Commencement ceremony for UH West O'ahu Saturday, Dec. 14

Senator Michelle Kidani to deliver keynote address

University of Hawaiʻi-West Oʻahu
Contact:
Julie Funasaki Yuen, (808) 689-2604
Public Info Officer, Chancellor's Office
Posted: Dec 10, 2013

Happy UH West O'ahu graduate at commencement
Happy UH West O'ahu graduate at commencement

Saturday, Dec. 14, is a special day for University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu graduates who will be honored during fall commencement exercises held in the UH West O‘ahu Lower Courtyard. 150 graduates will participate in the ceremony with Senator Michelle Kidani delivering the keynote address.

“We are so proud of our UH West O‘ahu graduates,” said UH West O‘ahu Chancellor Rockne Freitas. “Their hard work and sacrifice has all led up to this moment and we are looking forward to the many great things they will accomplish in their careers and in life.”

Chancellor Rockne Freitas will preside over the ceremony and confer degrees. University of Hawai‘i System Interim President David Lassner and University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents’ Jeffrey T. Acido, James H.Q. Lee, Tom H. Shigemoto and Jan N. Sullivan will address and congratulate the graduates.

Natalie Eichner, one of this year’s outstanding UH West O‘ahu graduates, will speak on behalf of the graduating class. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, Natalie was homeschooled and participated as a national motocross racer. She is graduating with distinction and works as a student tutor in the UH West O‘ahu No‘eau Center for Writing, Math and Academic Success. Eichner is the former president of the UH West O‘ahu Humanities Club and volunteers as a youth mentor and Sunday School teacher. A resident of Waialua, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in English following graduation.

UH West O‘ahu graduates will receive their baccalaureate in Applied Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Public Administration and Social Sciences during the commencement ceremony. Graduates will also receive certificates in various programs including Applied Forensic Anthropology, Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Health Care Administration, Risk Management and Insurance, and Substance Abuse and Addictions Studies.

The commencement ceremony will be streamed live on the UH West O‘ahu website.

UH West O‘ahu Fall 2013 Commencement details:

  • All are welcome to attend commencement in the UH West O‘ahu Lower Courtyard. No tickets will be issued. Guests may arrive at 3 p.m. The seating area will be closed off once it reaches maximum capacity.
  • On-campus parking is free and open to the public. Carpooling is highly encouraged as there will be considerable congestion along the Farrington Highway entrance to the campus.
  • Lei vendors will sell lei on the grassy area at the campus entrance near the Dining Commons. Balloons and strollers are not allowed in the commencement seating area for safety reasons.
  • The UH West O‘ahu on-campus restaurant, Hawaiian Grown Kitchen, will be open from 2-6 p.m.
  • Graduates will greet guests following the ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at the UH West O‘ahu Campus Center Plaza near alphabetical signs.

UH West O‘ahu became a four-year, regional comprehensive university when it served its first class of freshmen in fall 2007. The University offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention at convenient locations. UH West O‘ahu serves approximately 2,400 students at its brand new, state-of-the-art campus that opened in the City of Kapolei in 2012. For more information, visit uhwo.Hawaiʻi.edu, twitter.com/uhwestoahu, facebook.com/uhwestoahu or call 689-2800 or toll-free (866) 299-8656.