University of Hawaiʻi law school alumni are starting a new wellness fund in hopes of increasing student access to basic needs, while also recognizing a beloved professor and alumnus.
The fund is a gift from the 1985 graduating class of the William S. Richardson School of Law in honor of classmate and professor Calvin G. C. Pang. He recently retired from teaching as an associate professor and co-director of the clinical law program at Richardson, where he had been working since 1994.
Classmates and students say he’s known for his mentorship and genuine care for his students, adding that he made sure they were taken care of outside of class so that they could be the best students and versions of themselves.
“He's just such a beloved person that it was such an easy thing for the class to all rally behind,” said Inna Kraner, the law school's director of development.
“It's so beautiful that his classmates remember and recognize his compassion and want to make sure that there is funding in place to support students so that they can be their best and their brightest.”
The fund will pay for wellness initiatives on campus, including workshops, a food pantry, and other mental health resources for students and faculty. The food pantry is largely in response to a wellness survey conducted late last year, which revealed that nearly 70% of respondents had struggled with some level of food insecurity.
Shari Larsen, the law school’s associate dean for student services, stated roughly half of the students who took the survey said hunger impacts their ability to focus.
“Our students come to law school learning how to advocate for something that they love, whether it's a person, people, ʻāina — they're just so committed to academic excellence and studying to become the best advocates,” Larsen said.
“So for the different needs that they experience, it's imperative that we address them and try to do our best.”
The class of 1985 did not disclose the gift amount, but the fund is open to the public for anyone wishing to contribute.
“Something that (Pang) shared was his hope that students will know that it's OK to doubt yourself, but just keep on going. That encouragement is really at the heart of what we're talking about here,” Kraner said.
“Really seeing people for their humanity, seeing how much they care, how much they want to succeed. We know how much pressure lawyers especially put on themselves, so this is to give some of that benevolence back.”
