Maveric Abella

Maveric Abella was born and raised in Kapolei, HI and graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapalama in 2015. She attended Columbia University, graduating with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering in 2019. During her undergraduate studies, she measured radioactive isotopes in the soil, fruit, and ocean sediment in the Marshall Islands where nuclear tests were conducted post WWII, ultimately inspiring her to pursue medicine. During her gap year, she worked as a civil engineer for the Department of Transportation. She hopes to pursue orthopaedics because of its intersection between engineering and medicine and plans to practice on the west side of Oahu. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, SCUBA diving, anything outdoors and active, and hanging out with her family and friends.

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Alyssa Becker

Alyssa was born on Okinawa and raised in Corvallis, Oregon. She graduated summa cum laude from Oregon State University in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a minor in chemistry. During her medical education, Alyssa has enjoyed being closer to her extended family in Kaimuki. She was inspired to pursue a career in dermatology after her personal experience with her mother’s delayed melanoma diagnosis. Alyssa has a passion for mentorship, and her long-term career aspiration is to work in an academic setting so that she can help future JABSOM students match into dermatology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, practicing yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, and tending to her “plant babies”

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Angelique Fontiane

Angelique Fontaine was born and raised in Kihei, HI. She graduated from high school in 2012 and went on to obtain a BA in Anthropology from University of Hawaii at Manoa. Prior to medical school, Angel volunteered with the Hawaii HOME Project and participated in multiple medical mission trips to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Her experiences growing up on Maui along with her volunteer work inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. In her free time Angel enjoys paddling, tennis, pickleball, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her dog Mojo. 

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Anna Gragas

Anna Gragas was born and raised on Maui, and graduated from King Kekaulike High School in 2013. She then attended Chapman University where she studied Health Science and Kinesiology, graduating Cum Laude in 2016. Initially interested in physical therapy, she ultimately chose the path of medicine after working as a scribe in the Maui Memorial Emergency Department. Anna has chosen to apply into Emergency Medicine for residency, and hopes to ultimately return home to Maui to practice. She is drawn to the diversity, fast pace, and hands-on nature of Emergency Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys the beach, hiking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Jaxon Huang

Jaxon Huang was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He attended the University of Calgary and graduated with a Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) – Honours in Biomedical Sciences. During medical school, he did a year of research at the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute conducting studies on dry eye disease and neuropathic ocular pain. The intersection between visual problem-solving, microsurgery, and technology is what draws him to pursue a career in Ophthalmology. In his free time, he enjoys hockey, jigsaw puzzles, collecting sneakers, snowboarding, and spending time with friends, family, and his dog Burton.

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Megan Ishii

Megan was raised in Kaneohe, HI and graduated from Punahou School in 2015. She went on to receive a BA in Biology from Scripps College, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2019. She has always had an interest in medicine, with a special passion for the health of older adults because she was raised in large part by her grandmother. She hopes to pursue a career in Internal Medicine and practice in Hawaiʻi, potentially as a primary care physician or geriatrician. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, binge-watching reality shows, and lounging with her cat, Astro.

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Makoa Mau

Makoa Mau was born and raised in Moanalua, HI and graduated from Kamehameha Schools - Kapalama in 2016. He earned a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in mathematics, Summa Cum Laude, in 2020 from the University of Puget Sound, where he also played center field and pitcher for the baseball team. He was inspired to pursue medicine by his paternal grandmother, who was a kumu la'au lapa'au, and maternal grandmother and mom, who are both nurses. He will be pursuing orthopaedics, a field he was drawn to after witnessing and sustaining musculoskeletal injuries playing sports growing up. He recognizes the importance mentorship had on his journey, and plans to return to Hawaii following his training to give back to the local and Native Hawaiian community. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, body surfing, lifting, and exploring the food scene with family and friends.

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Max Nakamoto

Max Nakamoto was born and raised in Pearl City, HI, and graduated from Pearl City High school in 2015. He attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa and majored in Biology and Psychology. He had originally wanted to become a psychology professor but had a change of heart after shadowing a street psychiatrist in his final year at UH. He has always been interested in cognition and behavior and entered medical school with the express purpose of becoming a psychiatrist. He plans to ultimately work in Hawaii, serving our most vulnerable and underserved populations. He comes from a family of public servants and will be the first physician of his family. Outside of medicine, he likes to spend time with his niece and nephew, do anything art related, and try new foods.

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Keith Nishihara

Keith Nishihara was born and raised in Ranchos Palos Verdes, CA, and attended UC Berkeley where he graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Biological Engineering with High Honors. During his gap year, he worked at Cedars-Sinai California Heart Center as a Research Associate in transplant cardiology. He was first drawn to medicine when his mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016. Outside of medicine, he enjoys playing basketball, golf, watching any and all sports, and cheering on his favorite LA teams.

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Daniel Ota

Daniel Ota was raised in Honolulu, HI and graduated from Punahou School in 2016. He completed his undergraduate education at Creighton University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Science and Medicine in Society. He was inspired to pursue a career in medicine because he felt as if it was the best way for him to combine his passion for the natural sciences and his commitment to being of service in local communities. After the completion of his residency training in Internal Medicine, Daniel is looking forward to practicing as a primary care physician in Hawaii. Outside of medicine, Daniel loves playing basketball, lifting weights, watching professional sports, and spending time with friends and family.

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Michelle Pang

Michelle Pang was born and raised in Pearl City, HI. She graduated from Punahou School in 2015 and received her B.S. in Biology from the University of San Francisco in 2018. She is pursuing a career in Obstetrics and Gynecology because of the unique and intimate relationship that OBGYNs cultivate with their patients. She believes it is a privilege to not only celebrate her patients’ happiest moments but also to help guide them through challenging situations. In her free time, Michelle enjoys distance running, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her cat baby Theodore. 

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Anna-Kaelle Ramos

Anna-Kaelle was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai'i and graduated from Henry J. Kaiser High School in 2015. She attended Orange Coast College and obtained an A.A. in Health Education and went on to the University of California, Irvine, where she graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. in Public Health Sciences. Through her education, Anna-Kaelle's passion for medicine grew as it combined her interests in natural science and social science and allows her to make a real impact on people's health. Recognizing that healthy adulthood begins in childhood, Anna-Kaelle is thrilled to pursue a career in Pediatrics. She is also passionate about mentoring and hopes to continue supporting students in their journeys to medicine. In her free time, she enjoys indoor bouldering, playing volleyball, baking cookies, and spending time with her family and cat, Zephyr. 

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Danielle Sato

Danielle Sato was raised in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and graduated from Punahou School in 2015. She attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Biology, B.A. in Health, Medicine, and Society, and M.A. in Sociology. She hopes to bring her passion for reproductive health and LGBTQ justice to her future career in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In her free time, she enjoys singing karaoke, crochet, and spending time with friends and family.

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Erica Shin

Erica was born and raised in Honolulu, HI, and graduated from Kalani High School in 2014. She then graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2018 with a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology. Erica was drawn to medicine by a strong desire to make a tangible, positive impact on people’s lives after witnessing doctors save her sister’s life at a young age. Erica will be pursuing Internal Medicine with plans to practice in Hawaii as a hospitalist. She also has a passion for mentorship and teaching, with future hopes of becoming involved in medical education. During her free time, Erica enjoys cooking, playing pickleball, soccer, and trying new restaurants/cafes. 

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Dylan Singh

Dylan was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. He earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Translational and Molecular Medicine, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Ottawa, where he also ran for the varsity track & field team. Dylan’s grandfather was a University of Hawaii alumni, receiving the East-West center scholarship for animal genetics. Dylan developed a passion for plastic and reconstructive surgery following exposures to life-altering surgery for children suffering from craniofacial deformities. He plans to pursue a career in reconstructive surgery, and lead teams to partake in global surgical mission trips. Outside of school, he enjoys golfing, hiking and trying new cuisines.

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Melia Takakusagi

Melia Takakusagi was born in La Palma, CA and raised in Kauai, HI. She graduated from Waimea High School in 2015. She later went on to become a Chancellor’s Scholar at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo where she received a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and Minors in Chemistry and English in 2019, Summa Cum Laude. After college she completed the ʻImi Hoʻōla Post-Baccalaureate Program where she was awarded the Queens ʻImi Hoʻōla Scholarship, a full four-year scholarship to JABSOM. Her interest in medicine stems from growing up in a medically underserved community and experiencing first-hand the consequences of physician shortage in rural areas. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, binge-watching TV series, and spending time with family. Melia is pursuing a career in internal medicine with the goal of returning to Kauai to serve the community who supported her.

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Gina Watanabe

Gina Watanabe was born and raised in Salt Lake, HI and graduated from Moanalua High School in 2016. She went on to receive her B.S. in Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on a Regents Scholarship. She is pursuing a career in the fascinating and humbling field of neurosurgery with a desire to return to Hawaii after residency to serve the island community.