According to the chamber, Naomi Cooper, the Neighbor-Island-Sub-Committee Chair of COCHYP, introduced the mentorship program last October as an extension of the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s YP HI School Mentor Program on Oahu, which has already paired more than 100 students with mentors.

The Maui pilot cohort included mentors selected through the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii’s application and screening process.

“We are incredibly proud of the success of the HI School Mentor Program on Maui, where our local young professionals have made a real impact on the lives of high school students,” said Sherry Menor, president and CEO of Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, in a statement.

“By providing hands-on mentorship and career guidance, we are helping to build a stronger future for our community,” Menor continued. “This initiative not only empowers our youth but also strengthens Maui’s workforce by fostering the next generation of leaders.”

here are plans to expand the program in the future. This year, six students from Maui High were selected by Hawaii Department of Education-appointed Career and Technical Education facilitators to be matched with six young professional mentors from Maui based on their post-high school career interests.

Between October and March, mentors Jared Sam Agtunong, Adam Buechler, Shermila Beauvais, Ashley Cooper, Naomi Cooper and Donna Paz met monthly with their assigned mentee for 30-minute one-on-one sessions.

The mentors helped the students through areas such as capstone projects, resume building, scholarship and college applications, business and financial planning, site visits and on-the-job training.

“HMSA is proud to support the Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Program, and we were thrilled to see its expansion to Maui,” said Jenn Diesman, senior vice president at HMSA. “Programs like these that give young people real-world experience are vital to ensure they are well-prepared for the next chapter of their lives.”

On April 9, certificates of completion were presented to the mentees and the mentors during a ceremony attended by the Maui High staff and faculty.

The Young Professionals Neighbor Island Committee will continue the HI School Mentor program on Maui in the 2025-26 school year, and plans to extend the program to other public high schools in Maui.

For information on how to partner with the mentorship program, contact Lord Ryan Lizardo, VP of Education at Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, at lrlizardo@cochawaii.org. If you reside on Maui and are interested in joining the YP Neighbor Island Committee, email mauiyoungprofessionals@gmail.com.

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