Five graduates at West Hawai‘i’s Hawaiian language immersion school Ke ‘O ‘Ehunuikaimalino were decked with a variety lei that covered them to the tops of their heads. They all were excited for what the next chapter of their lives would bring as they entered adulthood.
Many Big Island high schools held graduations Friday evening, and ceremonies will continue over the weekend and into next week. With this in mind, Big Island Now conducted a poll to know what nuggets of wisdom the community had for the class of 2023.
The top choice was “Work hard, push yourself, don’t settle” with 102 of the 464 votes (21%).
The next four vote getters were close, ranging from 54 to 59 votes each: “Follow your dreams and ambitions;” “Ask for help, get mentors;” “Take time to figure out what you like;” and “Don’t chase money, chase happiness.”
Following the graduation ceremony at ‘Ehunuikaimalino Friday afternoon, Christine Roney advised graduates to follow their hearts and to be a member of the community they live in: “Life is about the small things. Don’t let them pass you by.”
Jazlyn Kawasaki graduated in 2022. She said there wasn’t any advice she wished she had but noted “adulting is hard.”
Kawaikapuokalani Hewett advised graduates to look in front of them. He said: “Look to kūpuna. Follow their language. Follow their wisdom, history and in that way, they’ll always be connected.”
There was more wisdom doled out in the comment section of the poll.
RS wrote: “At first I wanted to vote for ‘get a college degree.’ But, in reality, not everyone is cut out to go on and get their Bachelor’s degree. And, we need all levels of skilled workers (not just college educated people). So I changed my answer to ‘work hard/push yourself.'”
William Chase commented: “Find a job that’s will always be needed. Whether it’s a garbage man, septic cleaning, roofer, truck driver, learn skills. Learn to invest your money into a business, market. And learn to budget.”
One Facebook user wrote: “Learn and understand what a credit score is.”
The full poll results:
Total Votes: 464
Big Island Now’s 2023 graduation section includes graduating seniors. To add a graduate, click here. And for the schedule of high school graduations, click here.
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