Mikaela Mullen ’28 had a simple goal: make young people care about the environment — and make it fun. Her answer was a video game. That game, ʻOpihi Man, recently earned her an honorable mention in the Congressional App Challenge for Hawaiʻi District 1.
The project began in Dr. Devon Widmer’s Intro to Game Development course, where Mikaela first built ʻOpihi Man as part of a group project with classmates Julian Wilding and Keani Kaonohiokalanikoholua. When the team couldn’t submit in time for the Hawaiʻi STEM Conference’s Game Design competition, Mikaela kept going — finishing the game on her own and eventually submitting it to the Congressional App Challenge.
In ʻOpihi Man, players are guided by a nēnē goose through a landscape that grows increasingly barren with litter and neglect. “You get to the end and that same nēnē goose tells you that it’s your responsibility to protect the land,” Mikaela said. “It’s like a call to action.” Growing up in Hawaiʻi, she wanted to reach her peers in a way that felt relevant — and entertaining.
The path to submission wasn’t easy. Technical problems had already cost her team one competition deadline, and she missed the Congressional Challenge’s initial deadline as well, waiting months to resubmit. “I remained patient, got help from my teachers, and did what I could to persevere,” she said. That support came largely from Dr. Widmer — Dr. Dee — whose encouragement Mikaela credits as essential. “Teachers like Dr. Dee are what make IPA a great school.”
Beyond the recognition, Mikaela discovered something about herself along the way — a love for putting her own creative stamp on her work. Computer science may not be her final destination, but ʻOpihi Man is a clear sign of what’s possible when persistence and creativity meet purpose.
Congratulations, Mikaela.
