Pathway To Education

UH KAN Program stands for Ke Ala Na’auao, officially part of the GEAR UP Hawai’i. Ke Ala Na’auao Peer Mentoring (KAN) program helps students gain a better understanding of their future careers and college.

Marquez Eugene is the Peer Mentor Coordinator, and Habon Rafael is a Mentor for the KAN program. Both of them attend the University of Hawai’i System. Rafael is a graduate of Farrington High School and is currently majoring in Elementary Education; he has a passion and dedication for educating students about new opportunities.

Rafael, an alumnus, wanted to help students find a college that offers the major they want to study; he mentioned, "I decided that I wanted to teach elementary students since they are cute and easy to teach," Rafael said. He went on to tell students that his college experience is going pretty well since he found a major he likes and wants to pursue.

Eugene Marquez, the Peer Mentor Coordinator, wanted high school and middle school students to see the perspective of college students who graduated from high school and went on to achieve their dreams; "I wanted to help students find their path into the career they enjoy," Eugene said. He wanted students to start thinking about their future before graduating high school or having an idea of which college they could attend. Ke Ala Na'auao provides the point of view of a college student to expand students' knowledge and perceptions about college.