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Mia Aisha Fetalco.
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Mia Aisha Fetalco, left, 2025-26 Student Government Association Public Relations Director, and Brielle Jones, SGA Deputy Public Relations Director.
When Mia Aisha Fetalco was deciding where to go to college, she wanted a school that felt welcoming, personal, and close to home. At Hawaiʻi Pacific University, she found all of that along with supportive professors, helpful advisors, and a community that made it easier to adjust to college life and get involved. As a first-year political science major, Mia has found meaningful connections at HPU through her classes, student government, and the people who have cheered her on along the way.
Finding a sense of belonging and community
From the beginning, Mia said that the people at HPU helped her feel welcomed and comfortable. During orientation, she was struck by how friendly and encouraging everyone was, from fellow students to peer mentors, student leaders, and faculty. She said those early interactions helped reassure her that she was meant to be at HPU and gave her a strong first impression of the university community. Over time, that feeling grew stronger. Mia found a particularly meaningful sense of belonging through the , where she was able to build relationships, meet supportive classmates, and feel she was contributing to campus life in a positive way. She said the “HPU community and ʻohana” helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin.
Connecting with resources like advising, UNIV 1000, and faculty
Mia said several HPU resources helped make her transition to college smoother. Before she committed, she appreciated that someone from admissions took the time to explain what HPU could offer and answer her questions in a personal, thoughtful way. She also found general advising especially helpful when it came to discussing her schedule, goals, and academic plans. Mia shared that the UNIV 1000 first-year student seminar played an important role in helping her understand HPU’s values, mission, and community.
Izavelle Martos (right), UNIV 1000 peer mentor of Mia Aisha Fetalco, pictured with Mia.
Faculty support has also been one of the most important parts of her first-year experience. She said she loves the small class sizes and the way the professors take the time to get to know their students, which makes it easier, from Mia’s perspective, to ask questions, build relationships, and feel supported both in and out of the classroom.
The most meaningful first-year memory
One of the moments Mia remembers the most from her first year at HPU happened in her UNIV 1000 class on the last day of the semester. She said her teacher gave each student a clean $2 bill This stood out to Mia because it felt genuine and personal. This small example demonstrates what she’s experienced more broadly in terms of support from the professors and mentors she’s connected with. Mia said it’s helped her grow more confident and start thinking differently about college, as not just a place to earn grades, but as a place to learn, build relationships, and broaden her exposure to new things.
Miaʻs internship has also been a meaningful part of her first year at HPU. As someone who is interested in law and public policy, she said that the opportunity to intern with a local state senator has given her a closer look at how that work happens in the real world. She helps to assemble hearing binders, works on bills, and has learned more about the legislative process. The internship has allowed Mia to explore these areas in a hands-on way while working locally to improve her own community.
Mia Aisha Fetalco with Hawaiʻi State Senator Kurt Fevella; she is an intern with his office.
She said she is “beyond grateful” for her internship and has loved all of the opportunities she’s had, especially since they connect so closely with what she may want to do in the future.
Her first month at HPU
Mia said her first month at HPU felt like a real adjustment, specifically as she got used to commuting from ʻEwa to town while managing the pace and expectations of college life. At the same time, it gave her the chance to step up and start figuring out who she wanted to be during this next phase of her education as well as how she wanted to grow personally. She met new people, learned how to navigate her classes, and got more comfortable speaking up. Looking back, she said her first month was less about having everything figured out right away and more about settling in, building her confidence, and finding her rhythm.
