Growing up in Waiʻanae surrounded by nurses in her family, Emma Tilitile was inspired by their deep compassion for patients and community, a spirit she carried with her through nursing school at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补. In spring 2025, she earned her BS in nursing from the (SONDH), while also becoming a dedicated mentor to fellow students.
A proud graduate of Waiʻanae High School, Tilitile got a head start on college through Early College programs at and 东精影业 West Oʻahu. Combined with her coursework at 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补, those credits helped her earn an Associate in Arts degree in fall 2024 through the university’s reverse transfer program.
Still, the path to becoming a nurse wasn’t without moments of doubt. “Once I entered nursing school, and things got tough, I questioned whether I had made the right choice,” she said.
In her final semester, while caring for a patient recovering from open-heart surgery in the Queen’s Medical Center’s cardiovascular ICU, she found clarity. “They thanked me and told me I’d be a great nurse,” she said. “Until then, I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but I wasn’t always sure I’d be a good one. Hearing that reaffirmed that this is my path.”
From mentee to mentor
Inspired by the guidance she received, Tilitile gave back as a mentor through 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补’s Hawaiʻi Undergraduate Initiative, a partnership between the Academic Resource Center and the Student Nurses Association that supports students who, like her, were learning how to navigate the challenges of nursing school.
“My first semester was tough. We had to shift from a ‘normal’ way of thinking to a nurse’s way of thinking,” Tilitile said. “What’s considered common sense in nursing doesn’t feel like common sense at first. You have to retrain your brain. As a mentor, I tried to help students make that shift more smoothly. Practice helps, but having someone guide you makes a big difference.”
One moment she’ll never forget came at her pinning ceremony, when a student she had tutored virtually, showed up in person to thank her. “That one session helped her pass her exam,” Tilitile said. “It reassured me that maybe my actions do make a difference.”
Mentoring also helped her grow. “I found joy in teaching and sharing what I’d learned,” she said. “It’s shaped my goals, and I hope to keep mentoring and maybe teach nursing students someday.”
She added, “Mentoring deepened my empathy. Patients are often vulnerable and unsure, relying on us for care and comfort. That’s something I carry with me.”
She is now preparing to take the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) test which must be passed to become a licensed Registered Nurse. Tilitile plans to pursue a career in critical care nursing with a focus on cardiovascular health and eventually wants to return to school to become a family nurse practitioner.
— by Arlene Abiang