HPU TO HOLD TWO GRADUATION CEREMONIES AT HAWAI'I CONVENTION CENTER

Spring 2024 Graduation Ceremony
Hawai’i Convention Center
1801 Kalākaua Ave. (map)

 

HPU will celebrate the achievements of its spring class of 2024 with two (2) graduation ceremonies to be held on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m., at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. More than 550 students will graduate. 

The schedule for both ceremonies is as follows: 

10:00 a.m. (morning)

• College of Liberal Arts (CLA)
• College of Professional Studies (CPS), including the dual-credit high school graduates

4:00 p.m. (afternoon)

• College of Business (COB)
• College of Natural and Computational Sciences (CNCS)
• School of Nursing (SON) 

HPU President John Gotanda, J.D., will deliver remarks and confer degrees and HPU Senior Vice President and Provost Walsh, Ph.D., will serve as Master of Ceremonies. 

The event will be live streamed by clicking here. Parking at the Hawai’i Convention Center is limited. Please consider car-pooling or taking a rideshare to the event. For additional information, email graduation@hpu.edu.

DUAL CREDIT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GRADUATE

Nearly 70 Kamehameha Schools Kapālama (KSK) students will be receiving their associate in arts degrees (AA) at HPU in the morning ceremony. This achievement marks the second year in a row that HPU’s dual-credit program partnership with KSK will graduate a significant number of students. 

Since the inception of the dual-credit program with Kamehameha Schools, HPU has offered over 40 courses on the KSK campus to allow students the opportunity to earn their AA degrees while finishing their high school coursework.  

Maryknoll School will be graduating eight (8) dual-credit students with their AA degrees in the morning ceremony as well. The partnership between HPU and Maryknoll began in 2017, enrolling its first cohort of dual-credit students in the fall of that year. HPU is also engaged in dual-credit program partnerships with Hanalani Schools.

Last spring, over 100 KSK students received their associate in arts degrees at HPU. Maryknoll School graduated eight (8) dual-credit students with their AA degrees as well. 

Undergraduate and Graduate Valedictory Speakers

Undergraduate student Thabiso Faith Mutumhe is earning her Graduate Certificate in National Security and Strategic Studies alongside majors in International Studies, and Diplomacy and Military Studies. Originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Chinhoyi, she immigrated to Maryland with her family during elementary school. Seeking a university with a supportive community and smaller student body, Mutumhe chose to attend HPU where she found exactly what she was looking for. Her educational journey includes various research opportunities and internships, including a fellowship at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. She has contributed to scholarly publications and participated in prestigious programs such as the Hawaiʻi Asia-Pacific Affairs Leadership (APAL) Program. Alongside her academic pursuits, Mutumhe serves as a sign-in assistant and French tutor at the HPU Center for Academic Success. Upon graduation, she plans to attend law school on the East Coast, having been accepted into a dual JD/MBA in International Business program.

Graduate student Lt. Col. Omar E. Becerril (USAF) is earning his Master of Arts in Organization Development and Change. He is retired Comptroller of Special Operations Command Pacific, managed a substantial $355 million budget covering various defense appropriations. His responsibilities included funding Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, among other crucial operations in the Pacific region, supporting United States Indo-Pacific Command counter-terrorism missions. With a 25-year Air Force career, Becerril held diverse financial and program management roles globally, including at the U.S. Embassy, Cairo, Egypt, and U.S. Central Command at MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida. Choosing HPU for its cultural diversity, he conducted research on multicultural classrooms' dynamics, emphasizing the importance of cultural understanding and teacher preparedness for optimal performance. Originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Becerril and his family now call Kailua Beach, Hawai'i home.