E L L E I N K

WISH I COULD SAY I’VE WANTED TO BE A JOURNALIST MY ENTIRE LIFE, but it’s only

been since my freshman year of college. That was when someone told me I had the perfect name for the job. This, I decided, was on point. So I joined my college paper and never looked back. It was the best decision I could’ve made. Journalism has become a major part of my life, and as one of my editors always said: “It’s not just a job. It’s a lifestyle.” But journalism is a dying field. At least, that’s what people tell me. I usually tune them out. After all, what do they know? Half of them told me to study computer science three years ago. Now, a lot of those computer science majors are being replaced by computers and AI programs. Plus, I still read the news instead of watching YouTube clips or relying on social media posts to understand what’s happening in the world. I read it all— stories, columns, features. And so do my friends, and not just the writers. I would argue that anyone who says journalism is dying simply doesn’t read enough. Still, while journalism might not be disappearing, it’s certainly becoming more challenging. We’re working at a time of declining attention spans, the proliferation of social media and, perhaps most significantly, a growing distrust of media bolstered by the country’s president. Even at my college paper, reporters are constantly denied entry to spaces, turned down for interviews and performatively glared at while on assignment. It’s almost as if we’re automatically cast as untrustworthy when we identify ourselves as media. I’m not sure what people think journalists do. It’s not like we sit around a table, evil and sinister, plotting how to best misrepresent our subjects. (We

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

usually sit on a couch for that.) Sure, plenty of news outlets cherrypick information and push agendas. But there are also media organizations producing quality journalism. And let’s be real here: Rejecting journalism is not the answer, especially if the alternative is relying on ChatGPT, content directed by Instagram algorithms and conspiracy theories. As a reporter, I’m not out to sensationalize mundane occurrences or spread misinformation, even if it leads to more clicks. I’m here because I want to learn, and because I love to write. I think people should know what’s happening in their communities, and I believe the world needs journalists. As long as there are stories to tell, we need people to tell them. And with our fractured political climate, a society that increasingly undervalues human connection, and the federal defunding of public media, journalists are more important than ever. So am I worried about pursuing a dying field? No, because journalism isn’t dying. It’s changing, for sure, but I’m looking forward to being part of its next chapter. Annabelle Ink is a senior at Pomona College in Southern California. She was a summer editorial intern for HONOLULU as part of a program coordinated by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawai‘i chapter.

TIMELINE TO SUCCESS

Timeline to Success Finding and getting accepted to the right college or university is actually a four-year process. That may sound daunting, but take each step one at a time and stay organized, and you’ll be fine. Here’s how to manage the road to college admission while in high school.

9th

GRA D E

Enroll in challenging classes. Keep grades up. Get involved in extracurricular activities. Explore potential career paths. Set up a college savings plan. Develop good timemanagement skills.

10th GRA D E

Try some AP classes. Take a practice Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Juniors qualify to compete for the National Merit Scholarship Program, but younger students can take it for practice. collegeboard. org/psat-nmsqt Consider volunteering or working part-time during the summer.

11th

12th

G RA D E

Sign up to take the ACT or SAT. Colleges usually accept either one, but check with where you’re interested. Many students will take the test once as a junior and again as a senior. Is it worth taking it twice? According to UWorld College Prep, 63% of 2018 graduates increased their SAT score on the retest. Test scores can also impact academic scholarships, so consider taking them even if your schools don’t require them.

Once the Common Application opens Aug. 1, create an account and start filling out your personal information.

Visit campuses while traveling, just to get a sense of what type of college appeals to you. Small? Big? Public? Private?

Visit campuses if possible.

In October, take the PSAT/ NMSQT (this year, testing may occur on any school day Oct. 1–31, as well as Oct. 11 and 18).

Draft your essay during the summer before 12th grade so there is enough time for at least two people to read it and comment.

Attend college fairs and network with the college representatives.

In the fall, repeat the ACT/ SAT tests. Send in scores. Gather teacher and other personal recommendations. Send thank yous afterward! Narrow down the list, but have at least four to eight schools to apply to. Check all due dates at the colleges you want to attend; they vary by institution and you don’t want to miss anything.

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

TIMELINE TO SUCCESS

Standardized Tests The nationally administered SAT assesses reading, writing and math and is used to test how ready a student is for college. SAT Subject Tests and the optional SAT Essay are no longer offered by College Board. For more, go to sat. collegeboard.org/home. If you have been tested for dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or believe you may qualify for accommodations such as extra time, visit accommodations. collegeboard.org to learn more.

The ACT is a national college admissions exam that includes English, math, reading and science questions. The ACT Writing Test includes a 40-minute essay, which is required by some colleges and not others. In Hawai‘i, the state picks up the cost of taking the ACT for all public school juniors. To register, visit act.org.

For all standardized tests, bring a current photo ID issued by a city/state/ federal government agency or your high school, as well as a printed test ticket and approved calculator. Don’t bring a cell phone, smart watch or even a fitness tracker to an SAT test; they are prohibited, and you will be asked to turn in these devices after check-in. ACT test sites allow phones if they are turned off and placed out of reach.

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE.

Begin your journey at the UH Community Colleges! • Flexible and Convenient: Take classes online or in person, day or

night—it’s your schedule. • Pathways to Bachelor’s: Start here, then transfer seamlessly to UH Hilo,

UH Mānoa, UH West O‘ahu or other four-year colleges.

• Generous Financial Aid and Scholarships: You may be

eligible for “free tuition” with our Hawai‘i Promise Scholarship so you can focus on your future, not your bills. • Career Ready Programs: Over 100+ career-focused

programs and certificates to build in-demand skills and fast-track your path into the workforce.

learn more:

uhcc.hawaii.edu

There’s a place for you.

TIMELINE TO SUCCESS

SAT Test Dates

ACT Test Dates

Since spring 2024, all students participate in SAT School Day digitally. Be sure to contact your counselor or principal to confirm when your school offers SAT School Day. Students must bring their fully charged laptop (Windows or MacOS), iPad or Windows tablet, or schoolissued Chromebook device with the Bluebook app installed and exam setup complete before test day if testing on a personal device. If approved to borrow a device from College Board, you will need to arrive 30 minutes early for sign-in and setup. See bluebook.collegeboard.org/ students/approved-devices for more details.

Nov. 8

Dec. 6

Oct. 18

Feb. 14

July 11

May 2

June 6

Use a site like myscholly.com to sniff out scholarship opportunities.

18 students per class

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Our small class sizes allow students to receive personalized attention.

Our students can earn an A.A. degree in Liberal Arts in as early as 15 months. 80% of our graduates successfully transferred to 4-year universities in the U.S. and other countries. 2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

A Local Kid’s Guide to Surviving College Tips to stay on top of academics, money and more.

BY H O N O LU LU M AG A Z I N E I N T E R N S

• Research public transportation. Bus or metro

SCHEDULING CLASSES 1 Meet with your adviser every

semester. Before choosing your classes, make sure that you meet with your adviser so they can help you build a schedule that will allow you to graduate within four years. Find your academic adviser with the school’s advising guide. 2 Before signing up for classes,

check ratemyprofessors.com. Professors can often make or break a class and your GPA, so it is helpful to see what previous students have had to say. However, take it with a grain of salt, as reviews are often biased. Also, if you like a professor, consider enrolling in another course they’re teaching in the future. Building rapport with your professors is vital if you’re considering going to graduate school, but it can also make your college life a lot more enjoyable. 3 Don’t be afraid to change your

major. You will be experiencing a

lot of change and growth during your college years, and you might not like or want the same things you did in high school. That’s perfectly fine—it’s better to switch things up now than to spend thousands of dollars on a degree you don’t want to use. Consider taking your general education courses first to give you time to think. 4 Remember to check not just the times, but also the locations of your classes. If you have back-to-back

classes across campus from each other, will you make it? Try to take classes at the optimal times for you. If you know

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

Getting Around

you’re not an early bird, avoid those 7:30 a.m. seminars—or, if you know you get sleepy after lunch, don’t schedule a class right after you eat. 5 Interested in studying abroad?

It might be difficult to find classes that meet your major requirements abroad, so save some of your core requirements to take abroad instead. If possible, avoid studying abroad as an underclassman; starting college is a big enough change in itself, and you’ll need some time to get acquainted with your own campus before leaving for a new one. Make sure you keep track of application deadlines for different programs so you don’t miss any opportunities. 6 If you earned any college credits early (AP/IB/Running Start/Early

College/transfer credits) make sure to submit your official scores and/or transcripts to your school’s admissions office at least a month before course registration, so those courses can be evaluated and you can receive official credit for them.

7 Look into CLEP testing for credits. College Board’s College Level

Examination Program exams cost less than $100 per test and offer an alternative way to earn your general education credits. With more than 30 exam subjects, CLEP can help you save money, free up your schedule or graduate early, so be sure to review your school’s CLEP policy and consider registering for an exam at clep. collegeboard.org.

passes are often included in a university’s student fees, and your student ID will double as a bus pass, so don’t wait until classes start to pick it up. Even if you have a car, you might find public transportation to be more convenient.

• Check out the school shuttles. Many schools, like New

York University and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, have an app for free school shuttles that provide estimated shuttle times.

• Split rides with friends.

Riding by yourself in an Uber or Lyft can be expensive and sometimes sketchy, so travel in groups. Students have access to Lyft’s Ride Smart Program, which offers college communities free or discounted transportation. • Search areas near your school for free parking.

Parking on campus might be convenient, but it can be costly, so if you’re commuting from far away, drive to areas like mall parking lots or safe neighborhoods nearby. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to travel the rest of the way. • Depending on the size of your school, you may want to invest in a bike, electric scooter or skateboard to shave off

minutes when getting from one class to the next.

SURVIVING COLLEG E

W O R K I N G PA R T - T I M E • Search the school’s job database. Campus jobs usually

hire for the next year or semester, so more crop up near the end of term. Many schools also hold student job fairs, so keep an eye out for those notices.

• Check your emails regularly. Your school and the

department you choose your major in will both send you emails regarding exclusive internship and job opportunities, so make sure to check them and apply to all your desired positions. Some schools split jobs into work-study positions, which are reserved for students on financial aid, and nonwork-study ones, which are available to all students.

• Try to land a desk job at your college. If you can work

the front desk at your campus library or gym, you’ll find yourself with loads of downtime. You’ll essentially be getting paid to sit at a desk and do your homework. • Look for “help wanted” signs on and off campus.

Go on a walk downtown and keep your eye out around campus. Some jobs might not be posted online. Restaurant jobs are a good way to get your foot in the door if you don’t have any prior experience, and they usually offer employee discounts for food.

• Walk into places where you want to work and ask if they’re hiring. Bring your résumé and leave it with them

in case of an opening.

GEARING UP 1 If you’re heading someplace cold, it’s best to buy winter jackets there to save money and space in your suitcase. You also might want to see how much room you have in your dorm closet first. Consider investing in a few storage bins that can fit under your bed, or store your winter clothes in your suitcase. 2 In many places, it will get dark around 5 p.m. during the winter.

Consider buying a sun lamp or

some fairy lights to hang in your dorm to fight those dark afternoons and seasonal depression. 3 Be the cool kid from Hawai‘i

with all the ‘ono Hawai‘i snacks—Spam, furikake popcorn, li

hing mui sour belts—and a rice cooker. Spread da aloha, and stock up on your favorites for when you get home sick. 4 If you’re lucky, you’ll get a twin XL in your dorm, but most likely you’ll be stuck with a twin bed. Either way,

college dorm beds are not comfortable. A mattress pad, however, is an easy fix. 5 Don’t forget about the little things, like office supplies, extension cords, nail clippers, bandages, etc. You won’t realize the necessity of small household items until you don’t have them. Consider putting together a first aid kit. You should also have supplies like staplers, tape, paper clips and more. You know your habits best, so take a look around your home and make note of everything you use. 6 Depending on your dorm regulations, consider purchasing

a microwave and air fryer.

This way you can save money by making your own food and ditch the unhealthy options of eating out. But be sure to check if your residential hall has a communal kitchen first—there might be a stove, oven and microwave already provided.

BUYING BOOKS • To clarify what books will be used in your class, contact your professors. Email them before the class starts so you have enough time for your books to come in. Some professors may even provide the text for free or change their syllabus, so don’t order anything until you’ve confirmed you need it. • Don’t go to the campus bookstore first! While it’ll be your

No. 1 resource for school swag, the books are almost always pricier there.

• BookFinder.com and Chegg.com are incredible online

resources—BookFinder compares prices of new and used books from more than 100,000 sellers, so you can be sure you’re getting the best deal, and Chegg shows you options for both renting and purchasing books, so you can see which one is better for you.

• Buying used textbooks is cheaper; plus you may find useful

Money Tips Download an app such as PayPal or Venmo. Every time you go out to eat with friends, come across a campus fundraiser or just need to pay your roommate for toilet paper, various apps and some banks let you do it instantly, so you can request and send money from a bank account. If you live with someone and often have split expenses, Splitwise is a free app that keeps track of everything and does the math for you—that way you’re not constantly sending money back and forth. Also, Unidays is a website that allows college students to get exclusive discounts on subscriptions, clothes, technology and more. Be sure to sign up with your college email to save some coin. myunidays.com

notes to help you ace the test. (Think of it as a free personal tutor.)

• Check Amazon for textbook rentals, or as another option for finding used books that are in good condition. Anyone with a school email address can start an Amazon Prime Student account for half the usual membership price, which comes with free two-day shipping and access to free movies and music. (Amazon also offers a six-month free trial.)

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

Preparing for College in High School A student’s involvement sets the foundation for college acceptance— and beyond. Here’s how to build that foundation with strength and purpose.

B Y K AT H R Y N D R U R Y WA G N E R A N D E M I LY S M I T H

HESS CLUB. MOCK TRIAL. THE SCHOOL NEWSPAPER. CHINESE CLUB. VOLLEYBALL.

Sign up for it all! Not so fast. It’s not the number of activities students do in high school that counts, experts say. Think quality over quantity. “And whatever you choose, do it consistently,” says Amy Lynn Prince, a school counselor at Southampton High School in Southampton, New York. “It’s what you’re engaged with actively. Somebody might do 40 hours of community service, but was it 40 hours over one week during a church mission, and the other 51 weeks of the year they did nothing?” Compare that to a student who volunteers with, say, Best Buddies, helping people with developmental disabilities, once a week, all year. “When students can demonstrate they have had consistent involvement and that they are leaders within the organizations, we get excited about their potential to contribute positively on our campus,” says Mark Cortez, executive director of admissions at Stony Brook University. “This doesn’t have to just be school activities; we want students to think broadly about experiences like community opportunities and/ or work experiences. They each add something a little different and that is what we consider.”

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

CONNECT THE DOTS

Students should seek out areas where they can take on leadership roles. “That doesn’t always mean being the president of a club or its founder,” Prince says. “What events did you organize? If you’re just listing on your application that you were a member—what does that mean to an admissions officer? Define your role. Now, in ninth or 10th grade, there aren’t a lot of leadership roles but, if you stick with it, if you rise up to captain or co-captain in an athletic setting, or treasurer or president in a group; this shows the qualities colleges are seeking within their own school’s population.” Schools can tell from a mile away when an applicant is trying to build a résumé out of nothing, grabbing onto 15 random activities. If, on the other hand, a student is involved with Model UN and student government and Girls Learn International, the school can see a pattern and a purpose. According to Prince, students should use ninth and 10th grade for experi-

P R E PA R I N G F O R C O L L E G E I N H I G H S C H O O L

trying to figure out: What drives the student?” says Prince. “If you want to be pre-med, and haven’t done well in science or math, maybe that’s not a realistic goal. That’s a student who is going to change major.” Think about classes that are genuine passions, things that can extend into interests in college. Otherwise, Prince warns, “students become machines of cranking out grades and don’t find what resonates with them.” S T R O N G E S S AY S

Most schools require students to submit supplemental essays with their application, which can be a way for college admission officers to decipher whether you will be a good fit at their university. This is especially important now; while some schools are reinstating the SAT and ACT requirements they dropped during the pandemic, many are remaining test-optional and taking a more holistic approach to the admissions process. Recent graduates recommend focusing on telling the admissions officer about yourself, especially outside of academics. FINISHING STRONG SENIOR YEAR

mentation, to find out what they are most interested in, and then home in. Remember that “colleges and universities have seniors graduating and need to fill leadership roles or spark something new,” Prince points out. For an athletic program, they may need a new quarterback; for an orchestra, a new cellist. “It’s not like they put an ad out: ‘Hey, we need a cellist,’ but it’s part of the thought process,” she says. “I think one of the reasons I got into the college I did, York College of Pennsylvania, was that I had been a DJ for a high school radio station and they had a radio station that needed a manager.” C HO O S I NG C OU R S EWOR K

Even though AP coursework is a great opportunity, again, think quality over quantity. Consider your strengths and your goals. For example, someone interested in engineering might not want to take AP literature, but, instead, explore an engineering program, even without an AP label attached to it. “Schools are

Students should avoid giving in to senioritis, or playing what Prince calls “a game of academic chicken.” That’s when seniors try to find the line of how little effort they can put in. “It’s not a good game to play,” she says. “If you were a 90 student, you should stay a 90 student, even in senior year. Schools are still watching.” There is some wiggle room, of course. For example, if a student is challenging himself or herself with AP physics, he or she might not get a 90, and schools will understand that. Your senior year will also be the time when colleges see if your grades have shown consistent growth. This upward trend gives grace to those who might not have gotten the highest grades but have improved over time. “We encourage students to stay in a foreign language, and recommend electives. It’s free in high school!” Prince says. “Electives cost a lot of money in college. Take advantage. A lot of the AP and honorslevel kids haven’t gotten to take a lot of electives.” Last, remember that being engaged doesn’t stop after college acceptance. “Once they get on campus, we expect that students will be actively involved, as doing so contributes to their social and academic success,” Cortez says. “As students work to discover their passions in college, they are doing this with [other] students who are diverse in majors, experiences and backgrounds. This discovery stage leads to rich experiences where students can learn from those around them and, in most cases, benefit.”

2026 COLLEGE GUIDE

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KITCHEN+ BATH GALLERY SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

This month, we celebrate National Kitchen and Bath Month with an inspirational look at before-and-after transformations from local designers from the NKBA Aloha Chapter. Each of our featured makeovers—from the creation of an ‘Ewa Beach “spa” bathroom to a modern kitchen that’s made for entertaining— demonstrate where function and elegance meet in the most utilized spaces of island homes.

P.63 A luxurious transformation of a Hawai‘i kitchen designed by Jeffery Hatterman of Accent Design and Renovations. See page 68 for more details. COURTESY: COSENTINO CIT Y HAWAI‘I

R AMON VRIELINK, R AVPRODUCTIONS

OCTOBER 2025

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

From Inspiration to Reality: The Value of Working with NKBA Trade Professionals

In Hawai‘i, our home is a foundation for our lives. It’s where we gather to share meals, celebrate milestones and create lasting memories. And the kitchen and bath are more than just functional spaces; they’re reflections of our island way of life, designed for connection, comfort and simple beauty. Bringing these spaces to life takes more than inspiration. It requires the heart, skill and guidance of licensed trade professionals who understand the unique elements of island living. The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Aloha Chapter is proud to showcase remarkable kitchen and bath transformations created by our members—experts deeply committed to their craft. The before-and-after stories featured on these pages are proof of what’s possible when the right vision meets expertise. These aren’t just projects; they’re partnerships built on trust, respect and a shared passion for creating spaces that reflect exactly who the homeowners are and how they want to live. When you work with NKBA trade professionals, you’re gaining more than skills and experience. You’re inviting a partner to guide you every step of the way, helping you discover your style, refine your vision and navigate the process with confidence. You’re ensuring your vision becomes a beautiful, functional reality. Here in the Islands, we know the best work is done together. That’s the NKBA way, and the Hawai‘i way. I hope these images spark inspiration for you to imagine transformations for your own home and show you what’s possible when you partner with a trade professional. Warmest aloha, Lianne Cameron NKBA Aloha Chapter President Lianne.Cameron@phadhi.com nkba.org

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

Ha‘ikū Plantations Hawaii Kitchen & Bath Cris Johnson, Co-Founder/Owner (808) 261-0357 cris@hawaiikitchenandbath.com

A ARON K. YOSHINO

BEFORE

AFTER The new owners of this Ha‘ikū Plantations home love entertaining guests, but their kitchen and dining area felt dated and confining. Working with designer Cris Johnson, co-founder of Hawaii Kitchen & Bath, they transformed this enclosed space into the open gathering area of their dreams. An oversized island is now the focal point of the kitchen, while a secondary beverage center and bar is ideal for fixing drinks Continued on page 66

OCTOBER 2025

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

Ha‘ikū Plantations Continued from page 65

hawaiikitchenandbath.com, @hawaii.kitchen.bath

A ARON K. YOSHINO

and brewing coffee. The walk-in pantry and laundry room, also part of the renovation, leads to the garage and makes a convenient entry point for unloading heavy items or groceries. They maintained the home’s plantation aesthetic, but added a modern touch with dark wood veneer custom cabinetry, light-colored flooring, and white walls and countertops to brighten up the space. AFTER

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BEFORE

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

A Luxurious Remodel with Effortless Flow RAMON VRIELINK, RAVPRODUCTIONS

Accent Design and Renovations LLC Jeffrey Hatterman (808) 295-8501 jeff@accentdesignhawaii.com AFTER

The original layout of this Ko Olina kitchen and living room was confining and kept people separated during dinner parties. As regular hosts, the homeowners enlisted the help of Jeff Hatterman of Accent Design and Renovations to open and create a natural flow between the two spaces as part of their complete home remodel. Hatterman incorporated luxury Miele appliances, Brizo fixtures, custom Cambria Continued on page 70

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A Luxurious Remodel with Effortless Flow Continued from page 68

RAMON VRIELINK, RAVPRODUCTIONS

Quartz countertops and Design-Craft cabinets to create a functional and modern kitchen, ideal for entertaining, that flows effortlessly into the living space. accentdesignhawaii.com, @accentdesignhawaii

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CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

A Spa-Like Bathroom Sanctuary

The poor layout, lack of functionality and dated materials of this ‘Ewa Beach home’s primary bathroom no longer aligned with its owners’ tastes. After reflecting on their global travels, they drew inspiration from the many luxe bathrooms they enjoyed during hotel stays. Working with designer

RYAN SIPHERS PHOTOGRAPHY

John Cook Kitchens Shelley Tanner, CKD 94-117 Malakeke Place #102, Waipahu, HI 96797 (808) 599-3533 shelley@johncookkitchens.com

AFTER

Continued on page 74

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CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

A Spa-Like Bathroom Sanctuary Shelley Tanner, they created a spa-like sanctuary they could retreat to every evening, with an organic modern aesthetic, natural textiles in earth tones, and black steel fixtures. The ambiance was also improved with the use of modern LED mirrors, under-cabinets tape lights and recessed lighting. johncookkitchens.com, @johncookkitchens BEFORE

AFTER

RYAN SIPHERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Continued from page 72

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CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

A New Kitchen with Beachy Vibes John Cook Kitchens Shelley Tanner, CKD 94-117 Malakeke Place #102, Waipahu, HI 96797 (808) 599-3533 shelley@johncookkitchens.com

BEFORE

Designer Shelley Tanner combined the dining room and kitchen of this Kailua townhouse to create a large entertaining space that includes a buffet and bar area with expansive countertops and storage. A new fan with pendant lighting now extends from the high ceiling, suspended by cables over the island, while custom white-and-aqua Bellmont cabinets are paired with Cambria Montgomery quartz counters and a tile backsplash for an airy, coastal feeling. The waterproof Metroflor LVT flooring, reminiscent of the color of beach sand, further plays into the beachy vibe the owners wanted. johncookkitchens.com, @johncookkitchens

RYAN SIPHERS PHOTOGRAPHY

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

AFTER

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

CELEBRATING OCTOBER KITCHEN + BATH MONTH

A Showstopping Transformation Open Concept Designs (OCD) David Nadolney Office: (808) 242-5500 david@ocdhi.com

What was once a featureless and dark powder room is now an eclectic showstopper for the retired homeowners of this Hawai‘i Kai condo. Designer and owner David Nadolney of Open Concept Designs reimagined the Kalele Kai washroom into a work of art with an emphasis on a wall-mounted Graff faucet and a matching cast bronze sink over a live edge, lychee wood vanity. Limestone dimensional tiles were added to frame the fixture with a split mirror. On the opposite wall, a bright floral wallpaper highlights the white walls and door.

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BEFORE

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

AFTER

MASON GOLDEN

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AFTER OCTOBER 2025

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

FOOD AND DRINK BY NOELLE CHUN PHOTOS BY AARON K. YOSHINO

Raising the Bar Craft cocktails have gone mainstream in Honolulu, spurred by a new generation of mixologists.

Hailey Berkey at Et Al

OCTOBER 2025

‘ONO

AARON K. YOSHINO

USED TO BE that to find a great cocktail

in Honolulu, you had to first uncover a secret password or find an unmarked door. But cocktails have evolved since then. A lot. With two recent James Beard recognitions, Honolulu’s cocktail scene is on the national stage. But the story is not only about elite bars. It’s about how the ethos of craft cocktails has trickled down to pretty much everywhere. Today, whether you’re at a supermarket bar, a hot new eatery or a James Beard Award-winning restaurant, a new generation of bar leaders is showing that a great cocktail is no longer the exception. It’s the expectation. Honolulu’s mixology movement started about 20 years ago, mostly in Chinatown among scenesters and in Waikīkī hotel restaurants with well-funded backbars and mixologists who would emerge as leaders of the cocktail community. As part of a sub-culture in isolated places across the nation, bar people began swapping out artificial flavors and honing common practices to make great drinks. They used real lemon juice instead of fructose-filled sweet and sour mix. Natural ingredients like real melon replaced mass-produced neon green liqueur options. Colder, denser, larger styles of ice with slower melting times made for better drinks with more texture and less dilution. These days, demand for craft cocktails now often gives them equal footing with wine. In 2024, 1 in 4 alcoholic beverages sold in restaurants and bars was a cocktail, and 35% of bar and restaurant customers nationally drink cocktails, according to market researcher Nielsen IQ. “We’ve so comfortably come to call it ‘craft’ and it really is a craft, and there are true experts in it,” says Dusty Grable, a longtime restaurateur whose Lovers + Fighters group owns Little Plum and Lady Elaine in Mānoa. “When it does become a little more acceptable and mainstream, you touch more people with it and you inspire more young people about it.” Now a new generation of bar leaders is adding their mark. They combine tradition, hospitality and craft to serve up bespoke beverages for diverse settings and drinkers, evidence of how far the culture has matured beyond what’s in the glass. Meet some of the people leading the conversation.

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

Miguel and Fanny Torres, center, with their children

APPROACHABLE, NOSTALGIC FLAIR

U‘ULEI AKUNA, an owner and director of bar operations

at Little Plum and Lady Elaine, has a saying: There’s a drink on the menu for every guest, but not every drink on the menu will be for every guest. Like food, drinks can be deeply personal with a strong point of view. And that’s what makes them successful. So Akuna keeps the approach relatable at Little Plum: Cut through the confusion of esoteric ingredients by featuring local flavors that people love. “When I first started bartending, I was introduced to a lot of things I didn’t understand and didn’t even know existed. It made me uncomfortable and afraid to order cocktails,” Akuna says. “So the goal when we opened Little Plum was to offer a high caliber of cocktail, but with an approachable, nostalgic flair to everything so that it was easier for people to understand.” Take the Jolly Rojah, a fun and foamy bright-green explosion in a rocks glass. Akuna whips together a Green River soda reduction with gin, egg white and rye. Or the Breakfast of Champions cocktail of rye infused with nostalgic Corn Pops cereal and adorned with a large senbei medallion. Each recognizable flavor fits easily into the larger theme of nostalgia. Such fondness for the past is trending across the country, but Little Plum brings it home with hyper specificity to Mānoa’s long-established neighborhoods. “We wanted to bring it back and remember the restaurants that we grew up eating in,” Akuna says. “We wanted to open a restaurant and bar we wanted to eat in ourselves.”

‘ONO

Ku‘ulei Akuna of Little Plum and Lady Elaine whips together a Jolly Rojah: Green River soda reduction with gin, egg white and rye.

OCTOBER 2025

‘ONO

A COCKTAIL FOR EVERY CONTEXT

Hailey Berkey at Et Al, inside Kāhala Mkt. by Foodland

138

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

F YOU’VE HAD A COCKTAIL in Honolulu, there’s a high chance you’ve

encountered Hailey Berkey’s work. As the corporate beverage manager of Foodland bars and restaurants, Berkey is the architect for how a huge swath of O‘ahu drinks. Her portfolio is staggering, spanning more than a dozen locations from the casual Pau Hana Bar in Pearl City to the upscale Et Al in Kāhala and Eleven at Ala Moana Center. She also steers beverage operations for the Wayfinder Waikīkī hotel, overseeing Redfish, its Foodland-owned restaurant, and its rooftop pool bar. Berkey also co-owns one of the state’s two major large clear ice companies. On the Rock creates perfectly clear 300-pound blocks of sculpture ice and saws them down to perfect cubes, which it sells to bars and hotels for cocktails. In a word, there’s a lot on her plate (or in her glass). Berkey’s work mirrors the diversity and interest in cocktails and mocktails across demographics: aunties and uncles who like to drink in a Cheers-like environment in Pearl City. Tourists looking for poolside libations in Waikīkī. The post-dinner crowd in Kaka‘ako heading for cocktails at Eleven, only steps away from the pau hana crew drinking wine and mimosas at Foodland’s R. Field bar, which Berkey also oversees. To connect with their tastes, she focuses on communities as opposed to a one-size-fitsall approach. At Eleven, there’s an upscale Jan Ken Po cocktail with mezcal, artichoke leaf Italian liqueur, Okinawan black sugar and miso syrup, crowned with yuzu ginger foam. At Pau Hana Bar, there’s a Diamond Spritz with Aperol, mango and Diamond Head strawberry soda. And at the Waikīkī poolside bar, a happy hour with fresh fruit slush and POG mimosas. “I try not to create drinks just for myself,” Berkey says. “Our regulars tell us. The community gives us feedback. Sometimes you put things out there and then you adapt to try to make sure people are receptive.”

‘ONO

TIPPING POINTS People and moments that made craft cocktails in Hawai‘i.

+ Jigger’s Dave Newman a finalist for its Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service award. Two years prior, Bar Leather Apron won the foundation’s Outstanding Bar award. Asnational recognitions, these were clear shakas reflecting Hawai‘i’s rise in the national cocktail scene. How did we get here? Who were the leaders who elevated our tastes from Long Island Iced Teas and syrupy Cosmos? Who inspired the current generation? Here are some of the milestones.

2005 Dale DeGroff flies in. Known as King Cocktail for

his fresh ingredients and mixology at the globally influential Rainbow Room in New York City, DeGroff takes over Halekūlani’s beverage programs, with a special focus on Lewers Lounge. He helps organize Art of the Cocktail, a 2010 weekend event that brings in worldrenowned and local mixologists for education and training, including Maui-born cocktail pioneer Julie Reiner from New York, Tony Abou-Ganim (aka “The Modern Mixologist”) from Las Vegas, and Chandra Lam Lucariello of Honolulu. With others, they continue an ongoing conversation through the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, which begins in 2011.

2005 Town opens in Kaimukī. Known for its farm-to-

table menu, Ed Kenney’s (now shuttered) first restaurant is also a lightning rod for cocktails. Influential bar leads such as Dave Powers and Kyle Reutner bring classic cocktail sensibilities and a spotlight on fresh local ingredients that’s uncommon in Hawai‘i at the time. Reutner goes on to lead the cocktail program at The Pig & The Lady and is now the general manager of Kō Hana agricole rum, which is made from heirloom Hawaiian sugar cane.

2007 Dave Newman begins bartending at Nobu

Waikīkī. Newman spotlights well-made classic drinks and fresh ingredients. From 2008 to 2012, his Industry Sundays draw bar and restaurant professionals to the burgeoning craft approach. In 2012 Newman opens Pint + Jigger in Mō‘ili‘ili. Now tucked in the Ala Moana Hotel, it’s still one of the city’s main destinations for well-made cocktails and a training ground for aspiring bartenders, including Ku‘ulei Akuna (Little Plum, 86

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

DAVID CROXFORD FILE PHOTO

IN APRIL, the James Beard Foundation named Pint

Dave Newman at Pint + Jigger

Lady Elaine), Arielle Hafen (Brick Fire Tavern) and Justin D’Olier (Kō Hana and San Francisco Future Bars).

2009 Christian Self opens Thirtyninehotel. At

the height of First Fridays, Self opens one of Honolulu’s first craft cocktail bars. Its now-closed Hotel Street locale contributes to Chinatown’s era as a nexus of the budding scene. In 2010, Self wins the prestigious World’s Best Mai Tai competition, hosted that year by Bacardi.

2012 Dusty Grable opens Lucky Belly. Though a ramen

shop, Lucky Belly gains repute as one of the best places for craft cocktails. Grable later launches distinct craft cocktail programs at other restaurants, including Livestock Tavern, Tchin Tchin, Little Plum, Lady Elaine, Merriman’s Honolulu, La Vie and Wild Orange.

2012 Justin Park starts bartending at Manifest. By

night, Manifest at the time pulsates with flashing lights and DJ bass. During the day it draws students for coffee and studying. And for a sliver of the early evening, Park serves up some of the city’s best craft cocktails. Closely tracking parts of the New York cocktail culture, Park makes renditions of modern classics, often drawing on his personal liquor library. He wins the World’s Best Mai Tai contests in 2012, 2015 and 2018. In 2015 Park opens Bar Leather Apron; in 2023 it wins Hawai‘i’s first national James Beard Award.

‘ONO

2015 Craft cocktail goes ultra. Jen Ackrill’s arrival from

San Francisco brings craft to trendy rooftop bar Sky Waikīkī. Ackrill creates bar programs at Hau Tree, Vintage Books and other restaurants; and like Newman and other leaders, mentors aspiring bartenders.

14 PLACES TO GET A GOOD COCKTAIL

2017 Craft beer embraces cocktails. Craft beer and cocktails usually draw separate devotees, but they come together when Aloha Beer Co. in Kaka‘ako opens an upstairs speakeasy (since switched to a private party venue). In 2019 Hana Koa Brewing follows suit with its own upstairs cocktail lounge.

Bar Leather Apron @barleatherapron Brick Fire Tavern @brickfiretavern

2021 Groceries, meet high-end cocktails. The state’s largest supermarket chain debuts Eleven, a craft cocktail and whiskey lounge inside Foodland Farms Ala Moana. Two years earlier, Foodland introduced cocktails at the neighborhood-friendly Pau Hana Bar inside Foodland Farms Pearl City.

Et Al @etalhawaii EP Bar @ep.bar

2021 Cocktails become high-end pairings. Bar Maze’s cocktail-paired tasting menus bring together the food of Ki Chung, trained in a Michelin-starred kitchen, with mixology by Justin Park of Bar Leather Apron.

Giovedì @giovedirestaurant Green Lady Cocktail Room @greenladycocktailroom Koko Head Café @kokoheadcafe Lady Elaine (808) 888-3030 Pint + Jigger @pintandjigger Pre Storage @pre_storage_honolulu.hawaii Sera @serahnl Skull & Crown @skullandcrowntradingco

AARON K. YOSHINO, DAVID CROXFORD FILE PHOTO

Cocktails at Bar Maze

AARON K. YOSHINO

Talk Kaimukī @talkkaimuki Vintage Books @vintagebookshawaii

J U LY/A O CU TG OU BE SR T 2025

BY MINDY PENNYBACKER

ERIC Y. YANAGI

AFTERTHOUGHTS

Saved by the Waves A convalescing surfer ventures back offshore.

Feeling hesitant and frail after a health crisis, I confined myself to swimming laps inshore of Suis, my neighborhood surf spot off Diamond Head. My surfer friends were concerned. “I’ll go surfing with you; when can you go?” Debbie asked. “Go get your board, you need to surf,” said Boogie Pete. “It’s who you are.” He was right. When I started surfing again, five months ago, I realized how close I’d come to losing touch with my true self. My lifelong ardor for the sea began early, when my grandfather dipped me in the warm shallows at 6 months old. When I was 13, a posse of neighborhood boys taught me to board surf. For a plump, unathletic bookworm, the sensation of weightlessness and speed was liberating. I learned to read waves, winds, clouds, currents and tides. I delighted in spotting seabirds, turtles, fish, dolphins, seals and whales. I learned to take calculated risks, launching myself over watery cliffs and driving under the lips of waves and back and forth over glassy walls. I learned how to fall, fail and keep trying. Soon, I’d lost the baby fat. More than 50 years later, having undergone breast cancer surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and treatment for cardiac arrhythmia, I’d lost 20 pounds and was struggling to regain weight, not to mention confidence. It didn’t help that I’m now on blood thinners. My cardiologist warned I could hemorrhage in a surfing accident. But my oncologist and electrophysiologist, citing the interdependence of mental, emotional and physical health, urged me to get

The author surfing at Suis, off Diamond Head

HONOLULU MAGAZINE

back on the water. “Just be careful, and go with a friend,” the electrophysiologist, a surfer, told me. By March, when Debbie finally coaxed me back out, I hadn’t surfed for a year and a half. My paddling muscles had atrophied. My legs were bone thin. Neuropathy in my feet made it difficult to balance. But I caught a wave, and, when I stood, I could feel my board under my feet. “Yay, great wave, you’re the same as ever!” Debbie cried. Not quite. It was much harder than before. I switched to my son’s 9-foot, round-nosed longboard, which paddled more quickly into waves, allowing me more time to get to my feet. I discovered the lineup was a kinder place. “Welcome back, good to see you, been a long time!” the regular surfers said. Many who’d once battled me for waves smiled, pulled back and urged, “Go, go, go!” Kimo and Paul paddled out with me and escorted me back to shore. Pete, his sturdy frame encased in a white rash guard, floated close by on his boogie board like a big mochi in a vast blueberry iced tea. I realized I’m an integral member of a pod. Once, I accidentally dropped in on a mean-looking regular in wraparound shades. But he gave me space. “Go anytime,” he said later, with the nicest smile. Still, even on the 9-footer, I often couldn’t stand up quickly enough on a steep, fast wave and ended up on my belly. “Maybe go longer,” an acquaintance said. His own board measured a trendy 5 feet. I went back to my shortboard the next day. “Woo-hoo!” Debbie cheered. “You’re back on your regular board, taking off on big drops!” Sometimes I’ll get a dozen waves in a session, sometimes only one. I’ve enjoyed many long, soaring rides. I’ve also been sucked over the falls and pounded. But it’s OK. Offshore, the anxieties of life on land wash away, leaving me unencumbered and free. Surfing demands living in the moment, fully engaged and alert, and nowadays I’m meditating on the changing beauty of my surroundings rather than frantically chasing and keeping score of waves. “You look so much younger! And buff,” my son said. It’s been a rejuvenating restart tempered by the perspective of age.

ERIC Y. YANAGI

’D BEEN SURFING ALL MY LIFE, THEN I STOPPED.

Mindy Pennybacker is the author of Surfing Sisterhood Hawai‘i: Wāhine Reclaiming the Waves. Her writing has appeared in National Wildlife, The New York Times, The Atlantic, Sierra and The Nation, among many other publications.

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