student Dave Ian Domingo Sebastian will earn a bachelor of arts in humanities with a concentration in philosophy on May 4, the day after his birthday. He will also be one of two student speakers at the .
“I hope that the graduates will remember all those who shared their light with them and be empowered to use their degrees to be a light in the world,” he said.
Sebastian, who graduated from Waipahu High School, earned an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Leeward Community College in spring 2020. He enrolled in UH West Oʻahu in fall 2020, and began working as a peer writing tutor in summer 2021 at the Noʻeau Center, where he still works today.
After graduation, Sebastian’s goal is to become a Catholic priest.
“It was evident to me then (when he was a first-year student), as it is to me now, that Dave is a person of great compassion and conviction,” said Professor Li-Hsiang Lisa Rosenlee. “I am confident that Dave’s spiritual calling…will not only help uplift the community of faith, but also provide much needed compassionate care to our west-side community at large.”
Sebastian said UH West Oʻahu has prepared him for his next chapter in life by allowing him to learn from many different world views and perspectives—through his philosophy studies and tutoring a diverse student body.
Check out more stories of our UH spring graduates
“So I feel like since I have been able to meet and learn from so many people who think or understand the world differently from me, I can use that knowledge to connect with others,” he said. “The hope is that a connection can be made from a place of understanding and that we can bridge the gaps between different communities and foster a sense of reconciliation.”
- Read more about Jahnna-Marie Kehaulani Kahele-Madali, who was also selected to be a student commencement speaker.
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman