{"id":234311,"date":"2026-05-14T13:17:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T23:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=234311"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:32:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T02:32:07","slug":"kauai-cc-student-power-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/14\/kauai-cc-student-power-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaua&#699;i <abbr>CC<\/abbr> student rebuilds her life through carpentry and education"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_23464\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7pFAyl6lVys?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&rel=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"crystal\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>When Crystal Santos was incarcerated, she realized her life was not headed in the direction she wanted. Determined to create a better future for herself and her family, she took her first step by enrolling in a carpentry micro-credential course through <span lang=\"haw\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span> Community College in 2024.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234309\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234309\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Smiling in front of door installation\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-234309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-1-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-1.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-234309\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crystal Santos and classmate Lucus Baliaris-Rivera installing a door on a building made in class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;When I got out, I knew I needed to do something for myself,&rdquo; Santos said. &ldquo;I was nervous and intimidated. I was 45 years old, and I hadn\u2019t been in school for 29 years. I was afraid because there was this younger generation here. But once I got to <span lang=\"haw\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span> <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr>, so many doors and opportunities opened for me. <span lang=\"haw\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr> helped me through every doubt I had.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2><span lang=\"haw\">Wai&#699;ale&#699;ale<\/span> support<\/h2>\n<p>Her connection to the college began through her daughter, who served as a <span lang=\"haw\">Wai&#699;ale&#699;ale<\/span> Peer Mentor. Santos applied to the first-year support program that provides mentorship and guidance to students transitioning into college life.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234310\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234310\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-2-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Santos in action\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-234310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-2-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-2.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-234310\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santos said she learned so much more than she expected to in the program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Through the <span lang=\"haw\">Wai&#699;ale&#699;ale<\/span> program, Santos found encouragement to apply for scholarships, helping her cover most of her educational expenses while building confidence in herself as a student.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At first, I thought I wasn\u2019t going to be able to learn anything,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;But I pushed myself, and honestly, I learned so much. I gained knowledge, confidence and motivation. I\u2019m ready to get back out there and start over.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Greater opportunities for women<\/h2>\n<p>Construction and masonry have long been part of Santos\u2019 family history, and working with her hands and building things for others feels natural to her.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I like helping people,&rdquo; Santos said. &ldquo;I enjoy going out into the field and building things up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234308\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-234308\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-3-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Santos using power tools\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-234308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-3-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-3.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-234308\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Santos plans to get a second associate\u02bbs degree in business before opening her own business.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When she started in construction in her early twenties, Santos was often the only woman on the job site. Today, she sees greater opportunities and representation for women in traditionally male-dominated careers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The female population in these fields is growing,&rdquo; Santos said. &ldquo;It\u2019s opening new chapters and new doors for women to say, &lsquo;I can do this too\u2014and it\u2019s fun.&rsquo;&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Inspiration for the future<\/h2>\n<p>Santos will graduate in May with an associate in science degree in carpentry technology, and plans to continue at <span lang=\"haw\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr>, where she will pursue another associate\u02bbs degree in entrepreneurial business. Her long-term goal is to earn a commercial driver\u2019s license through Leeward Community College, and eventually open her own heavy hauling business.<\/p>\n<p>She said the civil engineering technology components of the carpentry program had the greatest impact on her professional development and inspired her to continue earning additional certifications in the future.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have so much gratitude,&rdquo; Santos said. &ldquo;I can\u2019t believe this chapter is coming to an end.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;<em>By Caitlin B. Fowlkes<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A second chance at <span lang=\"haw\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span> <abbr>CC<\/abbr> transformed Crystal Santos\u2019 life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":234309,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[346,234,1782,19,734,64,65,71],"class_list":["post-234311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-carpentry","tag-commencement","tag-commercial-drivers-license","tag-construction","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-kauai-community-college","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kauai-cc-carpentry-santos-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234311"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234317,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234311\/revisions\/234317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}