On Friday, haumāna got a real world glimpse into a variety of professions. Parents, and working professionals, some of which are former KS grads, visited campus to share journey, insights and advice working in their field.
Professionals included: hospice nurse, photographer, police and evidence specialist, national park ranger, engineer, fire fighter, chief, x-ray technician, tug boat captain, teachers, graphic designer, archaeologist, policeman, science/biology field technician, and more. The presenters not only provided a glimpse into their world, but also fielded questions from students and gave advice to help them on their journeys.
Keli Hayase, a teacher at Kihei Elementary, discussed her journey which started at Kamehameha in 5th grade through high school and leaving for college in Idaho. She talked about the importance of starting off on the right foot as a freshman and taking school seriously early on. She shared how teachers and counselors at KS influenced her choices to push herself out of her comfort zone. This included leaving the island to attend an out of state college, and pursuing her master's degree at a time of uncertainty. Keli credits Vicki Quenga, 8th grade english teacher for motivating her to pursue her masters, and credits Kamehameha Schools and Pauahi for the blessings of the scholarships she received to lessen the financial burdens associated with attending school. Keli emphasized the importance of loving your career and what you do as opposed to choosing a career for the associated salary.
Janlisa Potratz also tied her background to the legacy of Pauahi as a 2nd generation graphic designer. Her father is a 1950 graduate of Kamehameha Kapalama Campus who taught her the old school techniques of graphic design. Janlisa shared how she was the goto person for art growing up in school. Classmates would ask her to work on things like campaign posters for class president. Interestingly, she still goes back to the basics when it comes to a lot of her design work, which includes a simple piece of paper and a yellow number 2 pencil. This is in contrast to the field that's currently dominated by technology and computer based design. Most importantly though she emphasized an unwavering work ethic and pride in her work accompanied by her eye to the future as she's always looking forward to the next project. Janlisa has been an entrepreneur since she was 25 and showed some of her works which included designs for Blue Ginger, Kimo Beans Coffee, and prestigious hotels such as the Grand Waikikian (Hilton).
Mahalo nui loa to the presenters who took time out of their day to share their knowledge and experience with us!
Janlisa sharing her entrepreneurial knowledge
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Kaipuolono Article, Maui Newsroom, Maui Middle School, Maui campus
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