Liliʻuokalani Trust

How a Former Youth From Kīpuka Hilo Finds His Strength

An interview with Colby Kerr, College Readiness facilitator and a former kamali'i of Liliʻuokalani Trust

2024-12-12

How a Former Youth from Kīpuka Hilo Finds His Strength

Seven years ago, Colby Kerr was a standout soccer player and an active member of youth programs at Liliʻuokalani Trust (LT) on Hawaiʻi Island. His teenage years were not always easy — particularly after his parents’ divorce — but soccer coaches and youth leaders at LT provided stability and encouragement. Colby also was a member of LT’s first-ever “Project Mohala,” a summer bridge program for high school students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything.

Classrooms and youth programs shifted online. Soccer was abruptly canceled. Prom never happened. To meet social distancing mandates, Colby’s graduating class held not one, but two separate ceremonies, on the football field.

Fast forward to today. Colby is now a junior majoring in psychology at the University of Oregon — and a member of the school’s varsity cheer squad. He also hosts LT’s weekly “Transition to College Virtual Series,” a mentorship program that prepares youth for college life.

Despite adversities at a young age, Colby is a model of strength and resilience, and his story is a testament to LT’s role in nurturing Hawaiian youth across the pae ʻāina.

We caught up with Colby during the fall break of 2024 to reflect on his past. Below are excerpts from that conversation:

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LT’s Inaugural “Project Mohala”

In 2019, I was in the 1st cohort for Project Mohala (which is a summer bridge program for high school students, held at the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo).

We took two semesters of classes that earned us credits for high school. A history class, science, English, geography, and a university elective course, where we learned about Hawaiian culture.

This was many years before Project Mohala began offering the entire summer at the college, with sleeping over in the dorms at UH Hilo. In the earlier version that I was in, we were required to meet at the college every day from 8 a.m. to noon, for about a month.

Life after high school in Hilo

LT made me think about who I wanted to become in life, in my career, and in what I wanted for my future family. I had a lot of time to self-reflect, even when I was younger.

After LT, I came to college with the mindset of learning, gaining all the experiences I can in a completely different place, and then bringing back the knowledge to Hawaiʻi, seeing how I can help the youth.

An appreciation for Hawaiʻi

When I was younger, LT organized an early college program (Project Mohala) where they brought in kids from different schools to participate. We focused on community-based learning, especially our community’s needs in Hilo.

The program drove us into the mindset of, "How can we make Hawaiʻi better?" That message resonated with me, and it still does. I’m passionate about Hawaiʻi, especially the youth, because I think the youth is what will make Hawaiʻi a better place in the future.

“Going through the LT programs and self-reflecting, and connecting with my own land, Hawaiʻi, and my home, was good for me.”

What it means to be ʻHawaiʻi first’

A lot of the lessons I learned at LT, come from the ‘Hawaiʻi first’ mentality, which I value. ʻHawaiʻi first’ is also a ‘family first’ mentality for me — they go hand in hand.

Going through the LT programs and self-reflecting, and connecting with my own land, Hawaiʻi, and my home, was good for me. My dad is from the continent, so he doesn’t understand Hawaiian culture the way a Hawaiian does.

I was supported by Kāwika Urakami, Andy Frias, and other leaders at LT. It was very good to be around people like me, to understand what Hawaiʻi means and what it means to be Hawaiian.” (Note: Kāwika is the Youth Development Lead for Kīpuka Hilo; Andy Frias is a former youth leader for Kīpuka Hilo and now the Manager, New Works, for LT.)

What disrupted his high school sports career

I remember growing up, one of my parents’ rules was, ‘No matter what you did, play a sport of some kind.’ I grew up playing soccer, baseball, volleyball, basketball, and running cross country.

In soccer, I was a defender from middle school throughout high school. In football, I was a wide receiver and a cornerback.

After sophomore year, I kept going with soccer. But during my senior year, COVID-19 (isolation and restrictions) happened, and I realized that I would not play anymore, being out of shape and out of training.

Joining the cheer team at the University of Oregon

After graduating high school, I ended up at the University of Oregon. I was really bored not playing sports, with this pent-up energy. So, I started (weight) lifting a lot. That’s all I did for a couple of years, school and lifting.

I had a bunch of friends who were already on the cheer team, and one of them was our team captain right now. He knew I lifted a bunch of weights, so he asked me if I wanted to try out. I went to clinics where they taught us how to stunt. It was pretty challenging — but it was new and fun.

I kept practicing from January to April, and then I tried out for the team, and I made it.

We do coed stunting, where we throw girls in the air, catch them, and do all kinds of tricks.

I’m the only Hawaiian person on the squad this year. They had a dancer from Oʻahu last year. They’ve also had Polynesian cheerleaders in the past. Some were from Hawaiʻi, and some are Polynesians who lived on the continent.

“You don’t know anyone’s story, ever, and there’s so much judgment that goes on, often very silent judgment.”

How college shapes his perspective

What sticks out to me is the amount of different people you interact with every day. It really puts things into perspective. You don’t know anyone’s story ever, and there’s so much judgment that goes on, often very silent judgment.

It made me realize that we don’t know what a person is going through or what their experiences are, whether they came from a tough neighborhood in California or from somewhere else. Maybe they had a similar experience to mine in Hawaiʻi, but theirs is different because of our culture.

Everyone has a story. That’s what I’ve been learning a lot — trying to see things from other people's perspectives.

LT’s College Readiness series

I am contracted by LT to lead the College Readiness series (to prepare young adults for college and life after high school).

We meet on Zoom once a week on Sundays with participants from Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Molokai, pretty much everywhere LT has programs for youth. I also have a Google classroom, where I can post stuff they need, like scholarship opportunities.

The first half of the series is from October to December. I focus on financial aid and the college application process. Also, I try to get them deep into the writing, using stories from their past to understand and better their futures.

Then in the second half, from January to March, I focus on college life. Transitioning from high school to college can be pretty scary. I tell them about the clubs they can join, what dorm life is like, and what to do if they start to feel homesick, that kind of stuff.

I try to put myself in their shoes, like if I were them, what would I have questions about?

Support for college-bound seniors

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) sparks a lot of questions, because the process and deadlines are very confusing. In addition to FAFSA, they want information about scholarships — what to apply for and where to find them.

That’s why it’s good that LT can have a program like College Readiness to provide resources. A lot of them are 1st generation college students, so they don't know what it's like to fill out a FAFSA form and don't know who to go to for help.

I don't know how in-depth high schools are with the application process, because I don’t remember them talking to me about my FAFSA.

“Keep an open mind and try to attack everything with the most positive attitude you can have.”

What young adults in Hawaiʻi need to hear

Keep an open mind, especially when it comes to opportunities that are presented.

No matter what they are, at least take some time to think about it, and just see, because sometimes life is so unpredictable. I’m only 21-22, and I’m realizing that already.

For me, I never thought I'd be a cheerleader or be doing the stuff that I'm doing now. But I took these opportunities that were presented to me. You won't really know how it is until you try it.

My advice is to keep an open mind and try to attack everything with the most positive attitude you can have. That's what gets me through college, knowing that I'll be done soon, and I'll be able to go home.

Also, live in the moment, too, and just enjoy what's going on.

After graduating with a psychology degree

I’m definitely going to come back to Hawaiʻi. I want to help kids. It’s a very big passion of mine, and I think that there's a lot of progress that can be made, especially throughout the school system.

At LT, we can do things that normal schools can't. We use culture in our lessons and encourage the kids to tell their stories. That type of energy is extremely important because it sticks with them a lot longer than just reading from a textbook.

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To learn more about the "Transition to College Virtual Series" in 2025, please email ydhawaiiisland@onipaa.org or call the Mālama Line at (808) 466-8080.

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	Colby Kerr is a former kamaliʻi of Liliʻuokalani Trust and a Facilitator for the Trust's "Transition to College Virtual Series." He is a University of Oregon student majoring in psychology.