My name’s Grant Lim.  

I’m the Coordinator for this year’s Ohana and I’m a senior majoring in sociology. I’ve been a participant before, and I can honestly say that it was a great way for me to transition smoothly into college. From the beginning I had a group of friends to talk to and share meals with. Without a doubt this is something that I would recommend for anyone, especially those feeling apprehensive about having friends.  I’m really stoked for this year and I’m looking forward to meeting all the new participants.

The retreat itself was great. I enjoyed getting away from campus and having a chance to get to know one-on-one my future friends. It may have been only a few days, but I was so surprised how fast I already meeting and greeting people. Keep an open mind, you’ll hear that a lot, but it’s because it’s true. I never really met people from different states and countries beforehand so it was important for me to learn and welcome new ideas and people. Please email me with any questions.

ALOHA! My name is Y Hoang (the Y is actually pronounced as "E"). I am going to be a senior this coming academic year major in Biochemistry and minor in Music and Biology. And I am so glad that you are checking out this wonderful program - Ohana. What would make it even better? You signing up to actually participate in this lovely retreat. :)

For me, Ohana was a great way to start my college experience - it was the place where I met new people from multi-cultural backgrounds, where I made connections and created friendships still going strong today and perhaps will last a lifetime (+ you will feel super cool knowing so many people already before Orientation have even started!). This is my 2nd time being a team leader and with other leaders, we hope to give you a pleasant experience - the one that you will remember and smile when you reminisce. 

I am looking forward to meeting you at Ohana. Please feel free to email me  if you have any questions. Until then, have an amazing summer! 

Hey! I’m Tati and this fall I will be a sophomore. I’m from Pearl City, Hawaii and I am a Biology/Pre-Med major with a minor in Fine Arts. My dream is to go to medical school to become a pediatrician, so if there is anyone majoring in biology or desiring to go to medical school, I am here to help. Also, if anyone else needs help with anything, just email me. Coming to University of Portland was a difficult transition for me because of the distance from home. However, Ohana provided me with new friends and a family to turn to whenever I felt home sick. Also, it felt great starting orientation weekend knowing that if I did not want to go to the activities fair alone or I did not want to eat alone, I could ask my new friends from Ohana to join me. I hope that everyone enjoys their time at Ohana and remembers that their Ohana is always there for them. I look forward to meeting everyone! 

~Tati :)

Hi! I’m Krystina Duvall, and I’m a sophomore Sociology and Political Science major. I was born and raised on Guam, which is a US territory in the Pacific Ocean in case you didn’t know. We’re about three hours away from Japan and the Philippines. Anyways, I attended the Ohana program last year, and it really helped me know more of what to expect from college. We went over everything from the workloads, making friends, getting around the city, homesickness, and whatever else anyone was curious about. I’m looking forward to being able to answer any questions you might have and being available to help you or just hang out throughout the year. I can’t wait! If you’d like to get ahold of me before Ohana or after, you can email me.

Hey, what’s up, I’m Matthew Mun, born and raised in Mililani, HI. I am currently studying Business at the University of Portland. I attended Ohana last fall hoping to meet new people before starting college. I met really cool and interesting people, but I also created and built friendships that have lasted throughout the year. My friends that I made in Ohana played a huge role in my transition from high school to college. I had such a positive experience with Ohana that I decided to become a leader/ mentor to give back to the program that did a lot for me. Feel free to contact me for any information via email.  

Hey everybody! My name is John Welland and I am a junior majoring in Accounting and Finance. I am from the Bay Area in California. It has been quite a transition coming to Oregon, especially with the large amount of rain (though I am getting used to it). I love sports, especially baseball and tennis. I played baseball in high school but I wish I played at least one season of tennis. I am a huge fan of the San Francisco Giants, so chances are you may see me wearing a Giants cap most of the time. Additionally, I love traveling, especially to the Philippines, where over half of my family is from. Basically, if you want to talk, especially about sports or the Philippines, do not hesitate to strike up a conversation with me about either. Feel free to chat with me about anything else. I tend to be shy so do not feel intimidated talking to me.

Honestly, I was extremely excited to leave home and I could not wait to start anew at the University of Portland. The difficult thing for me, however, was figuring out how I would make enough friends to make the transition from high school to college easier. Fortunately, my doubts were eliminated after having an exceptionally positive experience in the Ohana program. I fostered amazing relationships with people that I continue to keep in touch with and look to them whenever I feel stressed or need assistance. Because of my incredible experience in the Ohana program, I chose to become a leader and a mentor. I hope that you have the same positive experience I had as a freshman entering a whole new world and I hope that you develop the relationships that remain with you for the rest of your college career and your life.

I can’t wait to see all of you! I know we’ll have a great time!

Hola! J My name is Yelitze Hernandez, but I usually go by Yeli. I am currently a sophomore double majoring in nursing and Spanish (hopefully studying in Granada, Spain spring semester). I was born in Washington but raised in eastern Oregon. Coming from a small town I definitely wanted to make a change and experience the city life. So studying at UP gave me the best of both worlds! I love singing, dancing, art and taking road trips. I’m excited to be one of the leaders of Ohana this fall! I participated in the program last year and I can truly say the retreat is a great experience for incoming freshmen. It eases the transition to college and gave me the opportunity to meet new people, some of which even became close friends. I recommend participating in the Ohana program.  Feel free to email me  if you have any questions!

Thank You!
Kristen Asato  

Some of my favorite memories of the retreat include free time spent getting to know new friends and enjoying the lovely panoramic views from camp. If you are at all interested I advise you to sign up ASAP before space fills up or you forget about the deadline (like I did, thank goodness for the waitlist!). I look forward to meeting you in August!