Hawaiʻi Community College grad’s bright future helped by unexpected scholarship after Lahaina wildfire

Troy Branco-Liu never imagined leaving Lahaina. But after the 2023 wildfire devastated the historic community on Maui, killing more than 100 people, his life was upended.

“When I was in high school, I didn’t think about leaving,” Branco-Liu said in a press release. “I love the place I come from. I’m all about Lahaina. That’s always going to be home to me.”

That loyalty to his hometown remains steadfast, but out of the ashes of the wildfire, an opportunity arose in the form of a University of Hawai’i scholarship. It opened a door the Lahainaluna High School graduate never expected.

Branco-Liu found himself starting over at Hawaiʻi Community College in Hilo on the Big Island, pursuing an education that would ultimately change the course of his future.

The now 2026 Hawaiʻi Community College diesel mechanics program graduate says that it was the scholarship that helped him discover new paths all while still strengthening his desire to one day bring his skills back to Lahaina to help his hometown community rebuild.

University of Hawaiʻi announced following the Lahaina fire that scholarships were available for every member of the class of 2024 at Lahainaluna High School so they could attend any University of Hawai’i campus systemwide.

The initiative was later expanded to cover 2 years at University of Hawaiʻi community colleges and 4 years at its university campuses.

One of those scholarships made college possible for Branco-Liu during a time of uncertainty for many Lahaina families displaced by the fire.

The first-generation college student said the opportunity helped him envision a future he never seriously considered before.

“The scholarship was life-changing,” Branco-Liu said. “It gave me the chance to come here, get my education and do something better for my future.”

He originally planned to enter the workforce immediately after high school.

“At first, I wanted to work right away because I wanted to make money,” he said. “But then I started thinking more about my future and decided college would help me get further.”

Branco-Liu chose Hawaiʻi Community College’s diesel mechanics program after researching available study tracks through the University of Hawai’i website.

He was drawn to the diesel mechanics program because of its hands-on learning environment and his longtime interest in mechanics.

Branco-Liu said one of the biggest influences during his time at Hawaiʻi Community College was encouragement he received from instructors and classmates within the close-knit diesel cohort, especially instructor Mitchell Soares.

“He really cared about us. He wanted you to succeed,” the 2026 program graduate said. 

He is now preparing to return home — with a mechanic job already lined up and a baby boy on the way,

Branco-Liu said graduating from Hawaiʻi Community College represents something bigger than himself.

“I’m the first person in my family to graduate from college,” he said. “Hawaiʻi [Community College] gave me the opportunity to prove to myself that I could do more and build a better future.”