On March 7 and 14, five PUBA MPA students – Jennifer Kawata, Nellie Thompson, Pauline Yang, Jia Cashon, and Jasmine Saunders – participated in the 2026 NASPAA Student Simulation Competition, joining hundreds of MPA students from universities across 13 hosting sites worldwide.
Over the course of an 8-hour online event, participants collaborated with peers from other institutions to develop a wildfire mitigation plan in response to a fictional but realistic policy scenario. Students were challenged to analyze the crisis, draft a policy memo, and present their recommendations.
We are so proud to share that two of our students – Jia Cashon and Pauline Yang – won at their regional sites! A huge congratulations to our winners, and to all five students who stepped up and represented PUBA with excellence.
Below are reflections from the participating students:
“The NASPAA Wildfire Mitigation Simulation was an incredible and engaging experience that challenged me to navigate real-world factors for strategic management in wildfire mitigation. With so many natural disasters hitting close to home in both California and Hawaii, this simulation highlighted the critical need for proactive versus reactive strategies in natural resource management, and how those efforts intersect with public policy and administration.
Collaborating with a team of strangers to develop a mitigation strategy in a mere eight hours offered an insightful look into the daily challenges faced by professionals in this field. The sheer amount of energy, thought, and stress required for strategic management gave me a much deeper appreciation for those who do this work for the public good.
Finally, I would like to say mahalo to the UH PUBA program for making this opportunity available. Engaging in these types of simulations with students from around the world truly enriches the graduate student experience.”
– Jia Cashon (1st year MPA student)
“The NASPAA Simulation Competition was challenging, rewarding, informative, and a lot of fun. I learned a lot about my professional strengths and weaknesses when working in a group setting and observed them play out in real time. This experience will inform how I effectively participate in group work in the future. Witnessing the complexity of policy making and implementation first hand was a very impactful way to supplement what I have learned in my PUBA classes. I would definitely recommend this experience to any future students who are interested.”
– Jasmine Saunders (1st year MPA student)