Kaleo Norman graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, full of excitement at the promise of a career in his field. Still, it took almost two years before he found a role in a professional workplace that allows him to follow his passion for engineering. But for him, it’s all been worth it, and he’s happy to share what he’s learned. “If you’re pursuing something that you enjoy but are going through a struggle,” he says, “don’t ever give up.”
Norman, Native Hawai’ian, was raised on the island of O’ahu. He was a gifted student, and his parents and teachers encouraged Norman’s passion for academics and learning. He participated in several enrichment programs, such as those offered by the Na Pua No’eau: Center for Gifted and Talented Native Hawaiian Children, which identifies bright students and provides them with opportunities so that Native Hawai’ians will be increasingly represented in roles that contribute to the community’s growth and development.
If you’re pursuing something that you enjoy but are going through a struggle, don’t ever give up.
After high school, Norman decided to pursue a college degree. “My family sees education as important,” he explains. “So getting a bachelor’s degree was very important to me.” When determining his major, Norman didn’t think twice. In middle school, he told his father he wanted to be an auto mechanic. Norman’s father — who worked for Hawaiian Electric Company — suggested Norman try electrical engineering, and a passion was born.
After earning his associate’s degree in pre-engineering from Leeward Community College in 2012, Norman enrolled at the University of Hawai’i at M¯anoa, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. But even though he was always an academically talented student, Norman found the adjustment to a four-year college difficult. He struggled with managing his time and devoting large amounts of it to studying. “Especially in my engineering courses, the work was tedious and many times I would need to join study groups and ask for help from my classmates in order to fully understand the contents,” he says. But Norman persevered, and in 2015 he received a BS in electrical engineering.
With his degree in hand, Norman was excited to go to work. But jobs in his field were few and far between, and Norman spent over a year looking for the right type of position. “It came to a point where I just needed to start working, so I worked at a movie theater until an opportunity came,” he says.
That opportunity did come, thanks to networking and Norman’s ability to ask for help. Norman’s mother works with a woman whose nephew is the executive vice president (EVP) at American Piping & Boiler Company, a general/ mechanical contractor that offers services throughout Hawai’i and the Pacific Region. Norman let this new contact know that he was looking for a job in engineering and kept in touch. It took a year, but when an opening became available, the EVP reached out to Norman, and he was offered the role of junior engineer in November 2016.
Now assigned to a generating station project, Norman is in charge of assessing material needs in order to build various structures. He assists with the bid process, writes procurement statements, and creates spreadsheets to track all aspects of the construction. After so much time spent searching for the right position, Norman has found it. “Getting the job done and seeing the results is very satisfying because it shows the importance of my position and how it makes an impact on others,” he explains.
Not only is Norman in a role that he enjoys, he is at a company that values its workers and encourages them to learn. “The workers are very helpful,” he says. “The work here is fast-paced, so you’ll be learning a lot while you’re on the job.” For someone like Norman — with little professional experience — having the opportunity to learn about various fields of engineering in the real world has been invaluable.
While Norman is content in his current role, he is not complacent. He plans to pursue a master’s degree, and possibly a PhD. “My ultimate career goal is to work in research and development [R&D],” he explains. “I’ve worked on several undergraduate design projects in R&D, and it was fascinating to get into some advanced technology and hands-on work.”
Norman has worked hard to get where he is today, and he’s been lucky to have support from his parents and teachers. He also credits organizations like the Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program, and AISES — a connection that has allowed Norman to “meet people from all over the nation, share each other’s culture, and see what they are doing in the STEM field.” He continues to appreciate the networking and sharing he has found at AISES. “Hearing people’s stories about where they came from to where they currently are truly inspires me,” he says. “It encourages me to grow, explore my career, and pursue my dreams.”
According to Norman, almost anywhere you go in Hawai’i there’s a mo’olelo (story) related to that particular area. Norman also has a story to tell: “Keep persevering. Don’t think you have to do everything on your own — always seek help. It can be discouraging, but if you have the passion to push through, you’ll get there.”
