Whether winning titles on the football field, mentoring peers through mental health workshops, or conducting medical research in Philadelphia, these new Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha graduates are grounded in identity and guided by a shared kuleana to uplift their communities.
For Alexiarae Medeiros, success came through sweat, setbacks and sisterhood. As a senior on KS Kapālama’s girls flag football team, she helped lead her hui to the first-ever ILH championship in the sport. The title-clinching game was a rematch against Punahou, the only team that had beaten them that season
“That was the highlight of my high school experience,” Medeiros said. “You really have to make sure you’re leading everyone and being a better example because it really does make an impact on your team.”
Medeiros, who entered KS off the waitlist in the fourth grade, said the journey hasn’t always been easy. Adjusting to a large new school while navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed her to become more independent and resilient. Now enlisted in the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, she heads to basic training this summer with her sights set on college and service.
“I just want to make something of myself,” Medeiros said. “This is a great school, and I want to make sure that I am successful in my life to carry that legacy forward.”
That sense of kuleana — to live up to a legacy and serve others along the way — is shared by Lehani Coloma, who spent her entire educational journey walking the halls of KS Hawaiʻi. She found her purpose early, rooted in aloha and ʻohana. Through Project Kahiau, her family’s year-round initiative to support underserved communities on Hawaiʻi Island, Coloma learned that service is a way of life, organizing seasonal donation drives to meet the needs of others.
“My grandma is a foster parent,” Coloma said. “To see the children walk into her house with a trash bag of all their belongings, it really broke my heart.”
The former Miss Hawaiʻi Island Teen carried her passion to campus, where she launched “Boldly Becoming,” her senior project focused on helping teens grow confidence and clarity through “boss board” workshops rooted in Hawaiian values.
“Before coming here, I never would have said I am a leader,” Coloma said. “But now I see how I can guide my lāhui and inspire and motivate my peers like I do for myself.”
Heading to Grand Canyon University to study communications, Coloma hopes to use her voice and platform to uplift others. In Arizona, she will hold on to the words of her poʻo kumu, Lehua Veincent: “Everyone has a purpose. It’s up to you to find yours.”
That same clarity of purpose came into focus for Josie Vierra-Naleieha, who found her passion and kuleana in a science class. Joining KS Maui in sixth grade, she struggled with self-doubt but through academic prowess, she enrolled in AP Biology, interned at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and conducted advanced research using zebrafish to model a rare childhood disorder — all while growing her self-esteem and technical skills.
“I like sciences that have that human connection,” Vierra-Naleieha said. “Why do I care if I throw a water bottle up in the air, it falls back down? I care about the aunty in the hospital bed.”
As the first in her family to attend college, she didn’t feel like she belonged in the field.
“How could I be the person to do it? Nobody else in my family did,” Vierra-Naleieha said. “But KS gave me the confidence.”
As KS Maui's first Gates Scholarship recipient, she will attend the University of Rochester this fall with plans to pursue medicine and ultimately return home.
“Being an ʻōiwi leader means having the courage to come back,” Vierra-Naleiaeha said. “I could go out and make it big for myself, but what does that mean for the people who supported me this entire way?”
From Waiʻanae to Keaʻau, the Class of 2025 is answering the call to lead in their own unique ways. Their paths may diverge but the values and commitment instilled in them at Kamehameha Schools remain the same: to serve, uplift and thrive, grounded in who they are and where they come from.
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