Motivated to always do my best

Tani Oshita is in her second year of studies in the Culinary Arts program at Kapiʻolani Community College, with plans to graduate with associate degrees in culinary and pastry arts. After graduation, Tani plans to attend UH West Oʻahu to major in culinary management and would like to start a business “to make others happy through my food.” Tani grew up in Waipahu and found her passion for cooking in high school, and by attending Kapiʻolani CC's summer Culinary Teen Camp. She is a recipient of the Christopher C. Neil and Nadine Kam Endowed Scholarship for Culinary Arts, Hawai'i Gas Culinary Arts Scholarship at Kapiʻolani CC, the Russell J. Hata Scholarship at Kapiʻolani CC and the Stanton Ho Endowed Scholarship in Culinary Arts. This is an excerpt of her thank you letter to donors.

Going to Kapiʻolani Community College has allowed me to meet and learn from professional chefs. Over the summer, I attended a gelato and “mottainai” workshop. I got to see how gelato is made and learn about the difference between gelato and ice cream. The word “mottainai” means to not waste in Japanese. In this workshop, the chef broke down a whole piece of tuna and used it to make sushi and ramen. He would use the meat of the fish for sushi/sashimi, while the bones were used to make a delicious broth for the ramen.

One of the most memorable things I have done at Kapiʻolani CC was their Advanced Culinary Education program. This summer, I went to Fukuoka, Japan. Before we went to Japan, we had students from Nakamura Gakuen University come to Hawaiʻi. It was an exchange program where we would host the students for a whole week, and they would do the same for us in Japan. During that week, I met the other students, and I felt more at ease because everyone was friendly and kind. When the Fukuoka students came to our school, the Kapiʻolani CC students prepared a lūʻau lunch so they could try authentic Hawaiian food. Throughout the week, we created strong relationships with the students from Fukuoka despite the language barrier. Around two months later, all the Kapiʻolani CC students and chaperones flew to Japan. The students and chaperones from Japan treated us well and welcomed us with open arms. We made so many memories together, and we got to learn about their food, culture and lifestyle. I am so thankful for this opportunity, and I can't wait to have more experiences like this at Kapiʻolani Community College.

To my donors

Thank you so much for your donation. You help keep me motivated to always do my best and try harder. I feel supported and influenced by your kind gesture. I hope I can use your generosity for the benefit of others. Thank you again for all that you have done.