HONOLULU (HI Now) - For Liliana Okimoto, a year away for college in Washington State provided a realization that no school in the continental U.S. can offer what the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa can: a deep sense of community and purpose. That was the focus of her winning #TakeMeToMānoa social media contest video hosted by Hawaiʻi News Now.
In her minute-long entry, Okimoto said, “Hawaiʻi is where my heart is and under the guidance of the amazing faculty and staff at UH Mānoa, I know I can grow into the person I want to become, someone who devotes themselves to learning in order to better serve their community, so take me home. Take me to Mānoa.”
As the winner out of nearly 60 entries, Okimoto won a free year of tuition at UH Mānoa, courtesy of UH Federal Credit Union (UHFCU). The online contest, which was open to incoming fall 2026 Hawaiʻi freshmen and transfer students, asked entrants to explain why UH Mānoa is the right place for them or how a year of free tuition would impact their future.
Billy V from Hawaiʻi News Now made the surprise announcement to Okimoto live on Sunrise on May 22, in front of cheering UH Mānoa employees and students at the UH Mānoa Bookstore.
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