Student Life
One year ago, a dedicated cohort of students entered JABSOM’s ʻImi Hoʻōla Program, knowing they were about to embark on a rigorous journey. On June 10th, 2026, standing before family, and friends, as graduates of one of the school’s most demanding programs, Nikki Hanah Cablay, Tyler Chock, Gabriela Cruz-Mattos, Nanea Delostrico, Thinh Nguyen, and Jobert Teppang celebrated the completion of their year-long post-baccalaureate journey and their admission to medical school.
For more than 50 years, ʻImi Hoʻōla, which means "those who seek to heal," has helped prepare students for the academic rigor of medical school while developing a commitment to serve their communities. Known for its intensity, the program left graduates like Tyler Chock and Nanea Delostrico saying it was even more challenging and rewarding than they had anticipated.
"It was harder than I ever could have imagined," Delostrico said. "I think there's nothing that they could have said to me in that initial opening ceremony that could have prepared me for what it was."
Chock agreed.
“I knew it would be hard, but we had no clue what it was going to be like," he said. "There's no way you could possibly describe what ʻImi was going to be like or prepare someone for it. So very difficult, but very worthwhile."
The completion ceremony marked the culmination of a year of long hours and academic and personal growth. Along the way, ʻImi taught Delostrico what she was capable of accomplishing.
"There were definitely moments that you question yourself, and you question what you're capable of," she said. "But ultimately, it just came down to being able to push through and get it done. I learned that I am resilient and strong and can work hard."
For Chock, the year strengthened the importance of gratitude and perseverance.
"Every single day in ʻImi is a test," he said. "There was no shortage of hours, and there was no shortage of work."
Despite the demands, Chock was always smiling. When peers asked about his routine, he shared the daily ritual that helped him maintain perspective.
"I would walk to school from Lot C and just take in the sun," he said. "No matter how much sleep I got the night before or how hard the work was that I had to do, I always told myself that today was going to be a great day. Gratitude is the thing that I carried with me every single day because the work was hard, but I was so thankful to be here and have that work.”
While the coursework tested students academically, both graduates cited the cohort's strength as a reason for their success.
"I think it's just a big culmination of everything that we've done so far this year," Delostrico said. "We've worked so hard together and relied on each other. It all comes together in one final event."
Chock agreed.
"The people who I graduate with are really amazing people," he said. "I'm really happy to have made it here with them."
That sense of community was evident in one of Delostrico's favorite memories of the year. As the cohort gathered for the final grade reveal of the spring semester, students braced themselves for what had become a familiar process. Instead, the tutors entered and delivered the news all at once.
"They just said that we all passed and we were all done," Delostrico recalled. "We all kind of jumped up and hugged each other. It was a beautiful moment and just a big celebratory excitement that we had all made it, and we all did it together."
The completion ceremony was capped off by a speech from 2005 JABSOM graduate and 2001 ʻImi Hoʻōla alumna, Dr. Chia Granda,who shared her path to ʻImi Hoʻōla and her career as a triple board-certified physician in child and adolescent psychiatry, general pediatrics, and adult psychiatry since completing ʻImi. Graduates were presented with gifts from the McGuire ʻohana and Friends of ʻImi Hoʻōla. The Queen’s Health Systems generously provided stipend support to students during their time with the program and has extended its commitment by awarding five full-tuition, four-year medical school scholarships to the current ʻImi graduates. The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation has also provided its second recipient with a full-tuition, four-year scholarship to support a current graduate's medical education.
“Not having to work or have to worry about financial burden has been one of the biggest supporting things,” Chock said. “I think that there were times when we slept for an hour a night, so having to think about money and thinking about work just seems almost impossible. So having the generous donations and support has been just pivotal. I don't think that we could have done it without them, so we're really thankful for that as well.”
“The perseverance shown by this group of graduates is a powerful reminder of what makes the ʻImi Hoʻōla Program so vital,” said Dr. Winona Lee, director of ʻImi Hoʻōla. In completing this chapter of their journey, our students join an alumni ʻohana that is more than 300 strong, whose leadership, service, and impact are evident in communities throughout Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.”
Now that ʻImi Hoʻōla is behind them, the graduates turn their attention toward the next chapter of their journey: medical school. Both Chock and Delostrico say they’re ready.
"Honestly, every single facet of my personality, both personal and academic, has really grown since the beginning," Chock said. "I'm much more confident going into medical school."
For Delostrico, the lesson was simpler.
“I learned that I could do it,” she said.
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