In eighth grade, Club Olakino director and founder Cheydon Agos (’24) was torn between choosing the Academy of Health and Sciences (AHS) and the Academy of Industrial and Engineering Technology (AIET). Agos recalls, “to make that big of a decision that will affect the outlook of your [time in] high school shouldn’t be that hard.” He disliked having to decide between academies, and considered, “What would happen if we were able to combine them all?” 

Agos founded Club Olakino to foster interdisciplinary learning within healthcare. A message that  Olakino hopes to spread about healthcare is that it’s not just doctors and nurses; all roles in healthcare are vital. 

He sought to found a club with a personal, career-focused member experience, and to create opportunities for collaboration and internships when possible. Anything healthcare- and STEM-related is fair game for the club to explore. Agos acknowledges that certain opportunities, such as hospital volunteering, are difficult to execute, but should always be considered. Facilitating activities that line up with members’ career goals is a driving force for Olakino. 

Olakino emphasizes their member-focused mindset throughout their promotions, flyers, and virtual Club Rush slide, stating, “Join our club that revolves around you!” Agos elaborates on the concept of niche, in biology representing an organism’s responsibility in an environment. Every individual has their own niche, an idea the club expands on by supporting the intersections of these niches in healthcare. Club officers anticipate creating opportunities for members with their niches in mind.

A current joint project that Olakino, HOSA, and the AHS Student Board of Directors are working on is a COVID-19 vaccination promotion video. Their motivation for this project stemmed from Waipahu High School’s recent ranking as the high school with the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases. They will also hold a public service announcement (PSA) competition to develop a unique, purposeful PSA that “bridges people together.”

Olakino is accepting members until the end of the first quarter. The club can be reached at @whs.club.olakino on Instagram and at [email protected].Olakino plans to meet from 1:20-2:20 PM on the first and last Tuesday of each month in P-28.