Lahaina wildfire survivor finds new path in Hilo diesel program

A Lahaina wildfire survivor who once expected to build his life on Maui instead finished Hawaii Community College’s diesel mechanics program in Hilo, with his next stop now pointing him back to the island that was torn apart on Aug. 8, 2023.

Troy Branco-Liu, a Lahainaluna High School graduate and first-generation college student, was among the students whose plans changed after the fire that killed at least 102 people and destroyed much of Lahaina. Maui County’s after-action materials described the response as the largest and most extensive deployment in the history of the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety, underscoring the scale of the disaster that pushed many families to look beyond their home community for school, work and housing.

A University of Hawaii scholarship opened the door for Branco-Liu to start over. UH first announced on Sept. 19, 2023 that every Lahainaluna High School Class of 2024 senior would receive full scholarships covering tuition, fees, books and supplies for full-time and part-time study at any of the university system’s 10 campuses for one academic year. On Oct. 20, 2023, UH said an anonymous donor would extend those awards to two years at community colleges and four years at universities.

For Branco-Liu, that support led him to Hawaii Community College, where he enrolled in a program built around the kind of skills Hawaii needs when communities are trying to recover and rebuild. The diesel mechanics program trains students to troubleshoot, maintain and repair diesel engines, trucks, tractors, boats and other heavy equipment. It also requires a valid driver’s license and admits students every two years, including in 2026.

That made the Hilo campus more than a stopgap. Hawaii Community College says it has served the Hawaii Island community for more than 80 years, and Branco-Liu’s path shows how a Big Island institution can become a landing place for a displaced student from Maui, giving him both a credential and a new direction.

Now a 2026 graduate, Branco-Liu plans to return to Maui and work as a diesel mechanic. His trajectory gives the scholarship a practical endpoint: after a fire that forced him to leave Lahaina, education in Hilo gave him a trade, and that trade may help power the long recovery at home.