After dropping out of high school, K-nard Narruhn went from job to job feeling unfulfilled. But it was the outreach and community events organized through what would become We Are Oceania that inspired and motivated him.

Through programs and activities like college fairs, campus visits, mentorship and financial aid help, Narruhn soon earned his high school equivalency diploma and enrolled in the University of Hawaii at Hilo. There he went from being a high school dropout to making the dean’s list.

Two years later in 2020, Narruhn, who is born and raised in Pearl City, returned to Oahu and transferred to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Although he had a job selling cars to help his family, it just didn’t feel right, he said. But soon Narruhn, who is Chuukese, got the opportunity of a lifetime: to work for We Are Oceania, the same organization that helped him get back on his feet years earlier, as its youth coordinator and community resource specialist. He expects to graduate next spring with a degree in psychology and hopes to work in affordable-housing development. (He’s also considering law school.)

“It’s a surreal experience. It’s crazy how I was on the other end getting counseling and help, and now I’m on this end giving back,” he said. “It feels right to me.”

And now the 22-year-old and the rest of the staff at We Are Oceania, a nonprofit that serves and advocates for the Micronesian and Pacific islander communities in Hawaii, plan to unveil one of their biggest projects yet, a full-fledged youth center in Li­liha, the first of its kind for the group. It’s slated to open in mid-July.

Josie Howard, We Are Oceania’s chief executive officer, said the Youth Empowerment Center will offer college and career prep, cultural exhibitions, mentorship programs, study areas, a place to hold meetings, and resources for homeless youth and families. Those interested in coming to the center can make an appointment or come via a referral. Howard said the nonprofit’s staff is going into the community to share more about the youth center, and plans to post updates on its website and social media platforms soon.

Formerly an American Savings Bank branch, the space on North King Street was offered to the nonprofit rent-free by bank officials when they moved out of the building last year. Although the lease is up in March, Howard, who is from Onoun island in Micronesia, said they’re looking into other options and hoping to secure additional funding so the youth center can live on. The nonprofit moved in last month and is working to set up the space to hopefully open in the coming weeks.

The center is a culmination of working with several groups, including the Youth Homeless Demonstration Program, Partners in Development Foundation and American Savings Bank, and Howard said they hope to partner with more to continue expanding their services.

“Just like a home means everything to a family, this center will be the same,” she said. “It’s a place where they can come and seek help. Somebody is there to help, and somebody is there who understands them.”

There are more than 14,700 Compacts of Free Association migrants in Hawaii, federal government estimates show. COFA refers to an agreement that authorizes migration to the U.S., as well as financial, social and health assistance, to those from the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. But when arriving in the U.S. and Hawaii, many COFA citizens often face hardships such as language barriers and homelessness.

As a community resource specialist, Narruhn said his primary job is to be the “boots on the ground.”

He helps to organize and run We Are Oceania’s food drives, vaccination clinics, translation services and unemployment and housing help. He is recruiting youth mentors for the center and said he is excited to continue working as one himself.

For him it’s come full circle.

“My identity as a Micronesian growing up in Hawaii, I’m not a stranger to what I’d consider injustices. That’s what is really the driving factor behind me wanting to pursue this,” he said. “We Are Oceania is rooted in organizing and helping to empower youth. It just brings us back to our roots in community building. Having firsthand experience made me want to do better for my people.”

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Jayna Omaye covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member with Report for America, a national serv­ice organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under­covered issues and communities.