CUH Senior Juggles Class, Army ROTC, Softball

Juggling  school and sports is hard, but try to manage your time with military training, classes (first online and later in person), and softball practice everyday of the week. That is what CUH senior Malia Ka’akimaka-Moisa has to manage on a weekly basis during this fall semester.  

“Managing my time between softball, school, and the ROTC program was a bit challenging at first, but eventually as time went by, I got used to it,” Ka’akimaka-Moisa said, who is an outfielder and catcher for the Chaminade softball team. “I want to be able to have a stable job and serve my country, and that is one of the few reasons why I joined the military.” 

Ka’akimaka-Moisa is taking 20 credits remotely online this fall semester along with going to her practices with the softball team and training with the ROTC program. Though it’s a challenge to balance Army ROTC, school and softball all at the same time, she knows the hard work will pay off in the long run.

“I try to be the best person I could be in life, whether it’s to be successful in the classroom, or on the softball team, or during my tactical training for the Army, I want to set better standards for myself to be a better role model for people around me,” Ka’akimaka-Moisa said. “And when I graduate, I want to make my family proud in all of my accomplishments in life.”

As this entire fall semester was mostly online, the 20-year-old Forensic Science major wakes up 4 a.m. to drive to her training with the ROTC Army program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa as early as 6 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Once her training is finished, she heads to school to attend all her classes until 2:30 p.m. Then finally, she heads down to softball practice from 4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

As for her Tuesday and Thursday schedule, she has two classes which start at 12 p.m. and ends around 2 p.m. On Tuesday, she likes to spend time focused on her studies, or take the day off and rest at home. On Thursday, she has ROTC training from 4 a.m. – 6:30 a.m.

If it wasn’t for her Tuesday being her only-off day, she would be overwhelmed and exhausted with her weekly schedule.

On the weekends, she has to be at Chaminade to attend field drills with the softball team.

She is one of two in her entire family to serve in the military alongside her uncle Alika, who is an Air Force Recruiter in Hawaii. It can be a physically grueling training (one of the drills involves running for five miles non stop while carrying 50-pound bags under different conditions), but Ka’akimaka-Moisa also receives a scholarship from the Army ROTC Program and the Hawaii Army National Guard to pay off books, classes, and other essential payments for her to complete her schooling. 

“I never really had any conflict with them [Army ROTC program], because they find a way to be flexible with your schedule,”Ka’akimaka-Moisa said. “The program allows me to complete my school first, which is one of the reasons why I can still continue through my training with the program.”

If not for joining the military, she would be trying to enroll into the Honolulu Police Department.

The Ewa Beach native made Academic All-Pacific West Conference all of her previous three years with Chaminade softball, and looks to complete her degree in Forensic Sciences this spring.

She has been playing softball since she was 12 years old, and was a part of the Campbell High School softball team from 2013-2017.

“Softball has always been one of my passions growing up, I am actually very lucky that a few of my teammates that are on the team now are from here,” Ka’akimaka-Moisa said. “Just having that close chemistry with the girls on this team really makes it fun to be a part of this team, and makes us better all around.”

Before the pandemic postponed their season last spring, during her 12 games played, Ka’akimaka-Moisa finished with the second-highest batting average on the team with .323, and finished tied for the most hits on the team. During last season, she started in all 12 games as an outfielder for Chaminade.

While she sometimes have time to herself, she loves to go to spend time with family, go to the beach and seek new hikes around Oahu.

Once she completes her training at the ROTC program at UH Manoa and graduated with her degree in Forensic Sciences at CUH, she would like to be an officer in the Hawaii Army National Guard.