Since January, 20 students in the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa College of Engineering Professional Mentorship Program have been joining building industry leaders at least twice a month on local projects or virtually.
Rhys Ishida is one of them.
Ishida, who is studying civil and environmental engineering, is receiving personalized guidance on academic planning, internships, career pathways and professional development with the help of Melissa Humphrey, his Program mentor and project manager at Hawai‘i general contractor Layton Construction.
“Rhys has expressed interest in gaining exposure to all phases of the construction project lifecycle,” says Humphrey. “We’ve provided him opportunities to engage with active projects that are currently under construction, participate in the finalization of contracts with owners and assist with subcontractor scope buyouts.”
Ishida, along with his 19 Program fellows, was selected from a pool of more than 50 applicants. The selected cohort was then matched one-on-one in mentor-mentee pairings.
“This semester is the pilot program,” Humphrey says, noting that after the Program ends on April 29 it will be offered again this fall.
Humphrey is encouraged. “There needs to be a big focus on strengthening our industry pipeline and developing the next generation of industry professionals,” she says.
Lia Young Hunt, chief educational officer and president at Goldwings Supply Service Inc. and a fellow Program mentor, agrees.
“The [P]rogram’s greatest strength is structured, consistent engagement between students and active industry leaders,” she says.
Top-tier Mentors
According to a UH College of Engineering January webpage announcement, Program mentors also include “a former Red Bull Formula One engineer, a renewable energy leader at Hawaiian Electric and professionals from organizations such as NASA Ames Research Center and Lockheed Martin Space.”
Zachary Tamboa, Hunt’s mentee, is connecting his UH electrical engineering studies with Goldwings’ real-world applications in solar power systems, airfield lighting and intelligent transportation infrastructure.
Tamboa is being exposed to “load management, system compliance, smart cities communications and connectivity and mission-critical redundancy with an emphasis in project management disciplines: scope, budgeting and lifecycle sustainment,” Hunt says.
Ishida is likewise spending time in the field reviewing engineering concepts and connecting them to real-world applications, says Humphrey. “Experiencing these elements in real time strengthens both design and construction perspectives, allowing us to support Rhys regardless of which career path he ultimately chooses.”
For Hunt, a Program highlight is seeing Tamboa articulate a long-term vision of a career path that includes community connection. “He has been highly receptive to Goldwings’ integration of Hawaiian values,” she notes.
The Program is particularly powerful in Hawai‘i, Hunt says, “because it cultivates locally grounded leadership, ensuring students develop not only technical competence but also a sense of responsibility and commitment to serving our community’s long-term resilience and sustainability.”
For Humphrey, a Program highlight is “walking Rhys on an active Layton jobsite … so many different Layton team members came up to offer some insight [about] what they were working on.”
“We’ve fostered a great culture of encouraging learning and asking questions in an environment that’s traditionally very intimidating,” she says.
“I think this program creates space for students to ask questions and get a feel for the full spectrum of the industry to realize all the opportunity that’s out there for them.”
For more information on future programs and mentorship opportunities, contact Kim Perez Hults, director of marketing and outreach relations, UH Mānoa College of Engineering. 808-956-7426, hults@hawaii.edu.
