"I Need Community to Make it Through": Understanding College Readiness Among Native Hawaiian Students

Abstract

Despite the growing visibility of equity and access work in higher education, increasing the college degree attainment of Native Hawaiian students remains an urgent goal. The University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu, a regional public university, has the vision and location to realize this kuleana. Colonization and the illegal occupation of Hawaiʻi led to complex and dissonant relationships between Native Hawaiian people and educational systems, which is notably prevalent as students learn about and prepare for college. Since Native Hawaiian people and topics of college readiness have long been discussed through a deficit narrative, it is imperative to learn from the experiences of Native Hawaiian college students and understand how their inherent strengths prepare them for college. Through the methods of Indigenous storywork, semi-structured conversations were conducted with six Native Hawaiian college students at the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu to explore their perceptions of college readiness through stories. This study shares lessons on how the students’ sense of purpose, intergenerational strength, and worldviews are the foundation of their readiness for college. This research offers recommendations for college admissions staff and student affairs divisions to center their practices around the college readiness strengths of Native Hawaiian students.