For more than 300 students, the KS Kapālama campus is an extended
home away from home where learning continues after the final bell rings
for the school day. Residential Life is a boarding program that provides
students in grades 7-12 with a safe, nurturing environment that
complements KS’ regular academic program. Its mission is to cultivate an
experiential living and learning community based on Christian and
Hawaiian values that empower haumāna to fulfill Pauahi’s legacy.
Ciana
Place is a senior from Moloka‘i and has been in the Residential Life
program since seventh grade. During her time in the program, she’s
formed deep connections with friends she considers family and her kumu,
who feel like a second set of parents and are always there to lend a
helping hand.
“Residential Life gave me a lot of experience in
independence because I don’t always have my parents there to help me in
every single thing or every step of the way,” Place says. “If there’s a
problem, I have to figure out how to fix it on my own.”
Dedicated
and highly experienced kumu – many of whom have been pillars of the
program for years – guide haumāna like Place on their journeys to become
ʻōiwi leaders. These kumu are supported by a leadership team which
includes Poʻo Kumu of Residential Life Dr. Laura Perales, Hope Poʻo Kumu
of Residential Life Tyler Pau KSK’97, Dean of ʻOhana and Community
Engagement Buffy Trugillo KSK’91, Dean of Student Well-Being Lanakila
Niles KSK’97, Dean of Student Engagement and Leadership Dr. Kona
Keala-Quinabo, and Residential Life Coordinators Pono Lopez KSK’96,
Keialohi Punua KSK’94 and Scott Kekua KSK’00.
Keala-Quinabo has
served on the Residential Life team for 12 years, and in his current
role, he spearheads the development of enriching activities for haumāna
outside the classroom.
“We want to help them become the E Ola!
graduate we know they can become,” shares Keala-Quinabo. “That entails
getting them in touch with their Hawaiian identity, building community
awareness and community engagement, and letting them build a strong
foundation for them to stand on as they venture out into the world.”
Through
Keala-Quinabo’s leadership, keiki grow through an array of meaningful
experiences, from community service trips to mālama Keanakamanō and Hale
Huliāmahi to special dinners with Po‘o Kula Dr. Taran Chun KSK’95 to
recreational activities like intramurals and the Aloha Games at
Kūnuiākea Stadium.
Place says her favorite activities are the
Water Olympics and Makahiki, where she plans to compete in the ʻōʻō ihe
or spear-throwing event because they provide an opportunity for the
Residential Life community to come together, cheer each other on and
have fun.
“There’s always learning even in fun,” says Buffy
Trugillo KSK’91, the new Dean of Community and ‘Ohana Engagement for
Residential Life. “Some activities are more about community service and
giving back, ʻāina-based learning or strong curriculum taught in the
dorms. Our kids are learning life skills that help them to be prepared
for the future.”
A Kaua‘i native, Trugillo witnessed first-hand
the value the program afforded her five children. She sees how the
program’s mission goes hand in hand with KS Kapālama’s vision to inspire
haumāna to ho‘ōla lāhui because it allows keiki to practice and take
what they’ve learned home.
Trugillo adds, “I especially want our
haumāna to be confident, comfortable and prepared enough to ho‘ōla lāhui
in the communities they come from.”
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Kaipuolono Article, Kapalama Newsroom, Kapalama Home, Kapalama campus
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