Big Island Student Among Finalists for UH Board of Regents Seat

A Waikōloa native who graduated Kealakehe High School as valedictorian just two years ago is now one step away from a seat at the table governing the entire University of Hawaiʻi system. Eric Pōmaika'i Gee, a sophomore at UH Mānoa, is one of four finalists for the 2026 student appointment to the UH Board of Regents, the 11-member body that controls tuition, fees, program decisions, and budget allocations across every UH campus, including UH Hilo and UH West Hawaiʻi.

The student regent seat is a two-year volunteer appointment beginning July 1, 2026. Gov. Josh Green makes the final selection, and the choice requires confirmation by the state Senate. For Big Island students, the seat carries particular weight: the board's decisions ripple directly into classroom availability, housing costs, and the academic programs that keep students from having to leave the island entirely for a degree.

Gee, 20, was born and raised in South Kohala and graduated from Kealakehe in 2024 as both valedictorian and commencement speaker. He is now pursuing a double major in International Business and Finance with a minor in Political Science through the UH Mānoa Honors College. His public service resume is already substantial: Senate President Ron Kouchi appointed him to the Hawaii State Youth Commission, and Mayor Mitch Roth tapped him as inaugural chairperson of the County of Hawaiʻi Youth Commission.

Last December, Gee traveled to Antarctica as part of a two-week expedition with polar explorer Robert Swan, where his team conducted environmental DNA sampling and tested renewable energy systems in polar conditions. The trip connected live with classrooms around the world in what organizers called the first real-time educational broadcast from the continent. Gee has described feeling, throughout his life, that young people are "listened to but not heard," and his push for the regent seat reads as a direct extension of that frustration into institutional action.

The three other finalists are Jenny Brown, Olivia Frances Chung, and Raiyan Rafid. CAC Chair Brigitte Yoshino called the field strong. "While it was a difficult decision, the CAC members believe any of the four candidates chosen to be finalists will serve the university well," Yoshino said.

The selection process is merit-based and conducted solely by the Candidate Advisory Council before the names go to the governor. If Gee is chosen and confirmed, he would join a board whose decisions over the past several years have shaped course offerings, dormitory rates, and staffing levels at both Big Island campuses. UH Hilo and UH West Hawaiʻi serve students who often have fewer off-island options than their Oahu counterparts, making board representation from Hawaiʻi County something the island has not reliably had in recent student regent history.

Gov. Green has not set a public timeline for the appointment.