For 30 years, Alana Haitsuka Fernandez has been working to make sure young people in West Hawaii have the support they need to plan for life after high school. In her role as a Temporary District Educational Specialist, she oversees professional learning communities across 19 schools and supports the five high schools in the West Hawaii Complex Area in building stronger, more consistent postsecondary systems.
Alana first connected with CARA over a decade ago after watching Personal Statement – a documentary that follows three high school seniors who serve as peer college counselors, showcasing the challenges first-generation students face and the impact of peer leadership. The film reminded Alana of the Teen College Counselors (TCC) program she had created in Hawaii, and the connection ultimately led her to take a sabbatical in 2021 to intern with CARA in New York City – an experience that shaped her vision for system-wide change back home.
This year, the Department of Education, West Hawaii Complex Area has partnered with CARA to support principals and counselors in aligning systems, strengthening data practices, and expanding postsecondary planning across the region. “For the first time ever, our principals are pulling postsecondary data every quarter,” Alana shared. “That alone is a huge shift.”
Through quarterly convenings and monthly school visits, Alana is helping build a true community among counselors — the only postsecondary-focused counselor network of its kind in the state. “CARA’s humble style really spoke to our leadership team,” she said. “We just saw the work and realized we needed support.”