Science, finance studies prepare student to conserve Hawaiʻi’s resources

Born and raised in Maunalua on the island of Oʻahu, Tehani Malterre attended Kamehameha Schools and began to reconnect with Hawaiian culture and with ʻāina (land, that which nourishes). With a passion for protecting the environment in Hawaiʻi, she learned during her senior year in high school that the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) offers a program that was a great fit for her interests—the Global Environmental Science (GES) bachelor’s degree.

Now in her senior year of the GES program, Malterre said, “I enjoy being able to learn the science behind the environmental issues that affect us here in Hawaiʻi while also being able to remain connected with my home.”

Malterre is enrolled in the bachelor’s and master’s pathway program wherein she is pursuing a master’s of science in finance while finishing her GES degree.

“Understanding the financial implications of climate change while also having a background in environmental science is very important for understanding the human dimensions of planning for and adapting to our future,” said Malterre. “In addition to increasing my own financial literacy and understanding of the systems that we live in, this degree can be applied to a variety of important issues such as…