Endowed scholarship helped unlock a 25-year dream

She has always considered herself the underdog. But when Kriss Yeow learned she was a recipient of the Linka and Michael Mullikin Endowed Scholarship, she was in utter disbelief. After postponing her degree for more than 25 years, the 48-year-old was finally able to return to the classroom at Kapi‘olani Community College.

“As a child raised around an overprotective World War II Veteran grandfather and a wise grandmother who had adopted me as her own child, I persevered through the struggling days of not having a proper education growing up,” Yeow said. “Grandmother never stopped believing that one day I would soldier on towards a higher education. Now I hear her telling me, ‘keep going, Kriss,’ until you get that degree.”

For much of her life, Yeow put the needs of others first, spending decades caring for her family. Her journey was also marked by geographic instability, forcing her to cycle through different educational systems across Malaysia, Christmas Island and Australia.

But after settling in Hawai‘i nine years ago, Yeow realized it was time to take her turn.

“I was finally going to do something for myself,” she said. “It felt like I was making good on the promise my grandmother always saw in me.”

Drawn to Kapi‘olani CC by its deep connection to Hawaiian culture and its welcoming, aloha-spirited environment, Yeow is now an undergraduate studying Natural Resource and Environmental Management, with a minor in botany.

An aerial view of Kapiʻolani Community College, where diverse academic programs, a welcoming spirit, and a deep connection to Hawaiian culture come together to empower the next generation. 

None of this, she said, would be possible without the generosity of donors. In a heartfelt thank-you letter to Mrs. Linka Mullikin, Yeow expressed her profound gratitude for the scholarship, noting that it didn't just ease a financial burden – it validated a lifelong dream.

Yeow’s journey is a powerful reminder of the resilience of non-traditional students, a demographic that Kapi‘olani CC is deeply committed to supporting.

“Non-traditional students bring their wisdom and real-world experience to the classroom – perspectives that high schoolers coming to college for the first time simply wouldn’t have,” said Veronica Ogata, Dean of Arts and Sciences. “It creates a beautiful dynamic where both generations learn from one another.”

However, returning to school later in life often comes with complex financial barriers. This is where philanthropic support becomes the defining factor between a deferred dream and a college degree.

“For students to continue schooling, finances have always been the number one issue,” said David Nāwaʻa Napoleon, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Scholarships absolutely level the playing field for students. Any way we can support our students through these scholarships is what we need to be doing.”

Today, you can be part of that supportive community. Your gift to Kapi‘olani Community College’s Mullikin Endowed Scholarship ensures that dedicated, hardworking students like Yeow have the resources they need to finally step into the classroom and work toward their degrees and give back to our community.