Joshua Omori

Wonkes Manoa

The creation of the team…

Going into our Software Engineering final project, my expectations were admittedly low. Our task was to work in a team to create a fully functioning website within 4½ weeks, using the cumulative knowledge from our Software Engineering course. The problem was that most classmates had already formed groups, and I was left to find a team late in the process.

Eventually, I was placed with four other students whom I did not know well. As a result, our group felt like the “runt of the litter,” and I was unsure whether we would be able to complete such a large and complex project. Naturally, I was worried: would we actually be able to pull it off?

Our first meeting was a bit awkward, as expected. I tried to keep things lighthearted and positive, but internally I was concerned about the team’s direction. Since I wanted the project to succeed, I volunteered to take on a leadership role. We met over Discord, established communication norms, and created the team name Wonkes, formed from our last-name initials (and because it sounded funny). After outlining a plan and dividing responsibilities, my confidence in the team began to grow.

What is Wonkes Manoa?

Wonkes Manoa is an online marketplace designed specifically for UH Mānoa students. The goal was to create a platform where students could quickly buy and sell campus-related items in a simple and accessible way.

To accomplish this, the project uses:

Together, these technologies allowed us to build a modern, full-stack web application that meets the course requirements.

For more information on Software Engineering requirements, click here

My Contributions to Wonkes

The project was divided into three milestones:

Across all milestones, I also played a key role in team coordination and problem-solving.

What I learned

This project taught me a great deal, both technically and in terms of teamwork. On the technical side, I learned how to work with API routes in Next.js, how Prisma integrates with Vercel, and when it is appropriate to separate server and client components. From a teamwork perspective, I gained a deeper appreciation for effort estimation, communication, and leadership. Although the website is not in a fully polished state (especially post January 14, 2026 when the website will be closed from Vercel), it is something that shows my growth as a software engineer.

Despite my initial doubts, I truly enjoyed working with this team. If given the chance to redo this project, I would still choose to work with the same group. The experience challenged me, taught me valuable lessons, and showed me how far I have come.