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The St. Andrew’s Schools 224 Queen Emma Square Honolulu, HI 96813
224 Queen Emma Square Honolulu, HI 96813 THE MAGAZINE OF ST. ANDREW ’S SCHOOLS
At TheSchools St. Andrew’s Schools, we provide personalized, caring that passions makes a lasting impact on student lives. from Our St. Andrew’s provide signifi cant time for students to attention pursue their as well as receive support innovative programs spark academic excellence and introduce students to a world of future possibilities. mentors and organizations. Grounded by rigor and real-world experience, our graduates are fearless, creative, and bold – readyPlease to be help engaged in theproviding world and inspired to making itprograms more humane anda just. excelsEmma in purposeful pursuits us continue outstanding educational by making gift toEach the Queen Annual Fund. with the same courage and commitment modeled our students founder,today Queen Your generosity will directly by impact andEmma. for many years to come. You can use the enclosed envelope to make your contribution. Or visit us online at: www.standrewsschools.org/givetosas To learn more about how you can support The St. Andrew’s Schools, please contact Jennifer Burke, Director of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations at (808) 532-2441 or at jburke@standrewsschools.org. 44 T H E S T. A N D R E W ’ S S C H O O L S
ANNUAL REPORT OF GIVING 2019-20
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FALL/WINTER 2020
T R A N S F O R M AT I V E E D U C AT I O N
2019-20
Annual Report PLUS Through Their Eyes: Stevens Global Leadership Commencement 2020
Vice President for administration and secretary-treasurer. Her expertise in human resources (HR) was highly regarded by many organizations in Hawai‘i and she provided HR counsel to nonprofits in her role as a board member. During her time at the Council, the organization grew from 200 member companies to over 700 by the time she retired. Today, the organization services more than 800 companies in Hawai‘i in the area of HR and labor relations. Over the years, the leadership at St. Andrew’s Priory took on many new initiatives including the acquisition and opening of Queen Emma Preschool, launching of Queen Emma Center’s extended educational programs, the building and capital campaign for the school’s gym, and most recently, the opening of The Prep boys school grades K-6. Betty, along with other key board members, had many dreams for St. Andrew’s and worked tirelessly and gave generously to make those dreams a reality. In 2010, Betty’s Class of 1947 established an endowed fund in support of faculty advancement as a way of recognizing the impact their teachers and mentors at The Priory had in their lives. Before and after her retirement, Betty was deeply involved in community service, serving on the boards of St. Andrew’s Schools, The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Women’s Society, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Aloha United Way, Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union, YWCA, Industrial Relations Research Association, Society of Human Resources Management, Institute for Human Services, Cornell University, Neighborhood Justice Center, Junior Achievement of Hawaii, Hawaii Council on Economic Education, United Japanese Society of Hawaii, Selective Service System, and the VA Institutional Review Board. Rochelle Lee Gregson, a colleague of Betty’s at AUW, lauded Betty’s skills in her specialty, human resource issues.
Rochelle valued Betty’s insight so much that she “became something of a personal consultant and not just a volunteer advising” the non-profit. Betty would work “much more than she needed to, gently making suggestions to improve the charity’s success and never putting the staff or other volunteers on the defensive. Betty always had a great way of saying what she wanted to say.” Devoted as she was to helping others in the community, Betty was equally, if not more so, devoted to her family. Betty’s husband Shurei Hirozawa, who grew up on Kaua‘i, was the labor and business editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and later an AVP for economic research and vice president of public relations at First Hawaiian Bank. He was “revered by many as a soft-spoken gentleman who had a vast pool of knowledge.” Upon Shurei’s passing in 2002, Walter Dods Jr., former chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank, was quoted as saying, “He was a great personal friend. ... He was respected by every major CEO in Hawai‘i." Their daughter, Joan (Hirozawa) Fujita, enjoys sharing the story of how her parents met. Betty was part of a business panel being interviewed by local media. Shurei Hirozawa was one of the
journalists there reporting on the meeting and he asked Betty several questions. By the wit of her responses, and the consequently unforgettable conversation, Shurei knew by the end of the interview that he was going to ask Betty to marry him. “Mom and Dad got married at The Cathedral of St. Andrew,” said Joan Fujita. “They were both active members of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and the community.” The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, said “Betty had an amazing mind, top-notch, and I would sit next to her at board meetings just to hear her insights.” He called Betty “a woman gifted at giving,” whose “faith formation took place in equal measure at The Priory and at church.” Betty continues to bless the school today, her own spirit a giving, thoughtful, generous presence and a model for all of our students. Betty is survived by her three adult children, Gail, Joan (husband Jerry and sons Jake and Joey) Fujita, and Robert (wife Yukiko Ito and children Jewel and Joshua).
Inside
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FEATURES Commencement 2020 Through Their Eyes Stevens Global Leadership
24 58 03 04 84 88 90
FACULTY FOCUS Introducing Our New Faculty
ANNUAL REPORT Ke Ali‘i ‘Emalani 2019-20
IN EVERY ISSUE Letter from the Head of School Campus News Alumnae Class Notes In Memoriam
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Kūlia Magazine is published annually by the Communications Department. Admissions & Communications: Stephanie Jones Director of Enrollment Management Anela Akana Marketing & Communications Manager Advancement & Alumnae: Jennifer Burke Director of Institutional Advancement Megan Dung Advancement Assistant
Writing Contributors: Anela Akana, Jennifer Burke, Megan Dung, Marcie Herring, Ann Kamishita Ishida-Ho ’70, Mercedes Maskalik, Camille Michel, Kelsea Nakamura ’20, Judy Pietsch, Alden Watts Photo Contributors: Elizabeth McDonnell, Anela Akana, Stephanie Jones On the Cover: Shaye Nishimura ’20 Magazine Correspondence: communications@standrewsschools.org Alumnae Correspondence/ Change of Address: alumnae@standrewsschools.org St. Andrew’s Schools welcomes students of every race, religion, ethnic & national origin.
Our Mission
Managing Editor: Mercedes Maskalik
To educate students in a culture of care, respect, love, and service. Each child is known, challenged, understood, and empowered to Kūlia i ka Nu‘u – Strive for the Highest. Honoring our founder, Queen Emma Kaleleonālani, and with values deeply rooted in our Hawaiian and Episcopal heritage, St. Andrew’s Schools offers a personalized curriculum that inspires students to learn deeply, think critically, and lead courageously.
Connect with us www.facebook.com/ thinkstandrews
www.twitter.com/ thinkstandrews
www.instagram.com/ thinkstandrews
224 Queen Emma Square | Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
www.standrewsschools.org
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Letter from the
Head of School Dear Friends, As we reflect on the past school year, it is natural that we look to the graduating class because they are the embodiment of all that we teach and stand for at St. Andrew’s Schools. We are proud of the many achievements of the Class of 2020, who follow in the footsteps of previous graduating classes by being accomplished and awardwinning scholars, writers, musicians, and athletes, to name just a few areas in which our seniors excelled this year as individuals and in groups. What is truly special about the Class of 2020 is the way they navigated a path that no graduating class has ever set foot upon. In the midst of a pandemic that seemed to bring the entire globe to a standstill, our seniors, trusting in the guidance of the faculty and staff, led the way through the fog of the unknown – becoming a beacon of leadership for the rest of our students to follow. They saw how the vision of their senior year was changing before their eyes and while they mourned that loss, the young women of the Class of 2020 also held their heads high and finished out the year with tremendous courage and grace. We will never forget the example they set by putting the health and safety of each other and the community ahead of their own personal wishes, and the strength they exhibited by forging ahead not just to complete what they started but to excel beyond expectations. St. Andrew’s Schools is a special place. It is almost too ordinary to tout the
fact that our independent, curious, and uniquely gifted students are challenged, engaged, and empowered through our educational programs. We see and do these things every day – yet we also recognize how extraordinary this is because of the way the hearts and minds of teachers and students are joined together to create a learning experience like no other. This was put to the test in a very real way last spring when distance learning became the best and only choice to safely continue educating our students without sacrificing the quality of our programs. Despite the steep learning curve on both sides of the Zoom screen, our school community took on this challenge together and emerged stronger and more deeply connected than ever. This publication is in front of you because of your bond to St. Andrew’s Schools. Thank you for the place that you hold in our school’s long and beautiful history, and for the support that ensures that our amazing story will continue to unfold for generations to come. Enjoy this issue, which is just a small reflection of the many ways in which St. Andrew’s Schools strives – and succeeds – in reaching its highest aspirations, every day and every year. With warmest aloha,
Ruth R. Fletcher Head of School
Campus News
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An Action-Packed Summer at St. Andrew’s Schools
In the midst of a global pandemic, St. Andrew’s Schools found safe ways to help students excel during the summer months. “Through preparation, dedication, and a deep understanding of student needs, St. Andrew’s Schools persevered and provided students and their families with worldclass summer programs,” stated Alethia Donathan, Director of the Extended Learning Summer Program. “We didn’t feel it was right to deny students the summer courses that have been critical to the success of classes before them.” The Extended Learning Program introduced new online classes this past summer for students in grades 9-12, available to both public and private school students. “St. Andrew’s Schools believes that college prep should be accessible to all, which is why we accept students throughout the area whether they attend our school or not,” said Donathan. Upper School students enrolled in the Extended Learning Program earned college and high school credits through the St. Andrew’s curriculum as well as the Arizona State University Prep Digital (ASUPD) program.
For younger children, the Extended Learning Program helped K-8 students by keeping academics fresh in their minds. “Summer can often be a time when students experience learning loss if they’re not practicing the key skills and lessons that they’ve learned in school,” said Donathan. “Extended Learning helps students in grades K-8 keep their skills sharp with in-person courses offered at the downtown campus on Queen Emma Square. Even with social distancing and the other pandemic-related adjustments in place, students this year really felt the difference as they began their classes this fall. It’s a great way to ensure that your student doesn’t miss a beat when school starts.” And no summer is complete without the sheer enjoyment of Summer Adventure Camp – a 4-week day camp offering theme-inspired activities for students in grades K-8. The program looked different this past summer than it had in years past, but proved to be a wonderful opportunity for students to play and interact safely after months of quarantine and isolation.
Said Donathan, “Seeing the excitement reflected in the children’s eyes assured me that all the work it took to pull this off during such a challenging year was worth it. My heart is full of gratitude for our staff, our students, and our parents who have entrusted their students to us. We can’t wait to have them back again for our summer programs next year.”
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Learning Through Play Still a Fixture at Queen Emma Preschool “The pandemic may have changed entry procedures on campus, but it hasn’t changed who we are or the core of our mission,” Susan Okoga, Queen Emma Preschool Director, stated. “Learning through play is an essential part of a child’s development and something we knew we had to preserve even as we dealt with the challenges surrounding the pandemic.” For Queen Emma Preschool (QEP) parents, every day of the summer session began with a necessary routine: QEP faculty and staff directing them to a parking space, followed by a series of health questions before they were allowed to leave their student at school. Smaller student groups allowed faculty to keep the children safe while providing more one-to-one attention. “We were able to implement policies that not only kept students safe but allowed them to thrive even during this trying time,” said Okoga. In preschool, students took the lead and the teachers let their interests guide many of the projects, while still structuring them around learning. “While being mindful of safety and health precautions, we were still able to do a variety of activities this summer including animal research books, salad spinner art, and popsicle stick catapults, just to name a few. We even hosted a Spirit Week with each day’s theme chosen by the students! Pajama Day was a favorite,” said teacher, Shelley Kong. Okoga summed up the daily goal of the QEP faculty and staff by saying, “It is important to us at Queen Emma Preschool that when parents drop off their students in the morning, they leave feeling confident that their students are safe, well-cared for, and will have another fun-filled day of learning.”
Fun Times Ahead! New Playground Unveiled for Lower School “Playing is an essential component to leading a healthy life and, believe it or not, joyful play is one of the most important foundations of learning.” Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Head of School, shared those words on a propitious day for the Lower School community during the October 8 celebration marking the completed construction of their new playground structure, located on the field near Jubinsky Hall. The vision for the project was to provide a special place where students could experience joyous play while enhancing their overall health and wellbeing. Made from recyclable plastic that is both durable and weather-proof, the structure was built vertically to optimize the available space while incorporating physically challenging components for children of various stages of development. During the ceremony, the class presidents shared how much the new playground means to the Lower School and expressed their gratitude to all of those who made it come to fruition. “I personally really love being outdoors so receiving a new playground means a lot to exercise while having fun at the same time,” said Tahiwa “Kahula” VaughanDarval, President of The Priory Lower School Student Council (LSSC). “I am sure that with this new structure will come many new memories, great times, and so much fun for me and my fellow classmates here in the Lower School at St. Andrew’s.”
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Robert “Chip” Watts, The Prep LSSC Vice President expressed the importance of play during these uncertain times saying, “Now more than ever, it is important to play outside and build friendships from six feet apart. Playing here builds the school community to make it even stronger than it was before.” The Atherton Family Foundation, G.N. Wilcox Trust, Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, Matson, and an anonymous donor were acknowledged with sincere gratitude during the program for making
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the project possible. “We so appreciate all of you and all of your support. Because of you, our students will benefit from the tremendous power of play,” said Dr. Fletcher as she turned the program over to The Right Reverend Robert Fitzpatrick (“Bishop Bob”) for his ceremonial blessing. “Play is often called the work of children as it is through joyful play that children grow, learn, and thrive,” said Dr. Fletcher.
laying here builds the school community to P make it even stronger than it was before.” – Robert “Chip” Watts, The Prep LSSC Vice President
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Lower School Students Win First Circuit Law Day 2020 Art Contest
Rising to the Challenge: The Prep and The Priory Get Creative with Art Reenactments When the first wave of the pandemic hit in mid-March, many shuttered museums and galleries asked the same questions, “How can we connect a disconnected community with art?” and “How might we help add an element of fun to an otherwise isolating global quarantine?” Drawing inspiration from the Stay-at-Home Facebook Challenge by Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Los Angeles’ Getty Museum issued the Getty Challenge on Twitter, asking the world to recreate their favorite pieces of artwork using only items found in their homes. It was, of course, a tremendous success, with thousands of creative submissions pouring in.
For the third year in a row, Priory fifth graders entered the annual Law Day Poster Contest sponsored by the Hawai‘i Judiciary, and won! This year’s theme was Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100. Entries were judged on interpretation of the theme, originality, and visual impact. In the grades 3-5 category, Yunbin Ella Kim took third place, and Sanoe Harris took first place. They received certificates, medals, and had their artwork displayed in an O‘ahu courthouse. Since 1961, May 1st has been the official date for celebrating Law Day, which marks America’s commitment to the rule of law. The Law Day Art Poster Contest is part of the State of Hawai‘i Judiciary First Circuit Court’s commemoration of Law Day.
Imitation is indeed the best form of flattery. Cynthia Kinnear, a fifthgrade teacher at The Prep, turned the homemade art remake challenge into a lesson for her students, but with a twist. The assignment: find any famous work of portrait art (statues were also allowed) and recreate it with the student as the subject, paying special attention to facial expression, pose, and background.
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“The boys enjoyed this lesson because they love to be creative and they enjoy having a choice in their learning,” said Kinnear. “I liked how they paid attention to details and tried to emulate the emotion in the art. I was so impressed with how the recreations came out!” The Priory first grade class studying Jane Goodall joined the fun by reenacting scenes and portraits from Goodall’s iconic photographs. In the Upper School, World History I and II students approached The Getty Challenge with a few modifications. Students were tasked with recreating a single piece of artwork using only three objects or other people in their homes. “It was a lighthearted activity that made our confined students and all participants look at artwork more mindfully,” said Murielle Sipola, The Priory World History teacher.
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I liked how they paid attention to details and tried to emulate the emotion in the art. I was so impressed with how the recreations came out!” – Cynthia Kinnear, The Prep 5th. grade teacher
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A Moving Oli at the ‘Ōnipa‘a Procession
Priory Enters the Esports Arena
“You could hear the sweet melody of their voices rise up and reverberate, echoing off the high-rise buildings of downtown and through its busy thoroughfares,” Kumu Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan recalls fondly of St. Andrew’s Schools’ participation in the January ‘Ōnipa‘a Kākou procession. “Attending the procession was important for our keiki. The history of Hawai‘i is certainly a part of who we are today and who we will be in the future. Acknowledging history promotes awareness and growth in the hearts of our keiki,” added Vaughan, who organized and led the school in its attendance.
by Kelsea Nakamura ’20
It’s no secret that video games are as normal for teenagers as tea and coffee are for adults. Nowadays though, there’s way more to gaming than a high score celebration at the end of a game. There are college scholarships, national tournaments, and incredibly high-paying jobs at the end of the proverbial (and possibly pixelated) rainbow. According to CNN, Electronic Sports (esports) is a billion-dollar industry with hundreds of millions of fans and spectators. Universities committed more than $16 million in esports scholarships last year, and middle and high schools are taking note. Last year, St. Andrew’s Schools introduced esports in the Upper School and already, Priory girls are making history. While professional and collegiate esports players compete in several different tournaments, the Hawai‘i private school teams, which operate under the Interscholastic League of Hawai‘i (ILH), have only a handful of options, such as Fortnight, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Smite. The St. Andrew’s Schools team participates in League of Legends, which is free to play and one of the most popular online multiplayer games. The Priory team is unique in that it is the only all-girl team in the nation! Kamaehukai Delude ’20 always enjoyed playing video games growing up and was happy to be the team captain in 2019-2020. “When Mrs. Landgraf proposed the idea of starting an esports team, I jumped right on board. I enjoy video games and was excited about the idea of playing video games at school. I also wanted to introduce other girls at our school to it,” said Delude. Play on!
Students from The Prep and The Priory, along with faculty and staff, stood on the lawn of The Cathedral of St. Andrew facing Beretania Street to show support of those marching in the ‘Ōnipa‘a Kākou procession to commemorate the 127th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. The procession started at the Royal Mausoleum and, as it passed, students stood proudly and raised their voices to offer the gift of oli – chanting “Eō Ke Kuini.”
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The procession froze, turned to the students in rapt attention, and listened, giving the stage to the students’ voices. The words and meaning of the oli were especially moving in those few moments, and Queen Emma’s love and compassion were felt in the cadence and tone of the student voices. Touched by the words, many in the crowd and procession, when the oli was finished, responded, “Eō!” with tears flowing from their eyes.
It was a collective “chicken-skin” moment – one shared across a multitude of social media platforms and accounts. “St. Andrew’s carries the memories of Hawai‘i’s history,” says Vaughan. “The voices of our students were felt and heard throughout the Lāhui, reminding all that the heart of Queen Emma and St. Andrew’s is still here, forever connected to this ‘āina.”
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Eureka! Priory Students Put Science into Practice St. Andrew’s Schools was chosen as the pilot site for the ‘Āina-informatics program, a program that enables participating schools to do hands-on experiments with genetics and DNA. At the 2019 Schools of the Future Conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center, the work of Priory students was showcased, including their findings, part of which led to the opportunity to make a real contribution to science in the naming of a new, uncharacterized bacterium.
Bradyrhizobium Prioratisuperbia
Priory students conducted a lab experiment in which they sequenced the genome of a bacterium they isolated from a lava cave on the Big Island. Precise work by the students resulted in the successful sequencing of 800,000 DNA fragments, totaling 5.5 million nucleotides. Because these DNA sequences belonged to an uncharacterized bacterium in the Bradyrhizobium genus, students had the
honor of giving it an official name. The students decided to name the bacterium after Priory Pride or Bradyrhizobium Prioratisuperbia.
Wild Papayas and The Proliferation of GMOs
In other work, Priory students examined wild papayas to see if they had been genetically modified. To do this, students brought in papayas from their backyards and extracted DNA to analyze them for the presence of foreign DNA that has been introduced into the DNA of modern papayas to make them more resistant to ringspot virus. Students successfully analyzed 10 samples and found that the majority of their wild, backyard papayas were genetically modified. The one papaya sample that was not genetically modified had the ringspot virus. This experiment demonstrated why GMO papayas were created and illustrated why some are concerned about the uncontrolled spread of GMOs in the wild.
The students’ work was co-presented at the Schools of the Future Conference by Dr. Mai Luong, who said, “Science is a space for all genders. We want our [female] students to know that science is a viable career option for them – that they belong.”
Scholastic Art Awards In January 2020, the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts announced the regional award recipients of the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Presented by the nonprofit organization,the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the 97th Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the country’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in grades 7–12. Gold Key and Silver Key award-winning artworks were displayed at the Hawai‘i State Art Museum in February and March. Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have identified students with exceptional creative ability. More than half a million pieces are submitted each year to be evaluated on their originality, technical skill, and personal voice or vision. Past recipients include Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol. Three honors are awarded at the regional level: Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mentions. Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal with Distinction, Silver Medal, and direct scholarship awards.
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The Prep Goes to Camp Mokulē‘ia A new tradition may be on the horizon for The Prep. Fourth and fifth grade students enjoyed the opportunity to attend Camp Mokulē‘ia last December. Solidifying the bonds between the boys through activities that require teamwork, teach compromise, and inspire leadership is the primary goal of the trip, now in its second year. Chaperone and The Prep fifth grade teacher, Samantha Delgado, felt that one of the most valuable takeaways for the boys was cooperation and collaboration. “We wanted them to learn how to work with all of the boys, not just their close friends,” she reflects. “I believe they successfully bonded and learned how to cooperate to solve a problem. I saw a difference amongst the boys in my class.” Delgado recalls a challenge called “Half Pipe” being the epitome of these skills. In the challenge, the boys called upon problem-solving skills and teamwork to successfully deliver a marble from one end of a basketball court into a small cup at the other end of the court using only small pipes. “They needed to work together to
control the speed of the marble, which was frustrating for some who wanted to rush through – some even wanted to quit. But they stuck with it and after an hour when they finally accomplished the task, they all took off joyfully running and hugging one another! It was truly an awesome moment!”
The Prep dad and chaperone, Ricardo Yost, felt the time away from home and all things familiar helped develop independence in the students. “Camp was a real eye-opener for the boys – being away from their parents forced them to figure things out on their own. I feel there was a measure of growth that took place, even if it was for such a short period of time,” he said.
Congratulations to the 2020 Scholastic Art winners Christy Kwok ’20 Gold Medal in Photography Title: Underneath
Cherisse Wong ’22 Silver Medal in Digital Art Title: Starry Cranes
Ava Makanui ’20 Silver Medal in Photography Title: True Colors
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Rock the Vote! The Attorney General Inspires Future Women Leaders To celebrate the centennial year of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, which granted voting rights to women on August 26, 1920, State Attorney General Clare Connors kicked off a series of school visits, beginning with St. Andrew’s Schools. The purpose of her visits was to educate students about the daunting seven-decade struggle of the suffragettes and to get students excited about voting. Misha Matsumoto Yee’s U.S. History students were inspired to exercise their right to vote after Connors spoke to them about Susan B. Anthony, who was arrested after voting with 15 other women in the 1872 presidential election. In her presentation, Connors discussed the obstacles the Suffragettes encountered, and ultimately overcame, to win the right to vote for women – relating the sacrifices to her success and position today. Connors began her personal journey narrative with an admission: she didn’t realize she wanted to study law until later
in life but knew that it began with her caring about a single cause - Earth and the environment. At law school, she was shy and often outnumbered by the male voices in her classes. Drawing strength from the experiences of suffragettes and the other great female leaders of history, she pressed on and made it a point to be heard. “I think everyone can relate to being shy,” says History teacher Matsumoto-Yee. “The fact that she drew strength from those who came before her to speak out and accomplish her dream is a lesson in
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perseverance -- a lesson that we want to impart to the students at our school. We want them to have the internal drive and determination they need to overcome challenges, accomplish what they want, and become role models to others.” Connors impressed upon students the importance of having more women in leadership positions, and the alternative viewpoints and approach to issues each new female voice will contribute, ultimately adding value to national discourse and society as a whole.
The young women of today, free to study, to speak, to write, to choose their occupation, should remember that every inch of this freedom was bought for them at a great price. It is for them to show their gratitude by helping onward the reforms of their own times, by spreading the light of freedom and of truth still wider. The debt that each generation owes to the past it must pay to the future.” – Abigail Scott Duniway, suffragist, 1834-1915
A Year in Review
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Priory in the City
Then and Now
When life is fundamentally altered, what do we do? We adapt. Our intentionally small community is our strength and our families are our superpower. Before and during the global pandemic, Priory parents answered our call to provide professional networking and mentoring opportunities at their businesses through Priory in the City. This extraordinary year was no exception as we transitioned from in-person career trips to virtual visits. Priory in the City is designed to help students explore their passions, see opportunities to create solutions to real-life challenges, and align their career interests with higher education. This signature approach incorporates Asia Society’s SAGE framework: Student choice, Authentic work, Global significance, and Exhibition to a real-world audience.
What do Uncle Brian, Aunty Chris, Aunty Darcy, Aunty Holly, and Uncle Dan have in common? They are Priory parents who generously provided behind-the-scenes access to explore the fields of engineering, banking, higher education, interior design, and computer science. We visited Amelia’s ’21 dad at Allison-Ide Structural Engineers, Ku‘ulei’s ’21 mom at First Hawaiian Bank, and Erica ’21 and Nicole’s ’21 mom at Hawai‘i Pacific University. Prior career trips included visiting Ayla’s ’21 mom at Philpotts Interiors and Emma’s ’20 dad at Hawai‘i National Bank. Priory in the City appreciates our families and their willingness to share their professional insights and workplace environments.
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Priory in the City THEN: Professional Networking In-Person
Girl Power: Priory Students Make a Splash at Girls’ Summit 2020
What is a “Yes!” moment? On our career trip to First Hawaiian Bank, several Priory students glimpsed their yes moment: a preferred future profession or experience that aligns with their career interests. Personalization is at the heart of our Priory in the City experience. As we visited the personal and small business banking areas, Amelia ’21 reflected on her aspirations, “Since I’m thinking about majoring in business, this career trip is insightful in understanding this field.” One of the bankers shared that she participated in a college internship at First Hawaiian Bank and then began working at the bank. Encouraged, Amelia took the initiative to secure a personal internship with a downtown business following the career trip. The trip to First Hawaiian Bank also inspired ideas beyond the topic of finances. The bank partners with the Honolulu Museum of Art to showcase Hawai‘i artists at their downtown corporate headquarters. Kira-Ann appreciated First Hawaiian Bank’s commitment to arts and culture. “I liked the art gallery and various works of art,” the aspiring photographer stated. According to The New York Times, “In the past decade, only 11 percent of all work acquired by the country’s top museums was by women.” Our Priory creatives are thinking about curating an exhibition in the Priory in the City design studio to highlight and celebrate underrepresented female artists. The bank and professional interactions inspired students to think about future careers and provided exposure to various work environments within the financial industry. This school year, seniors will engage in their Priory in the City internships working with mentors and contributing to significant workplace projects. We are incredibly grateful to Aunty Chris, Ku‘ulei’s ’21 mom, and her colleagues for coordinating this career trip for students. The class took a photo near First Hawaiian Bank’s “YES” sign because it is a direct reflection of our aspiration: that students have real-world learning experiences and professional skills to respond to life’s opportunities with a resounding, “Yes!”
“Empowering students to advocate for themselves and change the world is woven into the very fabric of who we are as a school,” said Nicole Field, Upper School Principal of The Priory. Field was thrilled when Noreen Stollberg, grandmother of junior Jemma Stollberg, provided the opportunity for sophomores and juniors to attend the 2020 Girls’ Summit this past February. The annual event’s theme this year, Ignite Your Potential, celebrated girls, successful female leaders, and the power of advocacy. Priory students participated in a mentoring session with female leaders and engaged in STEM and leadership workshops with topics that ranged from Students Who Save the World, DISC Leadership Styles, and Finance Savvy, to Dear World Message. With a commitment to effecting change, Priory girls joined the Summit fully prepared to dive into conversations focused on climate change, food security, affordable housing, and other important issues. In the aforementioned workshop, Dear World Message, students penned thoughtful and heartfelt notes to the world. A missive from Jemma’s message profoundly notes, “This isn’t the world we were promised.” For Jemma, advocacy is most impactful when students use their voice to impact change on issues they are passionate about. “It helps to take the issues to the people in power to do things about it, like heads of big corporations, NGOs, or governments,” Jenna stated during an advocacy session. Generous St. Andrew’s Schools supporters like the Stollbergs and partnerships with organizations such as the YWCA O‘ahu made it possible for Priory students to continue to learn about critical community issues, advocating for change, and exploring opportunities to contribute to the world in meaningful ways.
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Priory in the City NOW: Professional Networking Pivots to Virtual Career Trips When our classes went online, we asked, “How might we keep the essence of networking and mentoring for Priory in the City?” Our St. Andrew’s Schools ‘ohana delivered by providing virtual career trips and opportunities to learn valuable professional skills. Priory in the City students ask thoughtful questions based on research. Prior to career trips, students research companies and personalize their learning by preparing relevant questions. Faye’s ’21 dad, Uncle Cliff, and his colleagues gave juniors a virtual tour of Spirent
Communications because students were interested in engineering and computer science. After the career trip, Spirent Communications shared they were, “impressed with the girls.” Priory in the City students network with professionals to explore prospective careers and align goals. Reflecting on the Spirent Communications career trip Robin ’21 said, “I want to pursue a STEM occupation in the future and am considering engineering. I wasn’t quite sure what the classes were that you had to take but based on the answers, I
seem to be on the right track. I have and will be taking a math and science course all through my high school career.” Priory in the City students determine the kind of professional they aspire to be. Amelie’s ’21 dad, Uncle Hanan, gave students a virtual tour of Layout Etc., Inc., which specializes in custom cabinetry, because students were interested in entrepreneurship. Following the tour, Amanda ’21 expressed her appreciation of being able to hear, firsthand, an entrepreneurial success story. “I learned that a major factor of having a good reputation is through word of mouth,” she reflected. Priory in the City students engage in personal reflection inspired by workplace experiences. Luke’s ’29 dad, Uncle Kevin, gave students interested in management a virtual tour of Ashford+Wriston, a law firm. After the tour Ayla ’21 said, “I appreciated when you were vulnerable about your challenging situations. That caused me to understand that there are always challenging situations to face but we can learn and grow from it. I will definitely apply this to my life because I can always use a reminder that nothing is ever promised but if it’s something you really are determined to do then it will most likely end up in your favor.”
MARCIE UEHARA HERRING Marcie’s ears smile when she hears people’s dreams. As the Priory in the City director, Marcie Uehara Herring supports students in developing their strengths, designing a career pathway, and delivering their professional brand to contribute in meaningful ways. Marcie graduated from the Shidler College of Business at UH and earned her Master of Education at Harvard University. One of her favorite spaces is the design studio at St. Andrew’s Schools where students receive college, career, and life coaching.
As we acknowledge the challenges of these unprecedented times, we also see the creative ways our school is able to provide meaningful opportunities. Mahalo to our St. Andrew’s Schools ‘ohana for supporting virtual networking and mentoring. We honor social distancing and continue the spirit of Priory in the City by safely staying six feet…together.
A Year in Review
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Several athletes were chosen to represent their teams for the Times Shop and Score. The athletes featured in the Midweek Magazine Times ad: Maya Reed ’20, Kayin Bohnet ’21, Pilialoha Jones ’22, Hannah Okuda ’21, Ava Makanui ’20, Olivia Reed ’22, Patricia Au ’21, and Jenna Shigezawa ’20
2019-20 Athletic Highlights In March, COVID-19 hit the island and unfortunately won the race for the spring athletes, causing all spring sports to be canceled. Although it was a disappointing time for our teams, some of our coaches still made the season special for the athletes. We look forward to athletics beginning once again in January 2021.
JV Paddling Team placed 3rd in ILH
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The first-ever St. Andrew’s Relay Team headed to the HHSAA State Swimming Meet in Maui. Team members were: Marion Strehle, Kira Terada, Anna Mehnert and Mattox Oie. Maya Reed ’20 was named ILH Division III Basketball Player of the Year.
St. Andrew’s Tennis Coaches, Cathlene (Goya) Ogimi and Rachel Mizuno, visiting their senior athletes.
Traditions
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Mauna ‘Ala 2020 On January 21, 2020, St. Andrew’s Schools celebrated the 184th birthday of our founder, Emma Kalanikaumaka‘amano Kaleleonālani Na‘ea Rooke (January 2, 1836 – April 25, 1885). A transformational leader, Queen Emma dedicated herself to serving the health, educational, and spiritual needs of her people. Queen Emma is often referred to as “the people’s queen” due to her commitment and dedication to improving the lives of others. She recognized the need for young girls to have access to quality education and in 1867, founded St. Andrew’s Priory School for Girls. Since our founding, the school has grown to include The Prep and Queen Emma Preschool. Today we continue to live out the school motto, Kūlia i ka Nu‘u - Strive for the Highest.
The celebration of Queen Emma’s birthday began in The Cathedral of St. Andrew with an all-school chapel, followed by the presentation of ho‘okupu (tribute) to Queen Emma’s bust in the James and Abigail Campbell Park. Students representing their respective grade levels approached with reverence as they offered a rose or maile lei to honor Queen Emma for her daring vision and courage.
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The Classes of 2020 and 2021, as well as several faculty and staff, then traveled to Mauna ‘Ala, the Royal Mausoleum, where a special service was held to commemorate the life and legacy of Queen Emma. Mauna ‘Ala was planned by Queen Emma and her husband Kamehameha IV as the burial site for their families and is today the final resting place of Hawai‘i’s two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha dynasty and the Kalākaua dynasty. At the service held in the historic chapel at Mauna ‘Ala, our beloved Bishop Bob officiated the ceremony and Kumu Aggy Kusunoki served as this year’s guest speaker. Guests in attendance included the Hawaiian Royal Benevolent Societies, the Hawaiian Civic Clubs, community representatives, clergy, the School’s Board of Trustees and their special guests, Priory alumnae, and many others.
Kumu Aggy spoke passionately to students and guests about Queen Emma’s life and legacy. “As the beneficiaries of what Emma envisioned and created, we have the kuleana (responsibility) to perpetuate Emma’s legacy. We must go and embody Emma’s light in a world that is dark and desperately needs more goodness.” The day of honor and recognition concluded with a procession to the Kamehameha Tomb where the members of Hui Hau‘oli performed and guests and our students presented ho‘okupu to honor our beloved ‘Emalani.
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Mauna ‘Ala Guest Speaker Kumu Aggy Kusunoki Change is a universal truth. Time will pass and what is familiar and comforting for us now, may not always be there in the same way in the future. What we must do is look for ways to persevere and continue on in life when the change may, at times, seem all too much. In order to acclimate to change, I feel we must each find our constant. A constant: someone or something we can turn to when the world around us seems out of sorts. Without a constant, we lose track of what we should be doing. We lose track of what should be our course. We may even lose track of who we are. As I reflect on the changes in my life, I immediately think of our beloved ‘Emalani, who had a life of great joy and then extreme sorrow. Her life as she knew it was ripped away from her, with
seemingly no explanation. Her life was changed. How did Emma continue on? What helped her navigate through her time of devastation and loss? Accounts of Emma during this dark time in her life reveal that she truly was devastated. Her character was forever changed after the death of her son and then her husband. Her grief was so great that she slept beneath the tamarind tree at the grave of her little boy. Manley Hopkins, who knew Emma well, wrote that it was almost as if she “remained unconscious of the whole outer world”
“
(Korn, 1976: Introduction: xlii). Emma’s ‘ohana, her hoa, and especially Ke Akua kept her going through favorable and tumultuous times. Queen Emma’s cousin, Peter Kaeo, has been at the forefront of my mind. I read about Peter Kekuaokalani a few years ago, and he kept coming to mind -- over and over and over again -- as I was preparing for this day. I took it as a hō‘ailona. Peter was Emma’s cousin, the son of Emma’s aunt, Jane Lahilahi Young. Peter and Emma were neighbors and
We must be like Emma and identify those people in our lives who will be our guiding stars, our constants, those who will keep us on a path.”
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schoolmates and favored companions of one another. But Peter fell victim to leprosy and was sent away from O‘ahu to Kalaupapa. During his three-year exile, Peter and Emma devotedly wrote back and forth to one another. I have not finished reading all one hundred and twenty-two letters, but the importance of family is evident in the letters I have read. For me, these letters reaffirm that there will always be those who keep us going when times are difficult. These letters may almost seem mundane, but I see so much more in these interactions. I see two cousins who care deeply about one another – the kind of family that we all hope to have. Family that will be there for us, will listen to everything. Family that will be our constant and keep us steady when the world around us is in change or we are separated by oceans. Senior class ladies, as Ke Akua leads you on new adventures in the years to come, my hope for you is that you identify who in your life will be your constant. The adults around you have nurtured and supported you. But remember, they were once in your position – embarking on new adventures and in periods of great change. If you look around, everyone here has gone through these periods of change and flux and each one of us is still here today. I would venture to guess that these adults had to find their own constants, and are here today because of that support. Emma is a beacon of light for so many people. She is the reason we are all here today. Each one of us here is blessed to be her pua, the beneficiaries of her actions. We are all connected to this one woman, Emma, in various ways. Connected through a courageous, brilliant, and kind woman who was born almost 200 years ago. We must be like Emma and identify those people in our lives who will be our guiding stars, our constants, those who will keep us on a path.
As the beneficiaries of what Emma and her kāne envisioned and created, we have the kuleana to perpetuate Emma’s legacy. We must go and embody Emma’s light in a world that is dark and desperately needs more goodness. Being her light in the world is not a choice, but a kuleana. A responsibility. A privilege. Kuleana is tied to relationships. Priory ladies, you may not have realized this kuleana when you first started at The Priory, but now that you are associated with Queen Emma and the vision she had for young women, you must uphold her legacy. It is a privilege to be her beneficiary, and there is no other option but to always be your best self. Many of our constants, our stars, are no longer physically with us. When it seems almost too difficult to continue on, when the grief overcomes us, remember: Even
though we are physically separated from them by death, their light still shines so brightly that they continue to guide what we do. Emma is, in the body, physically gone but her legacy is still all around us. We must keep her at the forefront of our minds and perpetuate her legacy of kindness, compassion, brilliance, and courage to continue on when we feel we no longer can. That is our kuleana. That is what we must do because we are connected to Emma. In a world of change – loss, joy, devastation, and elation – Emma will always be our constant. As her pua, we will forever benefit from her. No matter how near or far you may go from this place, know the love and light of your ‘ohana, this ‘āina, Ke Akua, and Queen Emma will bring you home.
Faculty & Staff News
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Welcome New
Faculty
St. Andrew’s Schools is cultivating the faculty of the future – replacing treasured teachers with dynamic members who bring fresh perspectives to their discipline areas. We are pleased to welcome the following new faculty and staff to our talented and dedicated team.
Rebecca Carbajal
Megan Dung
Mara Elliott
Rebecca Carbajal is our 2nd grade teacher for the first semester during Ms. Shay Rego’s maternity leave. Ms. Carbajal worked at St. Andrew’s Schools for the last two years in the After School Care program. She completed her student teaching experience with Mrs. Koseki in The Priory Kindergarten class and graduated from Hawai‘i Pacific University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She also taught 2nd and 3rd graders during summer school.
Megan Dung serves as our Advancement Assistant this year. She was most recently a project manager for the Hawai‘i Education of the Arts and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Vocal Performance with an English minor from Chapman. Ms. Dung recently completed her MFA in Arts and Leadership from Seattle University where she was the proud recipient of the Carol Clay Arts Leadership Scholarship.
Mara Elliott is our 5th and 6th grade science and math teacher for The Priory Lower School. Ms. Elliott earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies with a specialization in Linguistics from the University of San Diego. An avid surfer and world traveler, her most recent teaching position was at the Bambini English Academy in Taiwan before she returned home to Hawai‘i.
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Mara Garcia
Scott Herzer
Rev. Heather Patton-Graham
Mara Garcia joined our community as our Wellness Director. Ms. Garcia serves as our school counselor and champion of social-emotional learning on our Queen Emma Square Campus. She earned her B.A. in Sociology and Anthropology with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of Redlands and her M.A.in Community Counseling from Gonzaga University. Ms. Garcia most recently served as the Wellness Educator at Geffen Academy at UCLA and is delighted to return to O‘ahu where she grew up. Her sons Mateo and Kainoa are enrolled at The Prep.
Scott Herzer teaches English in The Priory Upper School and also supports the school counseling program. He previously worked at Punahou School as an English teacher and dean and has more than 30 years of experience as a counselor, student activities coordinator, and coach in post-secondary and secondary education. Mr. Herzer earned his A.B. in English Literature at Whitman College and holds an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Student Development and Education Administration from Azusa Pacific University, and an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the University of Alaska.
The Rev. Heather Patton-Graham joined us this year as our Chaplain. She also serves as the vicar of The Cathedral of St. Andrew. Chaplain Heather earned her B.A. in American Studies from the University of Delaware and her M. Div. from The General Theological Seminary in New York. Chaplain Heather served most recently as the Chaplain for ‘Iolani School. She is married to Reverend Alexander “Sandy” Graham who is the Diocesan Canon for Congregational Life and Leadership at The Cathedral of St. Andrew. Their daughter Kate recently graduated from The University of the South.
Peng Ratchaworapong Peng Ratchaworapong, with over twenty years of experience in the IT field, has joined our community as our Information Technology Director. Mr. Ratchaworapong earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and his Master of Science in Information Systems from the University of Colorado, Denver. Most recently, Mr. Ratchaworapong served as the lead faculty area chair of the College of Business and Information Technology at the University of Phoenix Hawai‘i Campus. His daughter Leilani is enrolled at The Priory.
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Samantha Stenger
James Stevens
Colleen Treacy ’84
Samantha Stenger began serving as our registrar midway through the 2019-2020 school year. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Kentucky and her Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and Human Services from Eastern Kentucky University. Ms. Stenger most recently served as an academic advisor at Hawai‘i Pacific University and is an avid runner.
James Stevens is our 5th and 6th grade science and math teacher for The Prep. He also taught P.E. as a long-term substitute during our remote learning this past spring. Mr. Stevens earned his B.A. in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and is a former head coach and program director of the Mt. Hood Meadows Race Team, a competitive ski racing club in Oregon.
Colleen Treacy ’84 serves as our school nurse this year. Ms. Treacy is an alumna of The Priory who brings with her a wealth of nursing experience from her 21 years in the Air Force, including a chief nurse position at Hickam Air Force Base here in Hawai‘i. Ms. Treacy has cared for children in the hospital, in the air, and in deployed locations. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Alabama and her Master of Science in Health Sciences, Disaster and Emergency Management, from Touro University International. Among her many accomplishments was being awarded the Air Force Materiel Command Critical Care Nurse of the Year in 2009.
Richard Wong Richard Wong joined us as our Accounting and Human Resource Manager. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting and his Master of Business Administration from Hawai‘i Pacific University. His previous experience includes serving as Vice President and Controller at Staffing Partners Hawai‘i. Mr. Wong is fluent in Japanese and loves playing the violin.
Points of Pride
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LAW DAY CONTEST 2020 Hawai‘i State Judiciary opened the contest to all students on Oahu in grades 3 – 8
1st place & 3rd place
National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Winners
1 Gold 2 Silver AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award
2020 Winner
Fifth-grader Sanoe Harris qualified for the State Geography Bee
HAIS District Science Fair 2020 Five 6th grade students placed and advanced to the 2020 Hawai‘i State Science & Engineering Fair
Festival Disney
Under Director Chad Uyehara, the orchestra received the Best in Class award. 10th-grade violist Claire Cronin received a Gold award for being the highest scoring soloist in the Solo & Ensemble component of the competition.
Half of the 2020 graduating class took AP Computer Science. The Priory is one of only 639 schools to be recognized for achieving this important result in AP CSP.
HAWAI‘I HISTORY DAY HONOLULU DISTRICT COMPETITION
Seventh-grader Sophia Cruz advanced to the State Finals
O‘ahu Band Directors’ Association Solo & Ensembles Festival GOLD MEDAL: OBOE – Fay Cordeiro ’21 GOLD MEDAL: FRENCH HORN – Leticia Au ’21 SILVER MEDAL: FLUTE – Ashlyn Kim ’21
Clarence T. Ching Inspired in Hawai‘i Essay Contest Alexandrea Wong ’20 was awarded first place Jenna Shigezawa ’20 was awarded second place
ONE OF 10 HAWAI‘I SCHOOLS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE GIRLS GO CYBERSTART NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
St. Andrew's Schools placed third in the state in the National competition.
Board of Trustees News
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Welcome New
Board Members St. Andrew’s Schools announces the appointment of Darlena Chadwick, Vice President of Patient Care at The Queen’s Health Systems, as the Chair of the St. Andrew’s Schools Board of Trustees. The school also welcomes two new Board members: Beverly Ament, President of Island Insurance Companies, and Rev. Paul Lillie, Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Dr. Fletcher added, “We are very excited to welcome our new trustees. Bev Ament is a proud graduate of The Priory who has shared how pleased she is to be giving back to the great institution that gave her so much. Fr. Paul Lillie is grateful for the opportunity to serve and we are looking forward to his contributions to our Board.” At the last Board meeting of 2019-20, Dr. Fletcher thanked outgoing Chair Patty Foley, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Central Pacific Bank, for her commitment and strong spirit of collaboration during her tenure as Chair. Foley will remain on the Board as a trustee and a member of the Executive and Finance Committees.
Darlena Chadwick, MBA, MSN, FACHE Vice President, Patient Care, The Queen’s Health Systems Chair, St. Andrew’s Schools Board of Trustees
Ms. Chadwick has been at The Queen’s Health Systems (QHS) since 2005. She was previously COO for the Hawai‘i Cancer Consortium for the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center; Executive Director, Oncology Service Line at Hawai‘i Pacific Health; and an oncology nurse, nursing supervisor, and manager at Kuakini Health System. Ms. Chadwick holds an MBA in Healthcare from California Coastal University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. Prior to coming to Hawai‘i, Ms. Chadwick spent 11½ years as active duty Air Force and nine years in the Air Force Reserves. Ms. Chadwick has been very involved in the community including serving as a board member for the Queen’s Development Corporation, Legacy of Life – Hawai‘i, and the American College of Healthcare Executives (past president). Professional memberships include the Hawai‘i Society of Clinical Oncology, Association of Cancer Executives, Association of Community Cancer Centers, National Consortium of Breast Centers, Inc., State of Hawai‘i Cancer Steering Committee, Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition Committee, Association of Nursing Leaders, and Oncology Nursing Society. “Darlena Chadwick has been a dedicated board member for the past four years and we are thrilled that she continues to share her insights and leadership skills with even greater impact as the Board Chair,” said Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Head of School. “We are especially grateful for her expertise and guidance during this time as we continually review our policies and procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. With Darlena’s help, St. Andrew’s Schools is very well positioned to provide a safe, healthy environment for our students and their families, as well as our employees.”
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this world, and I believe joining the board has provided me the opportunity to help better serve our community.
What have been some of the most memorable moments you’ve had as a board member?
with Darlena
The most memorable moments I’ve had are watching the students grow into independent and strong young adults. Over the years, I have seen many students get accepted into great colleges including Ivy League Schools. This inspires me and warms my heart!
Why did you choose to serve as the board chair this year? What are your connections to St. Andrew’s Schools? Queen Emma founded both St. Andrew’s Schools and The Queen’s Medical Center. As a Vice President of Patient Care at The Queen’s Health Systems, I share her strong commitment and vision to enhance the health and education of the people of Hawai‘i. Many of our healthcare providers chose St. Andrew’s Schools for their children and my amazing granddaughter, Mila, currently attends St. Andrew’s Schools.
How do your personal values align with those of the School's? As leaders, I feel we have a duty to continue the Queen’s legacy of caring for the well-being of Native Hawaiians
and all the people of Hawai‘i. My values include being dependable and trustworthy. As a female leader in our community, I have a strong personal commitment to bringing our children back to Hawai‘i to be the resilient leaders of the future. I have confidence that if we all get involved we will be able to help improve education and health, which will have a significant impact on their lives.
Why did you join the board? My previous leader/mentor provided me with the background and the mission of St. Andrew’s, and I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of this team. There is a connection between what I do at the hospital and how I can help the school. I want to make a difference in
I am passionate about health and education, particularly in our Native Hawaiian population, and I hope to help change some of the disparities we see.
What about St. Andrew’s inspires you? EVERYTHING! St. Andrew’s Schools is a hidden gem in the heart of downtown Honolulu. The small class sizes help to provide individualized attention to each student. All students receive outstanding college counseling and we excel at building a strong business and science core. The best role model is Queen Emma. At such a young age she founded a hospital and St. Andrew’s Priory—WOW!
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Beverly Chong Ament ’68
President, Island Insurance Companies Trustee, St. Andrew’s Schools Board of Trustees
As President of Island Insurance Companies, Ms. Ament provides strategic leadership and serves as a visionary for its nearly 150 employees. Prior to her appointment as President, Ms. Ament was Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer where she was responsible for the management and underwriting of all commercial and personal insurance for Island Insurance Companies. Her previous experience includes: Bishop Insurance Company, Ltd. (a branch company of Commercial Union Insurance Company), Bishop Insurance Agency, Ltd., Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland, John Kiner Insurance Agency, Beck, Kudlick & Swartman, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Construction Financial Management Association, General Contractors Association, The Hawaii Surety Association, and The National Association of Surety Bond Producers. Ms. Ament previously served on the board of directors of Palolo Chinese Home and is active in industry and business organizations. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the board of directors of the Hawaii Property Insurance Association. Ms. Ament earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northern Colorado and is a graduate of The Priory School for Girls.
with Beverly What is a typical day for you as the President of Island Insurance Companies? I wake up at 3 a.m. and am typically in the office by 5 a.m. We have business relationships with people from all around the world so emails usually start going out by then to meet and get in contact with those living in different time zones. In a non-COVID world, people start getting into the office around 7 a.m., and every quarter we had a “Breakfast with Bev” where I would update all of our employees on the current happenings in the company. My days are usually taken up by meetings and talking with people. I usually go home around 5 p.m. and continue to go through my inbox and answer emails from there.
How was the transition during COVID for you and your employees? We are very fortunate to be considered an essential business so we are doing just fine. We were actually looking to go more online before the pandemic, so it was just about actually making it
happen. We wanted our employees safe and, since most of them had computers at home, our IT department was able to link work desktops to their home computers. I have frequent meetings with my employees to ensure everyone is healthy, safe, and has everything they need to perform their jobs well.
What was your career journey ? I was in the right place at the right time. While I grew up in Hawai‘i, I went to Colorado for college, which is where I met my husband. We stayed there for five years then decided to move to Hawai‘i. When I came back I didn’t have a job, so I went to the "Want Ads" section of the paper and, fortunately, there was an insurance company looking for an accounting clerk. I did that for a little while, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. Once there was an opening in the underwriting department, I transferred there. Coming to Island Insurance, I started as an underwriter and moved my way up through the company to get to where I am today.
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Growing up, did you ever think you’d be on the career path you are today? Not at all. I went to school to be a teacher. I wanted to teach 3rd grade and am not sure why. Maybe it was because I entered The Priory in 3rd grade and had such a great experience. But my degree did not go to waste! It taught me how to get along and work with all kinds of people. In any job, we are always teaching and always learning.
How would you describe your time at The Priory? It was a long time ago, but when I look back, I really enjoyed it. I made a lot of friends and I had a great education. What more could you ask for! All of my experiences there were good memories for me.
Are you still in contact with any of your Priory classmates? I have two dear friends who I am still in contact with today – one being my best friend from even before The Priory, Susan Ibara, and the other being Faye
Iguchi, who went to college with me. We lost touch for a little bit before we reconnected fairly recently. Susan and I went to Mrs. Reed’s together, then all the way through The Priory. We remained the best of friends even though she lives in Nevada now. I always had fun with both of them – I remember walking downtown after school to go to Woolworth’s, eating French fries, and having sleepovers. Such great memories.
What were some of your favorite memories during your time at The Priory? I remember our first social in the eighth grade -- held in St. Peter’s Hall where we invited boys from ‘Iolani [an all-boys school at the time], Punahou, St. Louis, and Kawananakoa -- being a lot of fun. We Priory girls hosted them and came up with the theme “Lawrence of Arabia.” Decorating the Coral Cross on Ascension Day was also another favorite memory. Singing our alma mater and the class song is always a memory I look back on that makes me smile.
How did The Priory prepare you for your career? Going to an all-girls school, our teachers really instilled in us that we could do anything we wanted and be anyone we wanted to be.
How do your personal values align with those of the School’s? I value honesty and integrity in everything I do. St. Andrew’s has always been a place of upholding the highest level of integrity in the girls (and now the boys), and I only want to emphasize that even more through my participation on the Board of Trustees.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a young Priory graduate? Believe in yourself and do what you love and are passionate about.
Courtesy of Hawaii Business Magazine, photo by Aaron K. Yoshino
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Paul Lillie
Rector, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Trustee, St. Andrew’s Schools Board of Trustees
The Reverend Paul Lillie has been rector of St. Mark’s since January 2009. Prior to this, he was a canon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo, New York. Before Buffalo, he was a Young Adult Service Corps Volunteer, and then Appointed Missionary of the Episcopal Church, serving in Jerusalem as a priest at St. George’s Cathedral and St. George’s College. Both institutions are part of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and the Middle East. His Master of Divinity degree is from Bexley Hall and his undergraduate degree is in music from Millikin University, in Decatur, Illinois. For the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, Fr. Lillie recently served as President of the Standing Committee, and he has served on the Compensation Review Committee, Diocesan Council, Finance and Administration Commission, and the Stewardship Committee, and he has been a diocesan member of the Chapter of The Cathedral of St. Andrew. He is a three-time deputy to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church where he has served on various legislative committees, and he is currently secretary of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.
What is a motto you live by in your work and personal life? As a priest, my faith is at the center of everything. Every day we go forth by the grace of God. That being said, I do try to take responsibility for my actions. I am constantly asking myself, “How do I need to change? What do I need to do? How do I need to take responsibility?”
with Paul
What is a typical day for you as the Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church? There really is no typical day when one is a priest in the church. Every day is different, and COVID-19 has made my work especially interesting. I try to
center my day with the Daily Office, the Anglican form for Morning and Evening Prayer, and this provides some consistency, but everything else seems to constantly be changing in the current context. Bible studies have gone online, as well as our Sunday worship, and like things everywhere else, committee work and meetings must occur via Zoom. The needs of the community remain the same whether we are in a pandemic or not, and so the ministries to the homeless and hungry continue. We are also blessed to have great music at St. Mark’s, and so I am always trying to support our musicians and the gifts they bring to our
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parish. Overall, it is important to keep certain activities at the center of the church such as worship, study, outreach, Sabbath-keeping, and fellowship. No one wants to join a church to participate in more committees and meetings – they get that from work already.
What was your career journey and how did you get to where you are today? My undergraduate degree is in music, having studied piano, organ, and choral conducting, and this eventually led me into working for the church where I explored a vocation to the priesthood. Once I was ordained, I went to the Middle East, living in Jerusalem for three years, working as a priest at St. George’s Anglican Cathedral. When I returned to the U.S., I served as a Canon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Buffalo, New York, and since 2009 I have been the rector of St. Mark’s Kapahulu. I have always made a point not to limit where I might serve, and that has allowed me to work in some truly spectacular places. We often say in the church that one must go where one is sent, and I can truly say that God does not disappoint!
What does it mean to you to be an integral part of the Episcopal Church? I love the Episcopal Church, and I have always loved the language of the Book of Common Prayer, as well as the dignity of our worship. It is a great strength that we are both Catholic and Protestant in our history, for we are able to benefit from the truths of both strains of Christianity. We are also not afraid of science, which I believe helps us understand the mysteries of God. One of my favorite images of Anglicanism is the church buildings with the choir stalls adorned with little lamps. It is as if the worship space is also a library. When we worship we bring our books so that we can study God, delving more deeply into the mysteries of faith. So much of Christianity can be anti-intellectual, and that is a problem.
How do your personal values align with those of St. Andrew’s Schools? St. Andrew’s does such a great job of working with every student. Isn’t this how we should approach every person – as a special gift from God? How do we reach out to each person and help them grow? In Christianity, we understand such a focus to be on the incarnation – the idea that God resides in every person in a unique way.
different from everything one already knows. Such experiences change us thoroughly, giving us new perspectives.
How did you originally become involved with St. Andrew’s Schools? I became most involved through the work of the Queen Emma Square Task Group. The bishop had asked me to help coordinate the various entities of the square as part of the diocesan strategic plan. I was very impressed with the representatives from St. Andrew’s Schools because they were so positive in their outlook – they believed they could accomplish the goals they had set forth, and they were taking the practical steps to do so. I also had the privilege of celebrating the Ascension Day Eucharist with the school a few years ago which I enjoyed.
What is one interesting fact people may not know about you?
I am happy that I can be a link between St. Andrew’s Schools and the larger Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i. St. Andrew’s has been such an integral part of the diocese in the past, contributing to the rich history of Queen Emma’s legacy and the Episcopal Church. The school is one of the gems of the diocese, and I am happy to support this connection.
At another time in life, I did triathlons. I don’t do them anymore, but I even completed the half-ironman on Hawai‘i Island a couple of times. It’s a lot of work, and it requires a lot of time, and it teaches you invaluable lessons in endurance and character. Even now when I am working on a project, and a challenge arises, I think about when I had to change a flat tire quickly or how the heat was exhausting me, and what I needed to do to push through to finish. Those were great life lessons.
What has been your favorite destination you’ve visited and why?
What is one piece of advice you would give to a young Priory graduate?
Why do you want to serve on the board at St. Andrew’s Schools?
When I was living in Jerusalem, I had the chance to visit a variety of interesting places including Istanbul, Gaza, and Amman. Living in Jerusalem was an amazing experience, but it also became home for three years, and so it became a bit normal for me. Visiting these other places seemed so other-worldly. There is something so important about immersing oneself in places that are so utterly
Don’t be afraid to fail, and when you do make mistakes, learn from them, and try again. The good news about God is that God loves us regardless of our failures and successes.
Snapshots
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Ke Kamali‘i Hau‘oli a Kakou A snapshot of activity this year
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COMMENCEMENT
Congratulations to the Class of 2020
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THE 2020
Commencement Address
DR. RUTH FLETCHER, HEAD OF SCHOOL
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What an honor and a joy to be here today to celebrate The Priory Class of 2020.
I love that our school was founded by a Queen. It gives us a visible and tangible example of a strong, beautiful, courageous, and compassionate woman whom we can all strive to emulate. Queen Emma is a named saint in the Episcopal Church – and one of the main reasons that this beautiful cathedral is here on Queen Emma Square. Queen Emma was a transformational leader who exercised the “muscle of love” in her words and in her deeds. What do I mean by the muscle of love? I first heard the phrase a year or so ago when listening to Krista Tippett on NPR’s “On Being” radio show. She remarked that love is the most reliable muscle of human transformation and the most reliable muscle of human wholeness. And we have to practice using our muscle of love. I thought that was just a great way to think about love – as something that we have to put into action with our thoughts, words, and deeds. As a mother, I am still awed by the powerful and transformative love that I felt when I welcomed my own children into the world. The word love seemed both too big and too small to capture the intensity of emotion that I was feeling. Your parents and loved ones know what I mean.
This kind of transformative love is bigger and more lasting than romantic love (although I know we all enjoy romantic love!). It is the love that understands the complexity of the world and the complexity of what it means to be human. We will rarely feel perfectly understood or feel like we have a perfect understanding of another. So it is vital to our human connectedness to remember that at any given moment, we can always give each other grace and exercise the muscle of love. It is this most powerful and transformative love that is Queen Emma’s gift to each of you. • It is the love that understands that each of you bring your own unique gifts and talents into the world; • It is the love that gives you the energy to persevere and not give up when things get challenging; • It is the love that compels you to take action to help others; • It is the love that allows you to build strong friendships – a Class of 2020
sisterhood – which will make your lifelong journey together much sweeter; • It is the love that calls you to strive for the highest in all that you do. Queen Emma’s gift of transformative love is also in the hands of the faculty, staff, and administration of St. Andrew’s Schools as we dedicate our professional lives to educating you in mind, body, and spirit. Now as a graduate of The Priory, you hold Queen Emma’s legacy in your being. How are you going to exercise your muscle of love? Our hope is that you continue to work to understand the world around you and the talents within you so that you can lead a meaningful and productive life. We hope you carry with you a joyful optimism – a buoyant view of what is possible … because the possibilities ahead for you are infinite. And on your journey through life, we hope you will take strength from your years at The Priory and use your muscle
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of love to make the world – and the people around you – better because of your presence. At this point in my Commencement address, I would traditionally invite our Upper School Principal, Ms. Nichole Field, to join me on the podium to share some of the special gifts and talents that we have seen in each of our seniors. This year, we decided instead to make each senior a special card that describes some of the gifts and talents that they bring to the world. These cards will be in the graduation “goodie bag” that each graduate will receive when she exits the Cathedral with her diploma. Thank you, Class of 2020, for using your gifts for the betterment of humanity and for being the living legacy of Queen Emma’s transformational love. Although you are each receiving your diploma individually, accompanied by your family – know that in this Cathedral today, your gifts as a united Class of 2020 are gathered together and that we are sending you out into the world with great love.
CHRISTY KWOK Good evening, everyone, and thank you for attending this year’s commencement ceremony. It is my pleasure to welcome you all: parents, guardians, family, faculty and staff, and everyone tuning into the ceremony from their homes! Amid the virus outbreak, we are gathered today to celebrate the graduation of the St. Andrew’s Priory Class of 2020. This year has been a little bit different — one-of-a-kind, you might say — yet the seniors have persevered and continued to support one another through a time that has been tough for everyone. Distance learning has been tough, but we are tougher. The 28 young women graduating here today have been through the typical ups and downs that school may bring, but it has only proven our flexibility and capability to adapt to changes. The Priory’s founder, Queen Emma, is a prominent figure in our school. Founded 153 years ago, The Priory was created with the purpose of ensuring a sound education for the women of Hawai‘i, women of the world. The Priory emphasizes leadership and the empowerment of women, also while working in Hawaiian values, our Episcopal heritage, and instilling the importance of community. Our school is truly like no other and has been the
place many of us have called “home.” The relationships established at The Priory connect us all as one, big ‘ohana. While our school community is small, it has helped our class become closer and closer over the course of our school journeys. The Class of 2020 is like a symphony. A symphony is composed of many different instruments, just like our grade’s very colorful assortment of personalities. We can be wonderful and powerful on our own, like a soloist, but together we create something bigger than ourselves! If we are missing someone, our sound is not complete and we are not at our full potential. Together we make music and each and every one of us is important; if we want amazing things to happen, we work together. The conductor of our symphony is our school. Our school is amazing. Even through times like this, our school faculty and staff truly care and want to help the students make the most out of an online school semester. Through this pandemic, our hardworking teachers and staff members have done their best to put together special events to honor the seniors and recognize the achievements of our class. Your leadership at The Priory definitely doesn’t go unnoticed and we are extremely grateful for the effort and time put into everything.
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Thank you to everyone who has been there for us and watched us grow. To the Bishop and clergy for inspiring our faith and for nurturing it from its small “mustard seed” size to its blossomed tree state with extending branches. Bishop Bob, or Bishop Bobby as we used to say, we are honored to have been your first class at The Priory and are thankful for your continued guidance. To our parents and loved ones, we greatly appreciate how much you have provided for us over the years. And to our dear teachers, we were a rowdy bunch as we transitioned from elementary to middle school, but I think it is safe to say we have really learned since then and matured with your guidance. Dear Class of 2020, this is “the one where we graduate.” After my 13 years at this school, I have always imagined this moment. I am so proud of all of us for making it to this very day! Things may have been rough and we might have had times where we did not want to work together, but having been your class president for many years now, I have really seen us grow and change, and learn how to work as a team. We have been through many twists and turns of fate, especially this year, but “these small hours” or time we have spent together creating memories, still remains. Before I end my speech, I want to remind you all: When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month or even your year, I’ll be there for you. We’ll be there for each other when the rain starts to pour. We’ll be there for each other like we have been there before, and we will always be there for one another because we are there for each other, too. Class of 2020, I wish you luck on your future endeavors. Each and every one of you is destined for greatness and I look forward to seeing where life takes you! I will miss you all but this is not goodbye. Goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting, so this is, “Until next time.”
tried to move forward, accepting the new reality, looking at new opportunities and new options, and weighing them with our personal fears and aspirations. Our high school journey ended in a time of widespread uncertainty and my classmates and I were forced to reckon with fear, acknowledge its presence, and learn to control it and navigate our future paths with it. We have not mastered its use yet but it has become a tool that, together with our curiosity, will guide us to our now separate destinations.
LAUREN MUKAE Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for granting me the privilege to speak today. I’ll begin with a gentle reminder that our class’s graduating theme is based on the 90’s sitcom “Friends.” In season one, episode four, Monica asked Phoebe if she had a plan for her life and Phoebe proudly declared, “I don’t even have a pla...,” indicating that she couldn’t even form an outline of a plan and I think that sums up our grade entering high school. Now some may still feel like they don’t have a solid “pla(n)” in their lives but the composure and maturity that our class displayed while undergoing a unique senior year is something that has definitely developed throughout our years at The Priory. Our class song, “Little Wonders,” comes from Walt Disney’s Meet the Robinsons which ends with the quote, “Around here, however, we don’t look backward for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious … and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” I believe this quote represents our class at the end of our high school journey. When we were told of the potential changes to our final semester, rather than looking back at what could have been, many of us
When we look back to this time, we are grateful for our experiences at The Priory, both bitter and sweet, because they have molded us into the women we are today. Now, however, we are looking forward. Our memories from high school will become a foundation for our new experiences that we wish to have. Even with all the developments that have been happening in the world, especially in the past three months, all of us are still hopeful for the future, knowing we have support from others, having faith in what we can achieve, and embracing the development we will all undergo. Thank you to Priory teachers and staff, for fostering our sense of curiosity and teaching us to go ever forward. Your support and care were clear to our class when you worked so hard to make our last semester with you something special despite the circumstances. Thank you to all friends and family for your love and support that carried us through the rough waters. Knowing that you are there for us means more than ever before. It was your support that helped each of us push open the doors to our future. Thank you to the Class of 2020 for the laughs and memories. There’s much more to come and it may be difficult to remember it all but I hope you remember all the little wonders that we shared.
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The Priory CLASS OF
2020
“You are blessed
with the gifts of...
Anjali Cash
Devyn Chun
Stephanie Albaña ...passion, ambition, compassion, energy and virtue. Attending: Cornell University Intended Major: Environment and Sustainability
Ehukai DeLude
...discernment, conscientiousness, ...confidence, loyalty, will, strength, agility, intellect, and focus. and courage.
...passion, scientific thinking, creativity, problem solving, and joy.
Attending: George Washington University Attending: University of California Los Angeles Intended Major: International Affairs Intended Major: Physiological Science and Business Economics
Attending: Pacific Lutheran University Intended Major: Computer Science
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Emma Fong
Hailey Anne Gasmen
Melissa Kang
...intellect, wit, drive, humility, love for others, and a generous giving spirit.
...agility, compassion, leadership, mental strength and persistence. Attending: Washington State University
...a calm and disciplined demeanor, a keen intellect and true analytical brilliance.
Attending: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Intended Major: Computer Science
Intended Major: Pre-Nursing
Attending: Washington State University
Hailey Kobayashi ...curiosity, courage, athleticism, grace, empathy, and fortitude. Attending: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Intended Major: Psychology
Intended Major: Pre-Nursing
Christy Kwok ...inspiration, motivation, grace elegance, dance, positivity, and leadership. Attending: University of British Columbia Intended Major: Behavioral Neuroscience
Ava Makanui ...courage, focus, intuition, perseverance, and resilience. Attending: Western Oregon University Intended Major: Deaf Education
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Kelly Masaki
Catherine Mount
Lauren Mukae
...courage, sensitivity, will power, independence, creativity, and critical thinking.
...leadership, diplomacy, pragmatism, enthusiasm, and empathy.
...gentle leadership, intellect, drive, curiosity, logic, and humility.
Attending: Santa Clara University Intended Major: Computer Science and Engineering
Attending: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Intended Major: Management and International Business
Attending: Georgetown University Intended Major: Undeclared
Kelsea Nakamura
Shaye Nishimura
Annabella Murdock ...motivation, drive, dance, creativity, sensitivity, and intuition.
...exuberance, curiosity, social intelligence, spontaneity, and love.
Attending: University of San Francisco Intended Major: Fine Arts
Attending: Kapi‘iolani Community College
...grace, respect, humility, and wisdom. Attending: Pacific University Intended Major: Speech Pathology
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Katelyn Otsuka
Maya Reed
Maya Reid
...strength, self-discipline, perseverance, intuition, and wisdom.
...leadership, athleticism, selfdiscipline, confidence, kindness, and charm.
...kindness, integrity, intelligence, creativity, precision, and calm leadership.
Attending: Keio University Intended Major: Faculty of Environment and Information Studies
Attending: University of Alabama
Attending: Washington State University Intended Major: Pre-Nursing
Jenna Shigezawa
Intended Major: Political Science
Natalie Tachikabe
Taley Tanaka
...intrinsic motivation, empathy, authenticity, optimism, humility, warmth, and determination.
...generosity, helpfulness, focus, self-discipline, creativity, dance, pragmatism, and love for others.
...compassion, strength, conscientiousness, insight, and independent thinking.
Attending: University of Portland Intended Major: Nursing
Attending: Seattle Pacific University Intended Major: Business Administration-Management, Liberal Arts
Attending: Army National Guard Intended Major: Will attend college after basic training is complete
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Kira Terada
Marcy Tokunaga
Madison Toyama
...dedication, lovingkindness, courage, athleticism, perseverance, and aloha.
...grace, humility, kindness, authenticity, musicality, and intellectual insight.
...athleticism, determination, focus, passion, dedication, friendship, and leadership.
Attending: University of Puget Sound Intended Major: Exercise Science
Attending: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Intended Major: Music (Piano)
Attending: Arcadia University
Alexandrea Wong
Shy Yamasaki
Intended Major: Biology
Paisley Young
...curiosity, determination, creativity, intelligence, resilience, and perseverance.
...authenticity, patience, positivity, compassion, kindness, and an adventurous spirit.
...compassion, friendship, integrity, moral courage, and a kind gentle spirit.
Attending: University of California - Irvine
Attending: Saint Martin’s University
Attending: Undecided
Intended Major: Biological Sciences Biology
Intended Major: Pre-Nursing
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Beyond The Priory Making the Transition to College
Students in the Class of 2020 were accepted to and are attending several of the most selective colleges in the country including Cornell University, Georgetown University, The University of British Columbia, UCLA, Santa Clara University, and George Washington University, along with the University of California-Irvine, University of Hawai‘i, Seattle University, Keio University, and the University of Alabama. This class was also awarded more than two million dollars in merit scholarships! Women make up just 24% of the science, tech, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce, but more than 50% of our graduates choose these fields as their college majors. In our discussions with college admissions officers, we learned that the maturity, poise, and determination our students exhibit through their college applications and interviews set them apart. We also know that they have a unique self-awareness likely built at The Priory through their internships and the relevant, real-world experience we provide each student. One graduate shared, “My education at The Priory prepared me well for my college journey. The Priory experience helped me transition to college and to adjust and adapt to a larger school. I am grateful for my courageous drive to further my education.”
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Through Their Eyes Two alumnae who graduated with the Distinction in Global Leadership share their experiences and the journey to becoming globally competent, engaged citizens who promote peace through action.
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ever in the history of human life has it been more important to cultivate exceptional thinkers, leaders, peacebuilders, and stewards of planet earth. Our world has become increasingly interconnected and interdependent. We are experiencing an exponential increase in the rate of technological change, and we are both influenced and affected by our global economy. While globalization has provided immense benefits, it has also increased the complexity of our lives and has presented us with many challenges. For our children to become tomorrow’s leaders and peacebuilders, we need to provide them with an extraordinary education – one that helps develop their knowledge and wisdom – so they can successfully navigate this new and everchanging world. That is what we do so well at St. Andrew’s Schools. Because of the Stevens Foundation, we are able to pioneer a transformative approach to teaching and learning that has resulted in an impactful state-of-theart Global Leadership Program. Our goal is to have students practice the habit of being a caring, contributing member of society while they are young, so these good habits follow them into adulthood. And while the journey may begin at St. Andrew’s Schools, the true test of the program’s efficacy is in the indelible impact made on our students as they progress to university and adult life. Allow us to introduce you to two Global Leadership Program alumnae, who spoke with us about their experience and the path to becoming globally competent, engaged citizens who promote peace through action.
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Hypatia Pine ’19 “ Ultimately, because of this program and the skills I have learned, I believe that I can accomplish the goals that I have for myself and succeed.”
When Hypatia Pine ’19 reflects on her time at The Priory, Ascension Day stands out as one of her fondest memories. “Being at the Priory since Kindergarten, I was always fascinated by the beautifully decorated cross once a year, and as a junior, I was so excited to finally be a part of the decoration,” she says. “It made me more appreciative of my classmates, my teachers, and all the hard work and long hours that go into making that day so special.” As a double major in Global Cultural Studies and Environmental Studies, with a minor in Chinese, Hypatia is no stranger to hard work. During her time at The Priory, her schedule overflowed with a variety of interests, extracurricular activities, and sports. “Throughout high school, I was active in student leadership positions, usually either Vice President or
Secretary for class councils. I played JV and Varsity Bowling for my junior and senior years. I was also a member of the Interact Club for my junior and senior years and Hui Hau‘oli Club throughout high school. From my freshman through junior years, I also participated in the spring musicals. It was during her time with the Stevens Global Leadership Program, however, that Hypatia began to select courses that furthered the interests she cultivated abroad. “My two favorite classes in high school were AP Environmental Science and Hawaiian Ethnographic Studies,” Hypatia reflects. “After my trip to India, I was interested in environmental issues. The AP Environmental Science course
taught me the basics of this field and prepared me for my environmental courses in college.” In her senior year, The Priory began offering a new course, Hawaiian Ethnographic Study, which allowed Hypatia to explore various fields of study, including anthropology, Hawaiian history, and culture. “This course was very interactive and engaging and gave me a deeper appreciation for Hawaiian culture and my education at The Priory.” Hypatia credits her trip to Cambodia and India through the Stevens Global Leadership Program as influencing the selection of her college major.
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Interview with Hypatia Pine ’19 What leadership lessons did the program teach you that you have implemented recently? Recently, I have been using my networking and leadership skills to obtain a job while I’m at home doing distance learning. I am currently applying to tutor and converse with students in China through online meetings to help them get the chance to practice their English. I have been learning Mandarin for quite some time now, and though I have yet to travel to China, conversing with native students would be quite the opportunity to help me improve my Mandarin as well as learn a little more about the student, their lifestyle, and culture. We are living through a time of acute socio-political division. How do leaders get people of different minds to hear them? This is something that I have been focusing on during my time in quarantine and distance learning. I have been centering my attention on politics and current events, even more so now with the election. For leaders to get their opinions across to people of different perspectives, I think it is really important to do so across various platforms (i.e. news, social media, interviews, debates, etc.) Additionally, I believe that it is every person’s responsibility to know what is happening around the world, and especially in our country right now. It is important to educate yourself on current events to broaden your perspectives and learn more about the world we are living in. What advice do you have for students considering the Stevens Global Leadership Program? Even if this program isn’t something that aligns with your interests, I encourage all students to enter this program if they have the opportunity to do so. The program will broaden your perspectives and teach you things that will apply to all areas of
study, no matter what field you decide to go into, in college and post-grad. Did you always have a strong ethic of peace and service or was this instilled in you while you were at The Priory? I like to think that I’ve always had a strong ethic of peace and service even as a child, but through my time at The Priory and this program, I was able to manifest it. I wanted the best for my classmates, faculty, and even my community, so having clubs and programs at The Priory that helped me give back was something that I appreciated. What is a lesson you’ve learned during your time in the Stevens Global Leadership Program that has stuck with you through your college career? Being in the Global Leadership Program helped me network with many people from different age groups and fields of study. Those networking skills are something I kept with me throughout my college career and will continue to use even after I graduate. What is the most important thing you’re working on right now, and how are you making it happen? Currently, I have been enjoying my time in college, taking many humanities and environmental courses that have further piqued my interest in the subject. During distance learning, I am using this time to focus on myself and my education. My goal is to always help others, but I believe that to do so, I need to work on myself first and this is the perfect time for that. In addition to school, I have been doing a lot of self-care, taking up new hobbies, new languages, and educating myself with current events, especially the presidential election.
Many of the Stevens Global Leadership students took part in an international travel study. Where did you go, and what was the experience? How has this experience influenced who you are today? Through the Stevens Global Leadership Program, I was fortunate enough to go to both Cambodia and India. In Cambodia, we visited NGO’s that provide rural communities with schools, hospitals, and other helpful programs. Seeing their way of living and the struggles they went through really made me appreciate how I was brought up within my family and at The Priory. It inspired me to do more for my community and the trip is partly responsible for why I made the decision to major in Global Cultural Studies. In my junior year, I traveled to India with two other classmates from The Priory to learn more about conservation. The program allowed us to meet with many other students from around the world, including North Carolina, London, and India. This trip deepened my interest in climate change and environmental issues. It also enabled me to make many new friends, some of whom I am still in touch with today. How has the Stevens Global Leadership program shaped your goals and aspirations for the future? I learned so many skills through the Global Leadership Program and it molded me into the person I am now, and the person I aspire to be in the future. It placed me on a path to want to make the world a better place for present and future generations. The program taught me leadership, communication, and networking skills and gave me so many opportunities to use them as well. Ultimately, because of this program and the skills I have learned, I believe that I can accomplish the goals that I have for myself and succeed.
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Abigail Sipes ’18 “ I want to be part of a solution that revolutionizes the way people live better lives.”
Abigail Sipes ’18 needed little encouragement to get involved with Upper School life at The Priory. From Varsity Tennis, Model UN, and Speech & Debate Club to serving as the Student Body Vice President and being a member of the National Honor Society, Abby (as she is affectionately called) pursued her interests with vigor and determination. instruction that allowed students to “By far my favorite class was Priory in the City my senior year,” she recalls. “I learned so much as a high school student about the job market. Mrs. Herring took us to meet entrepreneurs, businesswomen, and even took us to a fancy lunch to teach us about business meeting etiquette.” The interactive class and the model of
directly apply the things learned in class to the real world made an impact on Abby, who said, “The class guided me and helped narrow down what path I wanted to take and ultimately led to my success as an adult.” The time Abby spent outside of the classroom, surrounded by friends, holds
a special place in her Priory memories. “I loved days when we had choir concerts because the whole choir would spend the entire afternoon together getting dolled up, getting last-minute nerves out, and stuffing our faces with food!” she recalled. It’s no surprise that Ascension Day festivities and the months of planning were the pièce de résistance of Abby’s high
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school experience. She said, “Spending the entire night decorating the cross and the entire campus as a gift to the seniors but also a surprise for the whole school with your fellow classmates was an amazing experience and so unique!” Now a junior at Purdue University majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Chinese, Abby is creating new memories while continuing to pursue her interests with determination, enthusiasm, and several interpersonal communications skills gleaned during her time with the Stevens Global Leadership Program.
Interview with Abigail Sipes ’18 What leadership lessons did the program teach you that you have implemented recently? This program helped me to cultivate my communication, collaboration, and delegation skills, and to find a compromise in situations. I use these skills in my personal life and in my professional life. As an example, I utilized these skills in the biochemistry lab I work in at Purdue. I was put in charge of planning the logistics of a project. I had to organize, ensure everyone was on the same page, understood their tasks, and communicated any problems so we could quickly find a solution. How do you plan to use the skills learned through the Stevens Global Leadership Program to further your work at university and post-grad? Part of the Global Leadership program is to gain an understanding of and be open-minded to the world around you. While in university, I was an orientation leader for international students. The position required me to be sensitive to different cultures and backgrounds and open-minded with the fact that not everyone thinks as I do. I learned a lot from my students, and I hope they were able to learn from me. To this day, we are still great friends and are always teaching one another something new about our cultures.
I will obtain my Ph.D. and plan to conduct research that will affect many people across the globe. To do this, I will need to collaborate with people from around the world. Together we will work on projects and bring our own expertise to find a solution to a problem. What advice do you have for students considering the Stevens Global Leadership Program? Definitely go for it! It will provide you with experiences that shape you into a person better-suited to tackling challenges in life that deal with people who are different from you (and spoiler, you will encounter many of those people). Go into the program with an open mind and be prepared to be enlightened and learn more about the world around you. What is a lesson you learned during your time in the Stevens Global Leadership Program that has stuck with you through your college career? I learned to be a better listener and to be a more sensitive person. That is not to say I don’t have more room for growth, but I feel as though overall it has made me a better human being, in the sense that I am able to connect with more people from different backgrounds. I’m also able to touch lives through my engagement with service and will continue to do so. What is the most important thing you’re working on right now, and how are you making it happen? I’m focusing on my research and how I can impact people through the research I conduct. I’m continuing my search for internships and have continued to conduct research since leaving high school. I’m working on becoming the best scientist by taking challenging classes, continuing to gain research experience, and present and network with those that have a similar goal of helping through science. I have always told myself I want to be part of a solution that revolutionizes the way people live better lives.
Many of the Stevens Global Leadership students took part in an international travel study. Where did you go, and what was the experience? How has this experience influenced who you are today? During high school, I participated in a study abroad exchange program with Diocesan Girls’ School located in Hong Kong. It was one of my first real exposures to people being different from me and experiencing culture shock. Understanding people will be different from you and experiencing it are two completely different things. The trip helped put things in perspective for me, giving me firsthand experience that stereotypes are not true, and we shouldn’t prejudge others. It taught me to get to know people and find out what makes them special. To not impose what the world tells us makes someone or something special, but to discover it for yourself. How has the Stevens Global Leadership program shaped your goals and aspirations for the future? It has inspired me to become a person who gives and cares for others around them, who wants to understand what makes others different, and to help people that are less fortunate than me. It has also solidified what career path I want to take. It was an enlightening experience and I believe anyone given the opportunity to partake in this experience should do so.
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Our students are intensely curious about the world around them, passionate about global issues that affect humanity, and committed to using their knowledge and skills to create a world that is peaceful and just.
Q & A with Ted Rachlin and Ruth Fletcher
This is in large part thanks to the generous support given by the Stephen E. and Isabella H. Stevens World Peace Foundation. The foundation’s mission to “promote peace through education, awareness, and advocacy, starting with Hawaii’s youth” is fully aligned with our school’s mission, and we have been able to develop a robust global leadership program that cultivates the character and will in our students to actively create a better world for their generation and the next. Here, we speak with Theodore Rachlin, Stevens World Peace Foundation Trustee and President of Laulima Families, and Head of School Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher on the origins and future of the Global Leadership Program.
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This seems like a daunting task on a global scale, but Dr. Stevens felt that Hawai‘i’s youth have the unique ability to bring countries together in that they have been raised in a very inclusive, caring, and supportive environment within the Hawaiian Islands. Looking in particular at Hawai‘i’s schools, the Stevens Foundation identified The Priory as the perfect school to start a partnership with given their proactive, creative, supportive, and collaborative
these students to afford to safely travel abroad. It’s a critical component of the program we were developing to be able to engage with live bodies in other countries, whether virtually through this pandemic or in-person when travel safely resumes. How could they grow to be effective leaders in whatever career they chose without the necessary life experiences and hands-on education one would need to have a true appreciation for our global partners? Through the extensive curriculum development process over the past five years in the Upper School, The Priory has helped us to overcome this particular pain point and while we are happy to continue communicating virtually with other schools, we’re excited to see the travel curriculum come back into full swing next fall.
“We’re growing leaders and
How does the Stevens Foundation philosophy help students to succeed? TED: One value or philosophy we strongly believe in is embedded in the Hawaiian word “laulima.” Success isn’t only about the individual. It only comes to us by building partnerships and collaboration with others that will succeed long past our individual time in school and we hope that future generations can follow this journey of working together for a common goal. Yes, we give girls the resources to become competitive candidates at any higher-level collegiate institution, but that just results in individual success. We’ve seen our students in the Stevens Global Leadership Program work on projects later in life with the friendships they’ve made at other high schools and colleges. True success is when we see these now young women and alumnae come back to the campus or various Stevens Foundation events to mentor and give back to the younger up-and-coming students. I can honestly
promoting peace. And we’re transforming the world one student at a time. It is not an easy task – but it is a noble one.” Ted, what was the original idea or “pain point” that inspired you to start the Stevens Global Leadership Program? Over the last century, the Stevens family identified with the pain and struggles our countries continue to fight through, primarily because of a void in leadership and community support. They witnessed the impact of food scarcity, war, racial conflict, and the continued violence and discord on families abroad. When thinking about what impact they wanted to have in the world, they wanted their family’s legacy to be about empowering the youth to be better stewards and leaders than what we’ve experienced in our past.
Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher Head of School
faculty. At its inception, it was an allgirls school in the heart of Honolulu. The school desired enhanced student experiences beyond what a normal school curriculum would provide and was willing to invest the human and financial capital to achieve this in partnership with our foundation. One of the major pain points for The Priory students is the cost of living for their parents and therefore inability for
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Q & A with Ted Rachlin and Ruth Fletcher say, I’ve seen this first hand at The Priory and it’s quite motivating, to say the least. It gives everyone involved, including our national and international partners, hope for the future.
If we can’t identify what is happening in the world on an authentic level, we won’t be able to solve the problems that we are faced with because we will have assumptions that we don’t understand.
RUTH: The Stevens Program allows us to
What I absolutely love about the Stevens Global Leadership Program is that it gives people, and especially our students, hope – they know that because of their actions that the future will be better. We’re in a time now when there are a lot of people who don’t think that we have the ability to impact the future in a positive way. This program gives young women the ability to see that they can have a positive impact on the world, and they fall in love with the future they can create. That is, by far, the most powerful aspect of this partnership.
explore peace authentically. Our students can look at other countries to see what their hardships are. War is often about limited resources, scarcity. If you don’t have the basics -- clean water, food, shelter -- you might die with the war. So, to me, peace is very complex. As a sophomore, Catherine Mount, ’20 described the program this way, “The Stevens Global Leadership Program and the travels that I have been able to do helped me see the world as it is, not how I wish it to be.” I just thought that was brilliant.
Ted, can you share a Priory student interaction that has been particularly meaningful during your time with St. Andrew’s Schools? The 2017 Hawai‘i Pacific Model United Nations conference at the Hawai‘i Convention Center was one of the foundation’s best conferences yet, thanks to the efforts of The Priory alumnae, faculty, and students. Priory alumna Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa came to this event right from the airport, landing in Hawai‘i in the evening after her long work hours in Washington, D.C. She was an inspiring opening speaker for the Global Leadership Conference and you could see specifically how proud the girls from The Priory were to have her there on opening night. The students attending from The Priory in subsequent years have shown tremendous confidence and progress in their participation at the International Conference. They are taking on leadership roles at all levels within the conference committee sessions. Awards have recently been granted as Best Delegate, an individual student award, along with Outstanding Small School Delegation, which symbolizes a major shift in how their peers within the community view them and the team from The Priory. It encapsulated everything the Stevens family would have dreamed of for successful individuals giving back to their community and inspiring future generations to do the same. What do you hope the program will achieve in the near future? TED: We are so pleased with the results of the initial pilot programs at The Priory to date that we’ve been in continued communication with the school’s leadership to take our next step together and develop the Stevens Global Leadership Center at The Priory. The Center will be a tremendous resource for Hawai‘i’s youth and will give the fortunate few that attend The Priory the platform to be true leaders of the Center’s future role in developing Hawai‘i’s youth statewide. We hope to take the next step with the faculty,
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parents, students, and alumnae for the upcoming school year! RUTH: One project we’re developing,
which was born of the pandemic and travel ban, is hosting a summit for peace, an annual event in honor of Dr. Stevens. With mentorship from our Global Leaders of Distinction and in collaboration with our current students, the premise of the summit is to design an action project for everyone to be involved with at St. Andrew’s Schools.
Ruth, how has the Stevens Foundation impacted the professional growth of teachers? The Stevens Foundation funded all of our training with the Asia Society so that we may better teach our students about the world. The funding from the Stevens Foundation helped educate all of our teachers, and it started long ago with Project Zero (a Harvard Graduate School of Education initiative to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity) and understanding what global leadership outcomes would be. That’s when we were first introduced to the Asia Society and the enormous amount of work they achieved with curricular outcomes so that every child could be a global citizen and a peacemaker. Their work fits the mission of our school so much so that we decided to live our vision of the educational program through the Asia Society framework. We want to grow leaders in the image of Queen Emma’s work – building citizens who have strong character, good values, and a high capacity for achievement and perseverance. Through the funding from the Stevens Foundation and the Asia Society training, every student at St. Andrew’s schools now receives the global leadership curriculum, which enables students to investigate the world, recognize different perspectives, communicate ideas, and then take action. It’s very powerful. We’re growing leaders and promoting peace. And we’re transforming the world one student at a time. It is not an easy task – but it is a noble one.
Advancing the Teaching and Learning of Global Competence with Asia Society
When St. Andrew’s Schools was looking to expand its global learning curriculum, the Asia Society’s offerings seemed like a natural fit. A cohort of teachers and administrators first encountered their work at a 2014 conference at Harvard on global education and found that the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization’s mission resonated with that of St. Andrew’s Schools and our community’s rich cultural background. As the organization describes itself: “Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context.” By joining the Asia Society’s International Studies Schools Network, St. Andrew’s Schools connects with a large global association of public and private schools in Asia, Oceania, and North America, all committed to developing students who are globally competent and college ready. Schools in the network share resources on their global education programs, and are beneficiaries of the Asia Society’s professional development opportunities for teachers and school leadership. At St. Andrew’s Schools, the partnership with the Asia Society has led to the development of our Global Leadership Learning Outcomes, which have been integrated into Upper School classes such as Controversies, Philosophy, World Cultures and Religions, AP Environmental Science, AP Government, Model UN and Global Affairs, and Global Girls - Global Actions. Additionally, in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years, faculty from the Upper and Lower Schools have worked with an Asia Society instructional coach to learn how to orient the existing curriculum to global issues with the belief that even our youngest learners can be prepared to grow up as global citizens. It is the school’s hope that this thoughtful partnership will benefit our students - and their global communities - for life, whether they choose to remain in Hawai‘i or venture out into the greater world.
Ke Ali‘i ‘Emalani
2019-20
REPORT OF GIVING
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Board of Trustees Ruth R. Fletcher, PhD President and Head of School Darlena Chadwick, Chair Beverly Chong Ament ’68 Deanna Tyau Chang ’61 Karen Chang Nancy E. Conley The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick Patricia Foley Kevin Herring Susan S. Kurisu Dew-Anne Nishida Langcaon ’81 Russell J. Lau The Rev’d Father Paul Lillie Ivan M. Lui-Kwan Bettina Mehnert Cameron Nekota Judy B. Pietsch Mark Polivka William Reeves Tammy Yonemitsu Rooke ’81 Mary Sellers Lyn Utsugi ’82
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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dear Friends, A little more than halfway through the 2019-2020 school year, the world changed. In an effort to keep each other safe, we as a global community changed the way we conducted business, gathered in groups, and interacted as individuals. The COVID-19 environment continues to evolve. At St. Andrew’s Schools, what has not changed is the dedication of our faculty and staff to the quality of our program, the commitment of our students to get the most possible from their education, and the strength of our friends’ and supporters’ belief in our mission. Because of this belief, we closed out the year with tremendous gratitude for all that we were able to accomplish. Our talented teachers pivoted quickly to remote learning as the state of Hawai‘i enacted the first shutdown of the pandemic. During that same time, our Advancement Committee did an extraordinary job re-imagining and then producing the annual Queen Emma Ball as a virtual event in a short amount of time. Thanks to the efforts of the Advancement Director, Board members, and volunteers, the virtual Ball was a wonderful success. Because the proceeds support our financial aid program, this outcome was more important this year than ever before. We are deeply thankful to the table sponsors and donors for their generosity in supporting the Queen Emma Ball as an online event. Other accomplishments are clearly visible on campus. We enhanced the safety of the Queen Emma Square campus with a beautiful coral wall at the entryway. Funding and installation plans for a play structure were finalized so that the school year could begin with a new playground next to Jubinsky Hall. In the late spring and over the summer, we refreshed and repaired classrooms and other campus spaces so they would be ready for our students' return to school in the fall. Clearly, none of what we do at St. Andrew’s Schools would be possible without the support of our extended school ‘ohana. Your support of our students, faculty, educational program, and vision allow us to offer an extraordinary education to the next generation. Because of your generosity, our students are thriving in our educational environment and striving for their highest in a culture of love, care, and service. Thank you. Me ke mahalo nui (with much gratitude),
Ruth R. Fletcher Head of School
Patty Foley 2019-2020 Chair, Board of Trustees
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we give
Advocates of Education at St. Andrew’s Schools
MIKE AND JUDY PIETSCH
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We are often asked: Why are we dedicated advocates of St. Andrew’s Schools? Many in our community know us as Punahou School supporters because Mike is an alumnus and a long-term member of the Board of Trustees. Judy served on the Punahou faculty for 25 years and our children are all Punahou alums. While we support Punahou in lots of ways, we both respect the goals and mission of The Priory, as well as the need for excellent early childhood education as provided by Queen Emma Preschool. We are proud of the initiative to add The Prep, which was founded in response to the challenges facing boys
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students stretch their minds, raise their hands, and learn to use their voice early and often. We value that the school is intentionally small, but not protected from big ideas and real-world learning.
We know that this is a school that helps its students stretch their minds, develop their unique voices, and deepen their connection to the world around them.”
today as Honolulu needed a school with the dedicated expertise of teachers who specialize in how boys develop and learn. We are inspired by Queen Emma’s historic effort to ensure that girls were well educated and we believe her vision is even more important today. We want to do our part. Recently, we walked through the halls of St. Andrew’s Priory and stopped at a classroom door, stunned to observe a middle school math classroom with a teacher leading, but filled with girls eagerly raising their hands. We witnessed active enthusiasm for learning, confidence, and a willingness to try and possibly fail. At St. Andrew’s Schools,
In Judy’s career as a college counselor, she knew that students need to find a school that “fits.” Being comfortable in an environment enables growth, learning, and confidence. Simply said, we believe that a small school is the right school for some students. A great school not only identifies winners, but it also CREATES winners out of ordinary people. We value the historic place that St. Andrew’s Schools has in our community and the long tradition of encouraging girls to extraordinary accomplishment, transformational growth, and personal potential. We know that this is a school that helps its students stretch their minds, develop their unique voices, and deepen their connection to the world around them.
We are proud of Priory in the City and the Stevens Center for Global Leadership, programs that are the center of each high school students’ education. We are impressed with The Priory’s sophisticated career guidance program; each girl has a life coach and relevant internships. We love that so many intend to major in STEM, traditionally male fields. Career guidance is fully integrated into a college counseling program that enables acceptance at prodigious colleges as well as impressive scholarship awards. The students truly graduate knowing themselves and head to college READY. We are impressed with Dr. Ruth Fletcher’s insightful leadership and her unprecedented collaboration with Kamehameha Schools and The Queen’s Health Systems. She is a visionary leader, who imagines a personalized experience, but also carefully evaluates expenses to make a St. Andrew’s education more affordable and accessible. In short, this is a time when schools need our support and we hope to shine a light on St. Andrew’s, a visionary school that provides an important option in Honolulu. We simply want to make a difference.
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NANCY AND HERB CONLEY
Establish an Endowed Scholarship Fund at St. Andrew’s Schools
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As long-time friends of St. Andrew’s Schools, Nancy and Herb Conley have donated $100,000 to create The Conley Family Foundation Endowed Scholarship to support and recognize the talented students of St. Andrew’s Schools. As Herb and Nancy were both scholarship recipients throughout their respective educational journeys, the Conleys are deeply devoted to ensuring students are fully equipped with the great personalized education that St. Andrew’s Schools provides. Nancy has served as a member of the Board Trustees of St. Andrew’s Schools for over ten years, embracing its mission to Kūlia i ka Nu‘u, or Strive for the Highest, by perpetuating the personalized learning model offered at St. Andrew’s Schools. Nancy has said that she has seen first-hand how St. Andrew’s delivers a quality education through meeting students where they are and guiding and challenging them to be their very best.
the Conleys realized they loved Hawai‘i, finding it to be the perfect place to raise a family. Since then, the Conleys have raised two children who are now grown and following their passions while giving back to their communities. They have also welcomed four grandchildren into the world to add to their ‘ohana. Nancy attended Oklahoma State University on a scholarship and earned multiple Bachelor degrees in English, Education, and Library Sciences. Upon settling in Hawai‘i, Nancy completed her Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and worked as an elementary school librarian. She also taught Sunday School at St. Andrew’s for several years. Nancy later became the
librarian at The Contemporary Museum’s Cades Library. Both Nancy and Herb have a deep love of the arts, particularly Hawai‘i artists. Herb arrived in Hawai‘i with degrees in Accounting and Finance from Oklahoma State University. He began his business career as a CPA with Deloitte in Honolulu in 1975. In 1978, he moved from accounting to sales, entering the real estate brokerage industry. In 1995, Herb co-founded and helped lead Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties to become the leading real estate brokerage firm in Hawai‘i, and retired as co-managing director in 2007. In 2015, Herb joined forces with other local real estate industry leaders to bring Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices to Hawai‘i.
After meeting in Oklahoma City at age 16 and getting married at 21, Nancy and Herb journeyed to Honolulu, Hawai‘i for what was meant to be a one-year adventure. Herb’s father, Herbert Conley Sr., was the Dean of The Cathedral of St. Andrew at the time. After a few months,
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Nancy and Herb truly embody the values that we nurture in our students: to lead lives with love, purpose, and service to the betterment of humanity.” Head of School Dr. Ruth Fletcher
“Nancy and Herb truly embody the values that we nurture in our students: to lead lives with love, purpose, and service to the betterment of humanity,” said Head of School Dr. Ruth Fletcher. “We are deeply grateful that the Conleys have chosen this extraordinary way to express their faith in and love for St. Andrew’s Schools. Yet, more importantly, it is a testament to their understanding of the importance of providing an extraordinary education to the children of Hawai‘i.” Mahalo, Nancy and Herb, for making a St. Andrew’s Schools education possible for our talented students!
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THE KOSASA FOUNDATION Supports Music Education at St. Andrew’s Schools Courtesy of Punahou School – L-R: Dr. Thomas Kosasa, Gloria Kosasa Gainsley, Susan Kosasa ’66, Paul Kosasa
The Kosasa Foundation has donated $100,000 to St. Andrew’s Schools in support of music education. The gift will be used to upgrade the school’s music facilities to continue excellence in its music program by creating a music learning environment that can be used either in person or remotely. The gift also allows the school to purchase new instruments to expand its award-winning music program to the Lower School in grades 4, 5 and 6. “It’s important to look at the effects and impact that music has in our daily lives,” said Paul Kosasa, President of ABC Stores and the Kosasa Foundation. “Artists are
often our teachers who dedicate their lives to developing and sharing their craft with the next generation. We support them to counteract the trend of performing art programs typically being undervalued and underfunded – to level the playing field, so to speak.” “My family and I have a deep appreciation of education and music and we believe it’s fundamental to a wellrounded education,” said Susan Kosasa, ’66 alumna. “The recent successes of the Priory’s all-girl orchestra is a great example of our school’s motto – Kūlia i ka Nu‘u – and I’m so pleased that this gift will encourage students to explore their passions in music and the arts.” “We are so grateful to the Kosasa family and ABC Stores for their generous support,” said Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher, Head of School. “Music education
requires creativity, imagination, adaptability, intuition, expression, interpretation, persistence, and a willingness to learn new things – all essential skills for a child’s future. Because of this gift, the joy of music will continue, which is especially needed during these turbulent times.” Over the past five years, the Kosasa Foundation has provided Priory students the ability to travel to participate in competitions, giving them the opportunity to learn and grow outside of their usual comfort zone of the classroom and their home of Hawai‘i. With this gift, the full orchestra has been able to attend every qualifying competition, and no one has been left behind due to financial constraints. Director of Chamber Strings Chad Uyehara says competing on a national
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Through all of this, we became better musicians and better people. Life, like music, is full of ups and downs, tension and release, pain and joy.” Director of Chamber Strings Chad Uyehara
level at large scale music festivals gives students confidence and experience with professional performances and working in a different environment and with different teachers. By providing these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to participate in prestigious music competitions, our students have the chance to learn and grow exponentially in professional settings and see new places to open their minds to the world of music. These opportunities also allow our students to learn that hard work, practice and perseverence are necessary to achieve excellence. Mahalo nui loa to the Kosasa ‘ohana for your generosity and support of St. Andrew’s Schools! Because of you, hundreds of students have been given the opportunity to excel through their love and joy of music!
Founders of ABC Stores: Sidney & Minnie Kosasa A well-known family name throughout the fields of education, business, medicine, innovation, and research, the philanthropic Kosasa family continues to provide generous funding to better the local Hawai‘i community through the Kosasa Foundation. Founders of ABC Stores, Sidney and Minnie Kosasa have always had a heart for their beloved Hawai‘i community. Their experiences that brought them together is a love story like no other. Being born into first-generation Japanese immigrant families during World War II, young Sidney and Minnie were both placed at the Tule Lake internment camp in Northern California with their families. Little did they know where life would take them as they met and courted and eventually married at the Camp. Once they were released, the newly wed Kosasas did not let their experiences deter them from their dreams as they moved forward to build their family and lives together. Sidney, a graduate of McKinley high school, returned to Hawai‘i after earning his Pharmacy degree from the University of California at Berkley, to start a new life with his bride, Minnie. Through uncertainty and much faith, the Kosasas opened their first pharmacy and convenience store in Kaimuki in 1949, which led to the opening of the first ABC Store located in Waikiki Beach in 1964. With the same values of perseverance, hard work, and vision for the future, Sidney and Minnie grew ABC Stores into a trusted and recognizable brand synonymous with the spirit of aloha. It is these family values that sets ABC Stores apart from other companies – knowing that you will be welcomed with aloha when you set foot in an ABC Store, no matter where the location may be. Sidney and Minnie had four children – Tom, Susan ’66, Gloria, and Paul, each to forge their own paths thanks to their parents’ hard work and sacrifice. While all of their children grew up to become successful leaders in Hawai‘i, their son, Paul Kosasa, continues his parents’ legacy as the current President and CEO of ABC Stores. More information about the “The Store with Aloha” can be found at abcstores.com.
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Virtual Queen Emma Ball 2020 Mahalo to all who joined us for our first 100% digital Queen Emma Ball! This 14th year of the Queen Emma Ball, we celebrated Queen Emma Preschool’s 35th anniversary. In March 2020, when COVID-19 hit Hawai‘i, St. Andrew’s Schools made the difficult decision to switch to a 100% virtual event for the school’s biggest fundraiser of the year. In two weeks’ time we worked with our incredible sponsors, Board of Trustees, and special guests to switch to an online event that raised more than $350,000 in financial aid for students. Our week-long virtual event included school videos of student performances and a digital silent auction. On the last day, we highlighted the decades-long excellence in early childhood education at Queen Emma Preschool.
$25,000
$3,000+
$10,000+
Mahalo to all our Queen Emma Ball sponsors!
$5,000+
Your gifts provide access to an exceptional, high-quality, personalized K – 12th grade education at St. Andrew’s Schools through scholarships and financial aid. Now more than ever, this is a critical need as many of our families are experiencing distress and disruption to their personal finances. We are honored that you are a part of St. Andrew’s Schools – companions on our journey to help children learn, grow, and thrive so they can become strong, capable, and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.
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KŪLIA I KA NU‘U – STRIVE FOR THE HIGHEST Anonymous Bank of Hawaii / Mary Sellers Nancy & Herb Conley / Conley Family Foundation The Queen’s Health Systems
KULA KI‘EKI‘E – UPPER SCHOOL Karen Chang & Rick Blangiardi D.R. Horton First Hawaiian Bank Foundation First Insurance Company of Hawaii Ltd. Island Insurance Foundation Thomas & Mi Kosasa Susan & Duane Kurisu Ivan & Frances Lui-Kwan Judy & Michael Pietsch Mark Polivka & Karen Tiller Polivka
KULA HA‘AHA‘A – LOWER SCHOOL Anonymous Stacy K.Y. ’84 & Timothy Armstrong Central Pacific Bank CKW Financial Group The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i Patricia Foley & Peter Fa John & Ginny Freyer Richard Gushman, III & Joan Bennet Gary & June Iki Kamehameha Schools Faith Matsuwaka ProService Hawaii Pūlama Lāna‘i R.M. Towill Corporation Marti Steele
KULA KAMALI‘I – PRESCHOOL ABC Stores ahl / Bettina Mehnert Alexander & Baldwin Foundation Lauran Bromley Brown & Brown Pacific Insurance Services, Inc. Darlena & Uwe Chadwick Deanna “Dede” ’61 & Norman Chang H. Mitchell & Barbara D’Olier Emmett R. Quady Foundation / John & Sue Dean Finance Factors Foundation / Russell Lau Kevin & Marcie Herring Betty Fujii Hirozawa ’47* Honolulu Star-Advertiser Jeong & Shin Kim
The MacNaughton Group Nona Kawauchi Tamanaha ’79 & Mark Tamanaha Title Guaranty Sue Ann Bryant Wargo ’69 & Peter Wargo Robert Witt Zephyr Insurance Company, Inc.
$1000 AND BELOW Roanne Abe Cheryl Acorda-Magaoay Wendilee Adkins Dr. Linda Arakaki ’85 Grace Arends Ka'ipo Bailey-Walsh Frances Baker Bernice Balete Tina Berger Berg ’68 Tiffany Borja Phil Bossert Daniel & Lisa Brandt Sheri Braunthal Steven Buchthal Jennifer Burke Lanaly Cabalo Jeanne Chang ’59 Jodi Chang Kyle Cheng Kianna Chung Dorothy Colby ’81 Michelle Comeau Connie Conover & Eric Stoetzer Susan Crow Mike Curtis Deanna & Jason D'Olier Erin Ferris Dollarhide ’89 Tanya Fernandes Mary Fiedler The Rt. Rev. & Mrs. Robert Fitzpatrick Michael Formby Anna Gima Jessica Gluck Ann Hanabusa Reginauld & Kanani Harris Denise Harrison Victoria Hill Amy Nobuhara Hironaka ’58 & Daniel Hironaka Dr. Kathy Ishimoto ’73 Denis Isono Peg Jackson Louis Johnson & Bettina Mehnert Stephanie & Pete Jones Marilyn Kanemura Elaine Chock Katsuyoshi ’58 & Charles Katsuyoshi
Lois Kawano The Rev. David Kennedy Penny Koch Lester Kodama David Kowen & Tiare Salassa Douglas & Corinne Kurth Thelma Lai-Chang ’68 & Vernon Chang Dew-Anne ’81 & Jeffrey Langcaon Kelly Lee Roberta Wong Leung ’66 & Aldrin Leung The Rev’d Father Paul Lillie Heather Lum April Lum Jeri & Jerry Lynch Romona Maeshiro William & Jennifer Makanui Arnold Martines Marjorie Mau Brian Murdock Takushi Nagayama Lisa Nakama Cynthia Nakaya Chandra Namumnart ’92 Darcy Nishimura ’94 Michele Nitta Jennifer Oka Terri & Brian Okada Gary & Judi Okamoto Randy Quirk Iris Reilly Moana Marshall Sanders ’58 Eric & Mariette Schiff Jerry Shi Ross Shimokawa Carrie Shoda-Sutherland Carol Ann ’66 & Mark Solien Priscilla Bumpus Tanase ’64 & Ted Tanase Rowena Buffett Timms Joyce Tokuhara Tom & Christie Tomasa Peter Uchiyama Claudia Hinz Unger ’64 Lyn Utsugi ’82 & Kurt Matsumoto Keith & Jo Anne Vieira Debra Wada ’80 Andrea Johnson Wagner ’73 & Richard Wagner Kathrine Wallen Alden Watts Jaidev & Julie Watumull Sharon Williams Mary Ellen & Thomas Williams Lesley Ann Nakahara Yost ’95 & Ricardo Yost Dee Young *deceased
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35 Years of Early Childhood Excellence at Queen Emma Preschool Queen Emma Preschool (QEP) started as Tenrikyo Preschool, which was in operation from 1974 to 1984. That year, St. Andrew’s Priory made contact with Tenrikyo with an interest in acquiring the preschool and helped to find its beautiful and sprawling current location in Nu‘uanu. A renovation transformed what was then the former Bishop’s home into a warm, welcoming, safe preschool environment ready to open as Queen Emma Preschool on its first day in March 1985. St. Andrew’s Schools Head of School Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher says, “Queen Emma Preschool is such a great place to start your education as a young child because you’re well-cared for, you’re loved, the teachers know how to teach you at your developmental age and stage, but most importantly, they learn how to love learning and then learn for life!”
Director Susan Okoga has been an educator for 40 years. She taught 2 and 3 year olds for seven years before becoming Director of Queen Emma Preschool in 1987. She says, “Being a teacher of young children has always been a passion of mine. After 40 years as a teacher and director, I can truly say that Queen Emma Preschool is a family of dedicated teachers and staff who work hard together to provide the best learning experience for young children and their families. "Not only do we provide academic learning, but more importantly, the skills that children need to face the world, even more so, now during this COVID pandemic. Through their work of play, our young students are learning how to learn, how to treat others with kindness and respect, and how to build strong life
skills with the guidance of caring and nurturing adults.” Susan continued, “We continue to build lifelong relationships with our families as our QEP alum return as parents and grandparents to share the educational journey they experienced with their own children. Parents know they have made the right choice for their child’s early learning education.” Early education pioneer and professor emiritus Dr. Stephanie Feeney recalled the transition of Queen Emma Preschool from Tenrikiyo Preschool. “I have known the school for many years, first when it was Tenrikyo Preschool, and then as it evolved into the school it is today. I remember admiring the wonderful facilities, visiting, and placing student
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interns from the early childhood teacher education program that I directed at UH Mānoa. Both Susan (Tamura) Okoga, who is now director, and teacher Rene Kong were students in the early education program at UH. Susan was even featured (as a young teacher) in the first edition of my textbook, Who Am I in the Lives of Children?” “I am grateful to the staff at Queen Emma preschool for the contributions they have made over the years to the healthy development of young children and to the professional development of future teachers of young children. I hope that the school will continue doing the important work of preparing children for success in school and in life for at least another 35 years,” said Dr. Feeney. Rene Kong, who has been with Queen Emma Preschool since its inception, absolutely loves her job and even teaches the four-year old classes with her daughter Shelley. Rene said, “We’ve been able to maintain a core staff for so many years. We have several on our staff who have helped to bring the school to fruition and continue it. I’m very proud of our educational philosophy - a whole child, play by learning concept that has never gone away from day one.” Shelley says, “I think the secret to a thriving preschool is teamwork! It’s something that we really try to instill in the kids - working together. I think the teachers being really close to each other and being like a family (and I mean literally a family), I think that’s the key and that’s what is special about our school - the longevity and the closeness of our staff here.” The rave reviews about QEP in the community come from all members of the ‘ohana. Sandi Tuitele, a long-time teacher educator from Kamehameha Schools said, “My grandchildren came here from the age of three. All of them are very different in personality and yet they’ve all come out very prepared to move on to kindergarten. I value the type of education that they received because
I have seen developmentally appropriate techniques employed with the children, including learning about science, which might challenge them, as well as learning how to work with other children.” Parents Keoni and Jacquie Vaughn said, “When we adopted Hunter, his birth mother really had one goal - to provide the highest level of education for Hunter. We really felt that we needed to honor that wish, so we chose Queen Emma Preschool, and it’s been fantastic.” Keoni continued, “I’m a firm believer in this school and so therefore we let all of our friends know, if you’re looking for a school, make sure you check out Queen Emma!” Susan Walker Kowen, whose two sons attended QEP decades ago, and now whose grandchildren attend QEP said, “Of all the schools we saw, we felt that Queen Emma Preschool most fit with our family philosophy. It was warm and loving, the kids were happy, the faculty were engaged, and so it was really an easy choice!” QEP alumni David Kowen who is now father to three sons said about QEP, “There are so many special people here who have known my family for generations. It’s been a huge part of our growing family and we love having a great place like Queen Emma Preschool where my wife and I can allow our sons to grow.” David’s mother Susan said, “The fact that there are so many teachers who were there in the 80s and they remember us and they remember our children and ask about both of my sons, and yet they still have energy! It’s amazing. They are just as wonderful to the kids today as they were 35 years ago.” Susan continued, “To the teachers there, I’d like to say thank you - a Big Mahalo for all the care that you have given not only to our kids, but to us as parents and as grandparents, by helping us understand and learn what they’re doing in the classroom, for giving us insights. They are just terrific!”
Congratulations Queen Emma Preschool for 35 years of providing nurturing care and education for the children of Hawai‘i!
Queen Emma Preschool is a place of joyful learning and an exemplar for excellence in early childhood education. In a loving environment, teachers use a developmental approach to help children grow in all areas. Our preschoolers are happy, curious, confident learners who leave ready and eager to enter kindergarten. The Preschool’s high quality educational program and low student teacher ratio (5:1 for 2 year-olds, 8:1 for 3 year-olds, 10:1 for 4 year-olds, and 8:1 for 5 year-olds) promote a child’s positive relationship with their teacher, peers and learning which bodes well for future academic and life success. Queen Emma Preschool is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and strives to provide the best education and care for young children. The Preschool is also accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS).
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ALOHA FROM THE ADVANCEMENT OFFICE Dear St. Andrew’s Schools ‘Ohana, With exceptional people, an inspiring place to learn, and a rigorous and creative academic program, St. Andrew’s Schools has been educating the leaders of tomorrow for 153 years. At the Office of Institutional Advancement, we work with our philanthropic partners who care about St. Andrew’s to continuously provide the best possible learning experiences for our students. These partners include generous individuals, alumnae, parents, grandparents, and private foundations and corporations, just to name a few. Together we are shaping the future of our school to attract talented educators, continue innovative educational programs, and create dynamic learning spaces that enhance the unique beauty and history of our school. As with all non-profit educational institutions, St. Andrew’s Schools relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers to move the needle forward. Thanks to incredibly generous support from our donors and sponsors, the following achievements were made possible in 2019-2020: • More than $1 million offered in financial aid and scholarships. More than $350,000 of these funds came from our first 100% virtual Queen Emma Ball. • A new playground for the Priory and Prep Lower School located next to Jubinsky Hall. • A new coral wall and landscaping beautification at the main school entrance. • New fans, scoreboards, and permanent wi-fi in the Weinberg Center Gymnasium. • Expansion of the performing arts program to Lower School in 2020-2021. • Continuation of the Stevens Global Leadership Program in the Priory Upper School. Our students will benefit from these enhancements that challenge them academically and provide a safe, fun place to learn and play! To our donors, a big “Mahalo” for your continued support! We couldn’t do this important and meaningful work without you. To our loyal and steadfast volunteers who are always there to lend a hand with school projects or initiatives – thank you for your commitment to making St. Andrew’s a better place. Your generous service helps make this school a very special, close-knit community. To all our parents, thank you for choosing St. Andrew’s Schools as a place for your child to learn and grow. We are honored that you have entrusted us with the care of your children. As part of our ‘ohana, I look forward to the opportunity to “talk story” with you. If you have any questions about our school, please don’t hesitate to contact me. With aloha,
Jennifer Burke Director of Institutional Advancement P: (808) 532-2441 E: jburke@standrewsschools.org
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Summary of Support
2019-20 Donations Scholarships & Financial Aid
$1,555,778
Academic Programs
$1,070,115
Capital Improvements
$287,740
Faculty Professional Development
$2,500
New Gifts to the Endowment (includes scholarships)
$549,768 Annual Fund
$142,456 Total Endowment Value (as of 7/31/2020)
$5,304,024
TOTAL GIFTS
$3,058,569
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Leave a Legacy
Forward-thinking donors are supporting us with planned gifts that are helping to ensure the long-term sustainability of St. Andrew’s Schools.
It’s beneficial.
It’s easy.
For information...
A planned gift can even generate tax benefits or an income stream for you and your family in retirement years. Be sure to consult with your financial or estate planner for more specifics.
Planned giving is easy to do and you don’t have to be wealthy to do it. Whether it is naming your favorite charity in your will or trust for a modest amount, or a gift of appreciated stock, there is an easy option that is right for you.
on St. Andrew’s Schools Queen Emma Legacy Society, please contact Jennifer Burke, Director of Institutional Advancement at (808) 532-2441 or jburke@standrewsschools.org.
If you are 70 ½ years or older, speak to your tax advisor about the benefits of making donations to the school directly from your qualified IRA account. Qualified donors age 70 ½ and older pay no income taxes on gifts made directly from an IRA to a charitable organization and the contribution qualifies for your annual required minimum distribution. *St. Andrew’s Schools does not provide legal or tax advice. All donors and advisors should consult their tax advisors to properly determine the tax consequences of making a charitable gift.
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2019-20 Donor Roll
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Mahalo to our Donors Kūlia ($10,000+) Cooke Foundation, Limited
Kūleana ($5,000 - $9,999) Dwayne & Marti Steele Fund Patricia Foley & Peter Fa Mary Sellers
Coral Cross ($2,500 - $4,999) Lynne Oshita Brickner ’70 First Hawaiian Bank Foundation Ruth & Charles “Chip” Fletcher Cameron & Cheryl Nekota Judy & Michael Pietsch
Mālama ($1,000 - $2,499) Anonymous Audrey Ahana ’55 Dee Dee Blackburn Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Darlena & Uwe Chadwick Karen Chang & Rick Blangiardi Michael & Sharon Coad Nancy & Herb Conley / Conley Family Foundation The Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick Phyllis Lum Shuck Gee ’52 & M. Steven Shuck Gee
The Queen Emma Annual Fund Gifts to The Queen Emma Annual Fund make it possible to respond to our most urgent needs and continue our signature programs. Last fiscal year we received over $142,000 in gifts to the annual fund. Mahalo nui loa to all of our generous supporters!
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Betty Fujii Hirozawa* ’47 Susan & Duane Kurisu Ethel Morita Kuwasaki ’47 & Rex Kuwasaki Russell & Connie Lau Janice Lee ’55 Karyn Mazzucato ’83 Danene Meyer Lunn ’80 & Pono Lunn / Manuheali‘i Inc. Bettina Mehnert & Louis Johnson Mary Matsumoto Miyamasu ’55 & Paul Miyamasu Diane & Edward Nakahara Hazel Ogawa-Lerman ’55 & Paul Lerman Adrienne Okumura Shiraki ’55 & Iwao Shiraki Eric Stoetzer & Connie Conover Lillian S.L. Tyau ’51 Lyn Utsugi ’82 & Kurt Matsumoto Geri Young ’70 & Robert Teichmann
Red, Gold, Blue ($500 - $999) Anonymous Norma Fung Chun ’62 & The Rev. Franklin Chun Mike Curtis & Piia Aarma Yvonne Sugimoto Hashizume ’63 & Harold Hashizume Leanna Dellaripa Heeren ’68 & Jerry Heeren Judith Hodge ’64 Colette Honda ’86 Noreen Kawamura Inamasu ’61 & Melvin Inamasu Stephanie & Pete Jones Evon & John Kawamoto Ronald & Janet Kim Thelma Lai-Chang ’68 & Vernon Chang Danelle & Tedd Landgraf Elaine Ung Leong ’58 Reuben & Mimi Levy Marion Townsend Makaimoku ’65 & William Makaimoku David & Kamal Masaki Pamela Chong Matsumoto ’79 & Mark Matsumoto Hanhdan Tonnu Nguyenphuc ’77 Paul Nobriga Caroline Ward Oda ’61 & Francis Oda Robert & Patricia Peters
Mark Polivka & Karen Tiller Polivka Stieler & Kalei Seki Sandra Theunick Wallace Tirrell Sue Ann Bryant Wargo ’69 & Peter Wargo Druscilla Sen Watson ’53 & Kenneth Watson Alden Watts Faye & Gary Yamasaki YourCause, LLC Trustee for Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Ylang Ylang ($150 - $499) Roanne Abe Robert & Lisa Andres Anonymous Evelyn Ho Auyong ’55 & Herman Auyong Gladys Awai-Lennox ’47 & Charles Lennox Ka‘ipo Bailey-Walsh Orpha Beirne Mandy Bohnet Judith Ahana Boohar ’53 & Richard Boohar Michael Broderick & Maile Meyer Jennifer Burke Sarah Chock Bush Deanna Tyau Chang ’61 & Norman Chang Jeanne Chang ’59 James & Jiachen Chen Philip & Ha Chrones Leonard Chun Clifford Cordeiro & Naoko Miyamoto Glenn & Inge Cordeiro Alethia & Charles Donathan Irenea Dupio Nichole Field William & Mary Foltz Foodland Super Market Laura Frye Mara Garcia Gaylene Goo ’63 Robert Halliday Lisa Chuck Halvorson ’73 & Paul Halvorson Reginauld & Kanani Harris Beverly Hashimoto-Lee ’65 & James Lee Linda Hee ’76 Kevin & Marcie Herring Janet Jones Kenneth & Sarah Juan Brian & Shirly Kang
Evon Kawamoto Kokua Hawaii Foundation Judith Koseki Nicole Kauahi-Beirne Kuamoo ’97 & Brett Kuamoo Winfred & Winifred Kubo Philia Lock Lau ’62 & Jerry Lau Jean Suzuki Liebetrau ’59 & Walter Liebetrau Ivan & Frances Lui-Kwan Nellie Liu Lum ’51 & Herbert Lum Martha Tanaka Maesaka ’58 & John Maesaka Sally Seixas McKenna ’66 & James McKenna Harvey & Lori Misaki Gwen Ishimoto Miyasaki ’67 Euphemia Chung Nagashima ’51 & Richard Nagashima Jean Yamada Nakagawa ’54 & Stan Nakagawa Julia Akana Nakamura ’51 & Yasuo Nakamura Network for Good Satoru & Gertrude Nishida Gladys Ho Nishioka ’55 & Roy Nishioka JoAnne Yoshigai Nishiyama ’83 & Roy Nishiyama Takeo & Etsuko Okuda Dehlia Rae Wilkinson Oldham ’73 Tiare Hanchett Ono ’72 & Raymond Ono Barbara Wong Poe ’53 & Richard Poe Roy & Sandra Sakata Moana Marshall Sanders ’58 Carrie Tokunaga Sato ’67 & Norman Sato Matthew & Lisa Schneibel Natsuo & Katherine Shigezawa Gail Omiya Yoshimoto Shih ’71 & Jay Shih Carole Takehara Dennis & Brenda Teranishi Laura Ching Thue ’65 & Robert Thue Janice Auyong Titgen ’69 & Richard Titgen Gordon Tokishi Gerald & Lynette Tom Colleen Treacy ’84 Floraine Feikert Van Orden ’46 & Herbert Van Orden Robert & Elizabeth Watts Julie Hanamoto Wee ’78 & Remy Biondine Mary Ellen & Thomas Williams Lauren Wright
The 2019-2020 Donor Roll acknowledges private monetary donations given
Please know that every effort is made to ensure that information in this
to St. Andrew’s Schools between August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020. If you made
report is accurate. If your name was misspelled or listed incorrectly, please
a gift on or after August 1, 2020, your name may not be listed in this edition,
accept our sincere apologies and contact the Advancement Office at (808)
and will be included in the next issue of the Kūlia Magazine.
532-2441 or advancement@standrewsschools.org to let us know of the appropriate corrections.
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‘Ohana (Under $150) Joy Agpaoa Ofelia Agustin Anela Akana AmazonSmile Foundation American Online Giving Foundation, Inc. Evelyn Wong Amoy ’47 & Albert Amoy Raymundo & Jocelyn Anagaran Anonymous (21 Donors) Linda Arakaki ’85 Fay Tanaka Atebara ’83 & Neal Atebara Winona Au ’47 Caroline Au ’45 Eliza Kaku Biven ’52 & Llewellyn Biven Gregory & Jann Boxold Rosemary Evenson Burnett ’63 & James Burnett Jonathan & Stephanie Cachola Elaine Chang ’50 Colette Young Chew ’84 Carolyn Au Ching ’59 Raymond & Sachiko Chun Diane Chang Chung ’60 & Kenneth Chung Sheri-Ann Lau Clark ’90 & John Clark Dorothy Arriola Colby ’81 & David Colby Maria Carmen Coloma Julia Nahale Daligcon ’54 & William Daligcon Yayoi & Ronnie Date Deborah Devine-Sherman & Robert Sherman Megan Dung Rodrigo & Eliza Edra Kei Enoki David & Judith Ezra Dionisia Ferreira Charles & Audrey Ferris Sonya Cooke Finkey ’63 & Joseph Finkey Randal Fujimoto & Sarah Neal-Fujimoto Francis & Dorthea Fukumoto Evelyn Sugawa Gallagher ’64 & John Gallagher Pete Galvez & Audrey Pak Anna Gima Elena Wong Guinn ’63 & Randall Guinn Soo Han ’91 Rachel Lynn Henyan ’18 Scott Herzer Herbert Heu & Doriann Heu Lynda Chew Hino ’61 & Stanley Hino Ai Hirasuna Amy Nobuhara Hironaka ’58 & Daniel Hironaka Stephanie & Jacob Hudson Charlene Young & Raymond Ishikawa*
Kenneth & Carol Ishizaki Frank & Roberta Jahrling Annette Lum Jim ’53 & Robert Jim Heinne Kruse Kaaa ’57 & Roy Kaaa Robin LaCroix Kamradt ’52 Marilyn Kimura Kanemura ’63 & Dennis Kanemura Suzanne Kong Kang ’80 & Gary Kang Muriel Otani Kashiwa ’48 & Genro Kashiwa Margaret Katagihara Clayton & Cynthia Kau Earl & Patricia Kawa‘a Elsie Miyahara Kawakone ’50 & Edmund Kawakone Deanna Missy Kilbey Lee Kimura ’88 Diana King ’79 & Michael Casey Faith Matsuwaka Kodama ’74 Dorothy Hirokawa Kometani ’55 & Franklin Kometani Michelle Kong Rene Kong Jaime Kurosawa ’87 Aggy Kusunoki Sharleen Wong Kwok ’87 & Egbert Kwok George & Sharlene Lam John & Niki Landgraf Dew-Anne Nishida Langcaon ’81 & Jeffrey Langcaon Debbie Liu ’02 & Forrest Lau Wesley & Michelle Lau Julia Lazaroff Barbee Godfrey LeClair ’65 & Robert LeClair Lynette Jung Lee ’65 & Sun Hee Lee Peggy Nagakawa Lilly ’57 & Albert Lilly Claire Watanabe Lubick ’67 Heather Lum Lorraine Fong Lum ’57 & John Lum Annette Kobayashi Maeda ’71 & Byron Maeda Glen Maeda Carmencita & Conrado Magbulos Marilyn Magbulos Corliss Wong Marsh ’64 & George Marsh Sylvia Young Matsui ’53 & James Matsui* Kathy Matsuo Charlene Matsuoka Mary Meier Camille Michel Ruth Chijimatsu Mikami ’53 & Roy Mikami Susan McCarthy Mitchel ’67 & Michael Mitchel Raymond & Florence Miyahara Saori & Paul Morinaka
Bruce & Ragsima Mount Paul & Shizuko Mow Roy & Leiko Murakami Charlotte Kudo Nakanishi ’58 & Ernst Nakanishi Brad & Andrea Nakashima Marie & Alan Nakata Kelly Jo Ogata Nancino ’80 & Edwin Nancino Arlene Nikaido-Lung ’66 & Rick Lung Joy Imamura Ogi ’69 & Sheldon Ogi Susan & Glenn Okoga Jean Omura Okubo ’53 & Herbert Okubo Lyn Higuchi Otoshi ’68 & Grant Otoshi Nora Oyama-Haugen Joseph & Paulette Pacific Danilo & Luz Paguirigan Aurelia & Roy Paguirigan Peter & Serene Pareira Claudette Fong Parnell ’68 & Stephen Parnell Benjamin & Lorie Pias Kamilla Pollock ’08 Lawrence & Christine Prado Louisa & Timoteo Quintero Kathryn Tyau Ramones ’53 & Edward Ramones* Charlotte Lau Recarte ’63 & Harvey Recarte Lorrianne Tanaka Redlew ’87 Geary & Tanidrik Reed Iris Reilly Michael Rickman Ann Kanemoto Rillera ’74 Heatherlynn Christopher Romoff ’00 & Mike Romoff Sharolyn Lee Roppiyakuda ’76 & Howard Roppiyakuda Cresensia Sacro Guy & Anne Sakamoto Edna Sakurai Margaret Sakurai Nydia Santiago-Cordero Marlene Komoto Schick ’82 & Steven Schick Paige Sameshima Shimoda ’80 & Neal Shimoda Samantha Shobu Timothy Shulz Murielle Sipola Charlene Chun Soon ’69 & Gerald Soon Bowe Souza Sandra Kamioka Souza ’65 & William Souza Terri Stebbins ’77 & Hanspeter Treuenfels Suzanne Hanchett Swartman ’63 & William Swartman
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Margaret Dahlgren Takahama ’73 & Talbert Takahama Virginia Teruya Takahara ’55 & Frederick Takahara Lorna Takaoka Jean Takamoto Takase ’50 & Allan Takase Howard & Margaret* Takata Lenette Lum Tam ’60 & Edwin Tam Ynez Akana Tascott ’56 & James Tascott Judy Tolentino Mabel Awai Tom ’42 & Robert Tom Loretta Ching Tom ’49 & Harry Tom Cynthia Toma ’72 Tod & Christie Tomasa Michael & Bonnie Town Jennifer Trela ’95 & Todd Yamamura Joyce Shigemura Ueda ’63 & Ronald Ueda Andres Ulep Claudia Hinz Unger ’64 & John Unger Chad Uyehara Nathan & Susan Uyehara Allison Ka‘ilihiwa Vaughan-Darval Tara Wengronowitz William & Maile Williams Eunice Ching Wong ’59 & Roland Wong Kenneth & Jane Wong Winona Collins Wong ’49 & Julius Wong Hidemi & Hirohide Yakumaru Susan Tanaka Yamane ’68 & Eugene Yamane Gail Fujita Yee ’78 & Corey Yee Misha Ann Matsumoto Yee ’09 & Mike Yee Dianne Yoder ’64 & Stephen Anderson* Angela Yogi ’83 Kay Oyama Yogi ’56 & Richard Yogi Elza Yost Lesley Ann Yost ’95 & Ricardo Yost Beryl Young ’62 Gloria Young ’59
Gifts to Named Funds
The following donors made financial, matching, or gift-in-kind contributions to restricted funds during the 2019-2020 academic year. $100,000 + Anonymous (2 donors) ABC Stores Nancy & Herb Conley / Conley Family Foundation Kamehameha Schools LGA Family Foundation Stephen E. and Isabella H. Stevens World Peace Foundation The Queen’s Health Systems $25,000 - $99,999 Anonymous Emily L. & Mabel C. Ladd Scholarship Trust Fund First Hawaiian Bank Foundation G.N. Wilcox Trust McInerny Foundation Tammy Yonemitsu Rooke ’81 & Cameron Rooke / Withington Foundation Samuel N. & Mary Castle Foundation Priscilla Bumpus Tanase ’64 & Ted Tanase
Phyllis Kanoe Cockett ’66 Matson Carol Ann Leon Solien ’66 & Mark Solien $5,000 - $9,999 Amelia G. Gaston Fund Claud & Ethel Steffenhagen Trust Dolores Furtado Martin Foundation / Watters O. Martin Jr. Lin & Ella Wong Foundation, Inc. Robert & Sandra McFarlane Gail Tamaribuchi $2,500 - $4,999 Anonymous (2 donors) Frances M. Vojack Charitable Lead Annuity Trust Ethel Morita Kuwasaki ’47 & Rex Kuwasaki $2,499 - $1,000 CKW Financial Group Kimberly Miyazawa Frank '82 & Stanley Frank Cora Jay '47 Audrey Liu Mueh ’65 St. Andrew’s Schools Parent Teacher Fellowship Lyn Utsugi '82 & Kurt Matsumoto *deceased
$10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous (2 donors) Atherton Family Foundation Betty Mae Ling Charitable Trust
Alumnae Class Gifts Class of 1947 Endowment Fund Cora Jay Bay Area Alumnae Group Fund Barbara Shim Chow ’49 & David Chow Class of 1952 Endowed Fund Myrtle Hiokawa Kaneshiro & Morimasa Kaneshiro Janet Kano Kato & Hiroshi Kato Alice Kau Thursten
Class of 1958 Fund Elaine Chock Katsuyoshi & Charles Katsuyoshi Moana Marshall Sanders Class of 1966 Endowed Fund for the Perpetuation of Hawaiian Culture Estelle Kau Inn & Kenneth Inn Margie Leong Gene Forshay McLoughlin & John McLoughlin Carol Ann Leon Solien & Mark Solien
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Memorial Gifts Lucille Tamura Caldwell Memorial Scholarship Anonymous Elise Okuna Fernley ’82 Kimberly Miyazawa Frank ’82 & Stanley Frank Patricia Fujii ’77 Sandra Dung Hiu ’82 & Alan Hiu Colette Honda ’86 Janet Jones Corinne Fujii Kurth ’82 & Douglas Kurth Sheilah Ebesu Lee ’81 & Eric Lee Lynn Imamura Lum ’82 & Tenneyson Lum Alexander Matsumoto Kathleen Asato Mau ’82 Mavisanne Mizuta Miyaoka ’82 & Kel Miyaoka Marlene Komoto Schick ’82 & Steven Schick Lisa Tamura-Tanoue ’84 Patti Tamura ’82 Jane Hatanaka Tonokawa ’77 & Douglas Tonokawa Lyn Utsugi ’82 & Kurt Matsumoto Shauna Tseu Williams ’75 & Richard Williams DeeDee Yoshimura Wong ’81 & Michael Wong Roxanne Yamaguchi ’82 Amy Tamura Yonashiro ’81 & Terry Yonashiro In Memory of Miriam Yamanaka Chinen ’54 Rose Lee Leong ’54 Phoebe Furtado Gedge ’34 & George Donald Gedge Endowed Scholarship A.D. Furtado Properties Lahaina, LLC Anonymous (3 donors) Colliers International Hawaii, LLC Dolores Furtado Martin Foundation / Watters O. Martin Jr. In Memory of John “Jube” Jubinsky Anonymous Robert & Sandra McFarlane
The Queen Emma Annual Fund At St. Andrew’s Schools, we infuse children with a strong sense of hope and optimism, along with a great love for learning, to ignite their infinite potentials. Our talented faculty empower students to Kūlia I Ka Nu’u, or Strive for the Highest, guiding them to explore their passions and talents as they expand their unique, individual capacities.
In Memory of Eleanor Kuroda Paek ’54 Rose Lee Leong ’54
Please support us in our mission to guide future generations of innovative, confident, and creative learners who will make positive contributions to our communities. All donations make a difference, no matter how small or big the amount. Your gift to the Queen Emma Annual Fund creates a brighter future for all of us through the lives of our children.
In Memory of Jean Saito Leilani Hino
Please make your gift online at: www.standrewsschools.org/sasgiving
In Memory of Jean Omura Okubo ’53 Kathryn Tyau Ramones ’53
Dawn Tamaribuchi ’81 Endowed Memorial Scholarship Ramona Oge Gail Tamaribuchi
Thank you for partnering with us to give the greatest gift of all – the gift of education!
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Did you know? The CARES Act, passed earlier this year for COVID-19 relief, incorporates specific provisions for charitable giving. For the 2020 tax year only, there are additional tax benefits for donating, for example, the increase of the adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation to 100% from 60%. Under the CARES Act, cash donations to qualified non-profit organizations (not including donor-advised funds and supporting organizations) can fully offset AGI. Please contact your financial advisors to see if any new CARES Act provisions can benefit you financially. Examples include: • New Charitable Deduction for NonItemizers • Modified Charitable Deduction Limits for Individuals • Waiver of Retirement Plan Penalties due to COVID Purposes • Required Minimum Distributions Waived • Increased Charitable Deduction Limits for Corporations
If you have any questions about giving to St. Andrew’s Schools, please contact Jennifer Burke, Director of Institutional Advancement, at (808) 532-2441 or jburke@standrewsschools.org.
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Home for the Holidays 2019 On December 5, 2019, Jeri Lynch once again opened her home in Kāhala to host St. Andrew’s Schools’ annual Home for the Holidays, a benefit for the Queen Emma Annual Fund. This event aims to raise money by providing a unique shopping experience for attendees. The idea of Home for the Holidays is simple – eat, drink and get a little holiday shopping done, but with a twist – guests are made to feel at home. By using a warm, lived-in home as the venue, with friendly and familiar faces at every corner, the event feels more like a fun evening at a friend’s house. Upon arrival, attendees were greeted by Head of School Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher
and some of St. Andrew’s staff members, then escorted through the grand entrance of Lynch’s stunning “Hale Five-O” home which was transformed into a mall of pop-up, local boutiques for browsing and shopping. Personally curated by Lynch, the vendors included Island Bungalow, Izzy & Luke, Jenna Wellein Art, and Place. Lynch’s personal impressive art collection gave shoppers a reason to pause in between shops posted at every corner and room of the home. Parent volunteers offered drinks and delectable small bites catered by Ginniberries and students from The Priory Chamber Choir and Chamber Strings warmed hearts with their gifts of beautiful holiday music.
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ANGELS ($500+)
One main feature of the event, to which many look forward, is the Festival of Trees – beautifully handcrafted mini Christmas trees and wreaths displayed in the main dining area and available for purchase. “I look forward to buying a mini Christmas tree every year. My daughter Kimberly, ’04 and I have been to almost every Home for the Holidays, except one,” said Kathy Ishimoto, ’73. This year Ishimoto brought her two-year-old granddaughter, Julia, to be a part of this family tradition. The popularity of the Festival of Trees is perhaps attributed to the attention to detail and creativity, and that each handmade tree is from the heart. The trees are donated from the St. Andrew’s Schools’ community – many of which are created and gifted by the faculty and staff members of the school. The Business Office and maintenance crew team up every year to create a themed mini Christmas tree display based on holiday classics. This year, the theme was “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Danny Paguirigan and Rodrigo Edra used their woodworking skills to build a sleigh as a base for the Grinch-themed tree. “We only have a photo as a guide and need to figure out how to turn pieces of scrap wood into something beautiful. We enjoy it because it makes people smile,” said Paguirigan. The evening was a great success in welcoming home 150 attendees and raising more than $27,000, which was be used to support student and faculty programs. “Home for the Holidays is such a festive gathering of the family and friends who support St. Andrew’s Schools,” said Head of School Ruth Fletcher. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this event a highlight of the holiday season!”
Anonymous Gertrude Berger Leslie Brown Mardi & Brown Cannon Karen Chang CKW Financial Group Darlena Chadwick Anne Suzuki Ching ’62 Nancy & Herb Conley Wendy Crabb Barbara D’Olier Sarah Fargo Ruth Fletcher Patricia Foley Kevin & Marcie Herring Sandy Irish Kathy Ishimoto ’73 Skipper Jones Susan Kurisu Bettina Mehnert & Louis Johnson Marion Philpotts-Miller Cameron & Cheryl Nekota Judy & Michael Pietsch Mark Polivka & Karen Tiller Polivka Laurie Siegfried Lyn Utsugi ’82
DONATIONS Robin Appasamy Dianne Bennett Connie Carr Deanna “Dede” Chang ’61 Jamie Churchill Deborah Devine-Sherman Keala Dickehns Sarah Dudgeon Margie Durant Teresa Fabry Sharon Fairbanks Connie Flattery Nichole Field Betty Fullard-Leo Henriette Galang Patricia Gamble
Cheryl Hetherington Jennifer Grems ’87 Mary Colleen Heyer Kimberly Hehir Emalia Pietsch Hogan Kathy Ishimoto ’73 Stephanie Johnson Nedra Johnson Greg & Kim Jones Cully & Carol Judd Linda Kan Lynette Kanda Jenny Kelley Jeong & Shin Kim Lisa Kim Mary Kondo Julie Krucky Lani Lam Dew-Anne Nishida Langcaon ’81 Diane Lee Sheilah Lee ’81 Roberta Wong Leung ’66 Marissa MacNaughton Susan McClintock Carri Morgan Sherry Niethammer Larissa Nordyke Teresa Otani Bonnie Pang ’80 Nancy Pace Bonnie Pang Kaui Philpotts Jessica Richardson Pokey Richardson Anne Richardson Wright Catherine Schultz Jane Schumacker Catherine Tanaka Sharon Twigg-Smith Julie Watumull Tanya Watumull Lynn Watanabe Meleana Wolf Jennifer Wong Lesley Ann Yost ’95
Alumnae Spotlight
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Reaching New Heights: An Interview with Laurie Quintero Luczak ’80 Laurie Luczak ’80 is a local leader, educator, and administrator born and raised on the island of ‘Oahu. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Master of Education in Teaching, both from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and is a licensed secondary education teacher. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked in the private sector for insurance brokerage homes and companies. But through encouragement from peers and even Queen Emma Preschool teachers, she began her career in education. After becoming involved in the GEAR-UP program at Farrington High School as their Program Coordinator, Laurie continued with Farrington High School as a teacher for the next ten years. She moved on to serve as the Vice Principal at Kalihi Kai Elementary for four years and is now leading the faculty and staff at Hokulani Elementary as their Principal in her sixth consecutive school year. We were honored to sit down and talk with her about her experiences and the future of education as an educator and leader during the time of COVID-19.
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In all your years of teaching and working with Hawai‘i’s keiki, what are two pieces of advice you would give to young educators starting their careers? Especially now during the pandemic? Respond with grace and understanding and to live your philosophy of education. Of all your achievements throughout your career, which role has been your favorite and why? Teaching, for sure, has been the most fun. There are upsides to both teaching and being a school administrator, but my most vibrant and heartfelt stories are from when I was a classroom teacher and student-centered. What is your favorite part about being a principal? The responsibilities are very different between the roles with both perks and challenges but not having to spend my nights and weekends assessing student work and updating my grade book is probably my favorite thing! What are some of the challenges of your role as a leader and principal? Personnel issues for sure because it’s about people. My role as a principal is to support and care about my faculty and staff so that they are able to care for our students. It’s hard when people do not fulfill those responsibilities, especially if they work day to day with children. Even if everyone is doing an excellent job with meeting their responsibilities and allowing students to flourish ... knowing how to maximize people’s strengths, responding to philosophical differences, communication styles, learning styles, etc. is challenging. Did you ever think your career journey would take you to where you are today? No. Not at all. This is my second career and I was strongly encouraged to go into education by my children’s teachers at Queen Emma Preschool. There were a couple of parents in my children’s classes, who were teachers, who encouraged me to the point of giving me names of people at UH to speak with and explained the different programs of study. When I started my first year as a teacher, 2003,
I really just wanted to be in a classroom. But my principal told me towards the end of my first year that I needed to go into school leadership eventually. How did The Priory prepare you to become the strong, successful woman you are today? When I went to The Priory, we still had nuns, went to chapel with chapel caps, and stopped at noon, when the bell tolled, to say a portion of the Angelus prayer. We would take out our card and read it aloud until we memorized it. Being centered spiritually is something that is very much a part of how I make decisions, problemsolve, etc. From that spiritual core comes the belief that good will triumph over evil, to believe and be hopeful, and to be grateful. Another element that I derived from being a Daughter of the Priory, is the freedom I had of being with other females and not being a “second class” citizen. All girls could aspire to leadership roles, play sports, be in the band, do well in math and science, etc. We weren’t limited to the stereotypic roles that many other girls were relegated to in co-educational settings. If there were limitations on our success or achievement or participation at school, that was self-inflicted: we limited ourselves. Social challenges still happened but that was because we were not fully formed and people made poor decisions sometimes. Executive functioning was still developing. And of course, teenage angst and insecurity were present, but that’s part of growing up too, dealing or not dealing with that and learning from those experiences. What procedures were put into place due to the pandemic? Whew...where to start? Socially distancing with your students? Yes, absolutely. Students not being able to physically connect and play together like in the past? Yes. We spent the first quarter learning from home, and students logged on to virtual sessions with their homeroom teacher. We had a handful of students come to campus physically, due to a wide range of reasons such as no connectivity at home, environment not most conducive for learning, and specialized services. In
the summer I developed schedules for every single student with the plan to start the year in a hybrid-blended learning environment. We have health expectations, cleaning and disinfecting protocols, and even protocols on how to welcome students to campus in the morning to how we will manage recess. Then we shifted to everyone learning at home. Well, it was good to go through all of that thinking. While we didn’t implement the ABC plan, it helped me to think through all of the operations of a school as well as consider the individual needs of students, faculty, and staff. Mental gymnastics for sure. Now in planning to bring back more students to campus for in-person instruction, I solicited suggestions from faculty, staff, and parents. We will figure this out together. We need to still keep health and safety as the priority but we have additional guidance for DOH and metrics to utilize. How are your teachers doing with distance learning? I’m exceedingly proud of them. We are blessed. I know that they were frightened, worried, and anxious. Teaching is such an extension of self that it makes one nervous. Judgment by parents, students, and media takes a toll on teachers and it is wrong. They also don’t want to disappoint me. So that adds a layer of worry that I have to consistently battle to dispel. Also, knowing that they had to immediately implement new modes of instruction in front of a wider audience was nerve-wracking. But my teachers are committed, professional, caring folk (good people) that stepped up to the call to serve. We had to make decisions on learning platforms really quickly and had a short amount of time to learn. We had to have strong faith and hope that people would understand that we will do the best we can each day and that each day was a new opportunity. While we are willing to extend grace and understanding to our students, colleagues, and parents, it is not always reciprocated and that makes teaching very difficult. I make virtual visits to the classrooms and I hear them interacting with their students. I see students laughing, smiling, and enjoying the sessions. My teachers really
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took long leaps, so much so that we needed to have a talk about managing the day and how teaching in a virtual environment will not and should not replicate the seat time normally associated with a school day. I need them to take care of themselves and that means developing doable, sustainable, and reasonable expectations and agreements.
1970 Age of Aquarius Golden Girls By Ann Kamishita Ishida-Ho ’70
What are some of the accessiblity issues (if any) for your students and how are you attemtping to combat those issues? We’re fortunate to not have many issues. Families still struggle with bandwidth sharing but they are managing. We recommend students come to school to use our Wi-Fi when there are access or stability issues. They are supervised in our largest space and use our school devices to join their classmates and teacher online. How do you stay hopeful during these times? I’ve been asked this a lot. I really don’t have an answer because being hopeful is just part of who I am. I guess drawing upon my top five Gallup Strengths helps. Those are Learner, Connectedness, Intellection, Positivity, and Achiever. I use those strengths to make sense of things and to keep moving forward. But honestly, I can’t imagine how not being hopeful is helpful or even healthy. What do you believe is the future of education? I think the essence, overarching purpose of education will remain the same: preparing, teaching students to think in order to make sound decisions and problem solve, in order to make positive contributions to humankind. You know, make a positive difference in the lives of others. Part of this is to teach students how to listen to understand rather than listen to respond. But the mode of learning, instruction, assessment will continue to evolve and that’s exciting. To hear a veteran teacher tell me, “... that was scary to try but I’m never going back…” warms my heart. I don’t think education in this country is doomed. I don’t think we have failing schools in Hawai‘i. I do think some communities and some students/families need support well beyond what schools can usually provide and until basic needs are met, being part of a school community is hard. There are students who struggle and flourish in every school. Some of the responsibilities I have as a school leader is to determine how we can help students who struggle and how to keep expanding the wingspan of others while supporting faculty and staff.
“When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars, then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the stars.” (The Age of Aquarius: lyrics by James Rado/Gerome Ragni, music by Galt MacDermot) The Class of 1970, fifty years ago, was educated in the Age of Aquarius brought about by love, enlightenment, and peace for humanity. It was the hippie period of wild, rebellious, and independent thoughts and behaviors. While we would like to think we were a close class, the reality may have been far from it. We were a diverse group of young ladies with many different and complementary interests, lofty ideals, and personal goals. However, reflecting back, The Priory provided a safe environment supported by an interesting mix of nuns, mentors, teachers, and staff. Many exceptional and interesting teachers have contributed to and supported each individual Golden Girl’s development. Sisters Ursula, Monica, Lucy, and other Sisters, whose names can’t be recalled, provided us with discipline, guidance, friendship, counseling, and curiosity. We were always curious about their lifestyle in Transfiguration Hall and as one classmate contributed, curious about what was under the hood! We had many outstanding and memorable mentors and teachers. For the Class of 1970, Father Walter Thomas and his wife, Beth, hold a very special place in our hearts. As a parting legacy to the future generations of Priory graduates, the Class of 1970 collectively remained defiant when we requested that we graduate in a holomu‘u instead of the traditional cap and gown. This is a tradition that The Priory has held onto until today! We wanted to honor our school’s Hawaiian heritage and history. Lillian Izumi ’70 recalls approaching Father Minuth regarding this change and his
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concern was that we would never wear the holomu‘u again and the cost could not be justified. Yes, we probably never wore the holomu‘u again, but we felt so proud to have been the first class to break away from the tradition of cap and gown and graduate in a white holomu‘u, which was a Bette Mu‘u design, one of Hawai‘i’s most respected mu‘u dressmakers. Thinking back, we may have been the first high school in Hawai‘i to have graduated in holomu‘u during that time! It’s been fifty years since we walked down the aisle in The Cathedral of St. Andrew. Some of our classmates have left this world, some have remained good friends, and some have purposely chosen to forget about their Priory experiences. However, as Geri Young said, “I have such wonderful memories of all of us Golden Girls...and I am so grateful especially to Lillian Izumi who deserves an award for her incredible efforts to keep us connected all these years!” All it takes is one or a few Golden Girls to keep the connection going so that should we have an opportunity to meet again, everyone is welcome to rejoin the Class of 1970, renew in the spirit of love, forgiveness, enlightenment, and peace. Our Age of Aquarius. For our Golden Girls year, a small group of us attempted to put forth our best recollections of The Priory in this article. We are hoping that our memories are accurate and shared by our classmates. Here are a few of our memories:
“
Robin Newman ’70:
“November 1963, fifth grade … I remember being called back to morning chapel in the Cathedral because Mrs. Simpson heard on her transistor radio that JFK had been shot! What a day that was to remember in history.”
Gayle Koyanagi Pai ’70:
“The memory that has been ingrained into my whole being was when he and Mrs. Thomas adopted David (Kawika) and brought him to visit after school regularly so we could share in the excitement and the genuine love and pride he had for his new addition to the family. He made us feel like a part of his family. Although Father Thomas eventually left Hawaii, he never forgot us. He kept in touch with our class and we were able to hear of David’s continued growth, accomplishments in life, his wife, and his own family. When Father Thomas wrote to us personal letters, he addressed us as we had addressed each other while at The Priory. His mind was sharp, like we were still in school. This small gesture displayed how we had also impacted his life. We had left a mark on his heart as he had with ours.”
Pam Toone Rast ’70:
“I came to The Priory in my sophomore year. I lived on the North Shore, so I had to travel an hour each day to school. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at The Priory. Some of my favorite Priory
I have such wonderful memories of all of us Golden Girls ... and I am so grateful especially to Lillian Izumi who deserves an award for her incredible efforts to keep us connected all these years!” Geri Young ’70
experiences were the great friends I made, the teachers, Ascension Day and decorating the Coral Cross, spaghetti day for lunch, and being afraid of Sister Lucy. “Last year I went back to Hawai‘i and visited The Priory with four of my grandchildren. I felt a great love for my years there as I told my grandchildren about my adventures. As we sat in the chapel I told them about graduation. It brought back some wonderful memories of great times and friends I hold dear to my heart!”
Ann Kamishita Ishida-Ho ’70:
“While my memories are harder to retrieve these days, there are a few highlights that I remember from my Priory experience: I was a quiet student entering The Priory. I forced myself to join the Debate Club, an activity that I never regretted and feel blessed to have engaged in.
“Our class was born to stir up the status quo. We questioned, we demonstrated, we rebelled, and we did some fun and amazing things! One of my favorite memories was when our senior class planned a surprise to celebrate ‘Iolani’s upcoming homecoming game. With the song ‘The Age of Aquarius’ blasting in the courtyard, we ran from our homeroom classes dressed in hippie outfits and rocked out wildly around the coral cross. Recalling back, I think we put some smiles on the teachers and administrators’ faces that day.”
Class Notes
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1960
Class of 1969’s Golden Girls reunion committee enjoyed a lovely afternoon of tea at the Halekulani.
L-R: Kela Holt, Sue Ann (Bryant) Wargo, Dana (Ritchie) Fujikake, Sharon (Spencer) Pang, Charlene (Chun) Soon, Lorrie Chang (front), Libby (Ellett) Tomar (back), Letitia “Tish” (Loo) Oshiro, Lorna Choy
Get Involved. Keep In Touch. Please keep us updated on what you and your fellow alumnae have been up to. We love receiving your updates and photos! Please send us your stories and photos through our Class Notes webpage: https://www.standrewsschools.org/classnotes Here are examples of events that have happened that make notable Class Notes: Births/adoptions Marriages Deaths Career changes, promotions, retirements Educational achievements Honors and awards Publications or exhibitions Volunteer commitments Personal accomplishments (e.g. sports races, hobbies, travels) Any other news from your life Office of Insitutional Advancement & Alumnae Relations Email: alumnae@standrewsschools.org Call: 808-532-2454
1970
GAYLE PAI ’70, LILLIAN IZUMI ’70, and ANN ISHIDA-HO ’70 celebrated the gift
of 55 years of best-friendship over lunch in October of 2019. They were looking forward to their 50 year golden anniversary with St. Andrew’s Schools before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their celebration.
THE REV. MARILYN YODER CREEL, M. DIV. ’70 is starting her 9th year as
pastor of a small, rural Presbyterian church located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about 5 miles from the southern entrance to Sequoia National Park. So far she is having too much fun to retire, but it helps to be half-time!
1980 DOROTHY ARRIOLA COLBY ’81 celebrated 35 years together (29 of them married) with husband, Alex Colby, on July 20, 2020. They met at a Russian language summer program in the Soviet Union in 1985. Their fresh-faced photo is on a bridge in Leningrad, USSR. They celebrated their anniversary day by hiking to Ka‘ena Point for sunset.
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1990
KAREN FURTADO ’91, owner of Shear
Magic Pet Salon, a full-service pet grooming shop in Hilo, decided to use her business to pay it forward during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She started a “Take a book, leave a book” library program outside her shop, where free books were stored inside the kennels that were temporarily unused.
2000
Friendships made at The Priory truly last a lifetime. ASHLEY MORENO-SASAKI ’01 and ALEXIS REED ’01 can’t wait to celebrate birthdays and other life events once the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
DEBBIE LIU ’02 was
surprised to receive a letter from The Priory written to herself 18 years ago. She said it reminded her how The Priory was like family and how the nurturing environment provided her with endless opportunities. Since graduating from The Priory in 2002, Debbie attended and worked in admissions for 10 years at Wellesley College. She loved learning so much that after graduating from Wellesley, she earned two masters from Harvard and Boston University, and then a doctorate
at Harvard. Now in the corporate world, Debbie’s love of learning has remained the same and she said she has St. Andrew’s Priory to thank for that. CATHLENE GOYA ’08 traveled to Texas
in March for the 2020 USA Pickleball Mid-South Regional Championships and received a bronze medal for the “Women’s Singles” event!
2010
NICOLE GASMAN ’11 is attending the Washington College of Law at her alma mater, American University, in Washington D.C.
ELISE SWAIN ’11 graduated with her JD from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in the Spring of 2019, then only a few months later, graduated with her MBA from the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in the Winter of 2019.
2020
Recent grad, ALEXANDREA WONG ’20, was awarded $2,000 in scholarships and a new computer for her four-minute video essay, “What Makes America Great,” at a Voice of Democracy ceremony hosted by the national Veterans of Foreign Wars in Washington, D.C. She also received $500 from VFW Department of Hawai‘i (via “Hotshots” section in Midweek).
Marriages/Births EVELYN BRAUM ’11 welcomed daughter, Kilohanaokawai Kailynn Anoba, with partner Bryson Anoba, on July 09, 2020 at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children.
In Memoriam
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ever met her, “ Ifyouyounever forgot her...” – Kahele Naeole, Leatrice’s Granddaughter
Leatrice Chun Williams Born on August 24, 1934, in Honolulu, HI, LEATRICE NYUN SUNN CHUN WILLIAMS was a true “Daughter of the Priory,” attending Kindergarten through high school and graduating with the Class of 1952. During her Priory tenure, she was involved in Latin Club, German Club, and the Athletic Board, as well as Companions of St. Andrew, which strived to introduce people to Christianity through St. Andrew as their patron, and Businette Club, which assisted the principal’s and business offices, where she was elected President for three years in a row. Leatrice continued to be a devoted supporter of St. Andrew’s Schools throughout her lifetime.
She married Mohala Kenneth “Buddy” Williams in 1955 and gave birth to her three children, Lee Ann “Annie” WilliamsNaeole ’73, in 1955, Kenneth “Butch” in 1959, and Lorelei “Nono” in 1960. After raising her children where she grew up in the Chinese Camp on Vineyard Street, she and her family moved to Punchbowl in 1959 before settling in Kailua in 1967. Leatrice loved and was loved by her dear friends and family
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St. Andrew’s Schools extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of alumnae we lost this past year.
1937
BETTY YIT SIM WONG YOUNG
1988
Honolulu, HI September 2, 2020
1943 GLADYS WEE EVENSON Honolulu, HI March 3, 2020
and is survived by her three children, brother Richard and family, grandchildren – Kahele, Melissa, Hogan, Carmen, and Kalehua, and great-grandchildren – Makoto and Mahina. She was widowed for 41 years before her passing but still managed to send all of her children to colleges on the mainland to jumpstart their respective successful careers today. Leatrice truly lived with aloha, especially during her time with students as the #1 rated driving instructor in the State of Hawai‘i for over 50 years. She was one of the first female driving instructors in Hawai‘i and taught over 15,000 students throughout her career. Her legacy continues across multiple generations of families who have been fortunate enough to have been graced by Leatrice’s presence both on and off the road. She enjoyed simple things like a good Chi Chi at dinner, a Coke with extra ice, and raising tropical flowers, but also traveling to foreign countries like Ireland and Egypt, and her favorite destination of all, Las Vegas. She was always the life of the party and lived every day by her personal motto of Kūlia i ka nu‘u. Leatrice’s full and wonderful life was celebrated with a small, private service held at Mililani Memorial Park on April 15, 2020, before being laid to rest alongside her husband Buddy, at ‘Oahu Cemetery in Nu‘uanu.
1947 GERTRUDE D’AGAY Riverside, CA December 11, 2019 BETTY FUJII HIROZAWA
Honolulu, HI March 23, 2020
1952 LEATRICE CHUN WILLIAMS Honolulu, HI March 24, 2020
1961 MARGARET KAUKEA MIZUTA Honolulu, HI July 23, 2020
1963 LUCILLE ALICE LO CHUN Honolulu, HI October 27, 2020
1965 OARLENE HEE WINGATE North Bend, OR July 19, 2020
1974 PAMELA CHANG FUJIWARA Honolulu, HI May 24, 2020
SECILY MALIA (MEYER) GRAY
Secily Malia Gray went home to be with the Lord on January 4, 2020 with her husband by her side. Malia is survived by her husband Todd, son Akili and daughter Meleana; parents, Lyman and Delleen Meyer; sisters: Danene (Pono), Kaleinani (Shannon(d); brother Kaniau (Mary) and numerous nieces and nephews. A life-long hula dancer, she embodied the essence and vibrancy of the mele she danced. Malia was a proud alumna of St. Andrew’s Priory and Pacific University. She so enjoyed cheering for her children and encouraging them to excel in all their endeavors. Malia loved the Lord and was active in her church community and served in several leadership roles. Her heart was to share Jesus with all she encountered. She made numerous friends with her radiant smile and loving nature. Malia was an amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. We keep her memory alive by remembering to smile - aloha kekahi i kekahi.
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Betty Fumiko (Fujii) Hirozawa ’47 Long-time St. Andrew’s Schools Board Trustee Betty Fumiko (Fujii) Hirozawa ’47 passed away unexpectedly on March 23, 2020, at the age of 90. Betty had joined the St. Andrew’s board in 1983 and served as a trustee for 36 years. Devoted to education, Betty's leadership was focused on making sure that students experienced the same kind of education that she did - one that challenged and nurtured her, and prepared her well for civic, professional, and family responsibilities. Head of School Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher said, “During her time on the board, Betty witnessed many changes and served as our living historian of the school's past. Betty will always be remembered for her deep love and support for the school, her keen intellect, her strong leadership skills, and her everpresent and steadfast can-do attitude.” Born in Hilo, Hawai‘i on January 7, 1930, Betty became a student at St. Andrew’s Priory in the 5th grade and graduated in 1947. An exemplary student, Betty was President of the National Honor Society, a member of the Journalism Club, and an editor on Ka Alele, the school yearbook, and Ke Kukui, the school newspaper. Along with her fellow editors, Betty and friends clicked on their typewriters all day, typing out the multitude of words and stories that fell from the pens and minds of these energetic young women. After graduation, Betty went on to earn a degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. In her day, it was unusual for a woman to pursue a business degree and she was often the only woman in her class. But being a Priory graduate, she felt confident that she could pursue this career path that she felt suited her and one that she thoroughly enjoyed. Betty had once said, “One of the best things I took away from The Priory was knowing how to study and do your work when you went on to college.” Upon returning to Hawai‘i, Betty started working as a research assistant at the Hawaii Employers Council (HEC), eventually rising to become its
Vice President for administration and secretary-treasurer. Her expertise in human resources (HR) was highly regarded by many organizations in Hawai‘i and she provided HR counsel to nonprofits in her role as a board member. During her time at the Council, the organization grew from 200 member companies to over 700 by the time she retired. Today, the organization services more than 800 companies in Hawai‘i in the area of HR and labor relations. Over the years, the leadership at St. Andrew’s Priory took on many new initiatives including the acquisition and opening of Queen Emma Preschool, launching of Queen Emma Center’s extended educational programs, the building and capital campaign for the school’s gym, and most recently, the opening of The Prep boys school grades K-6. Betty, along with other key board members, had many dreams for St. Andrew’s and worked tirelessly and gave generously to make those dreams a reality. In 2010, Betty’s Class of 1947 established an endowed fund in support of faculty advancement as a way of recognizing the impact their teachers and mentors at The Priory had in their lives. Before and after her retirement, Betty was deeply involved in community service, serving on the boards of St. Andrew’s Schools, The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Japanese Women’s Society, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i, Aloha United Way, Hawaii Central Federal Credit Union, YWCA, Industrial Relations Research Association, Society of Human Resources Management, Institute for Human Services, Cornell University, Neighborhood Justice Center, Junior Achievement of Hawaii, Hawaii Council on Economic Education, United Japanese Society of Hawaii, Selective Service System, and the VA Institutional Review Board. Rochelle Lee Gregson, a colleague of Betty’s at AUW, lauded Betty’s skills in her specialty, human resource issues.
Rochelle valued Betty’s insight so much that she “became something of a personal consultant and not just a volunteer advising” the non-profit. Betty would work “much more than she needed to, gently making suggestions to improve the charity’s success and never putting the staff or other volunteers on the defensive. Betty always had a great way of saying what she wanted to say.” Devoted as she was to helping others in the community, Betty was equally, if not more so, devoted to her family. Betty’s husband Shurei Hirozawa, who grew up on Kaua‘i, was the labor and business editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and later an AVP for economic research and vice president of public relations at First Hawaiian Bank. He was “revered by many as a soft-spoken gentleman who had a vast pool of knowledge.” Upon Shurei’s passing in 2002, Walter Dods Jr., former chairman and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank, was quoted as saying, “He was a great personal friend. ... He was respected by every major CEO in Hawai‘i." Their daughter, Joan (Hirozawa) Fujita, enjoys sharing the story of how her parents met. Betty was part of a business panel being interviewed by local media. Shurei Hirozawa was one of the
journalists there reporting on the meeting and he asked Betty several questions. By the wit of her responses, and the consequently unforgettable conversation, Shurei knew by the end of the interview that he was going to ask Betty to marry him. “Mom and Dad got married at The Cathedral of St. Andrew,” said Joan Fujita. “They were both active members of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and the community.” The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i, said “Betty had an amazing mind, top-notch, and I would sit next to her at board meetings just to hear her insights.” He called Betty “a woman gifted at giving,” whose “faith formation took place in equal measure at The Priory and at church.” Betty continues to bless the school today, her own spirit a giving, thoughtful, generous presence and a model for all of our students. Betty is survived by her three adult children, Gail, Joan (husband Jerry and sons Jake and Joey) Fujita, and Robert (wife Yukiko Ito and children Jewel and Joshua).
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
M AGAZINE
PAID
Honolulu, HI Permit No.1007
Fall/Winter 2020
Kulia
The St. Andrew’s Schools 224 Queen Emma Square Honolulu, HI 96813
224 Queen Emma Square Honolulu, HI 96813 THE MAGAZINE OF ST. ANDREW ’S SCHOOLS
At TheSchools St. Andrew’s Schools, we provide personalized, caring that passions makes a lasting impact on student lives. from Our St. Andrew’s provide signifi cant time for students to attention pursue their as well as receive support innovative programs spark academic excellence and introduce students to a world of future possibilities. mentors and organizations. Grounded by rigor and real-world experience, our graduates are fearless, creative, and bold – readyPlease to be help engaged in theproviding world and inspired to making itprograms more humane anda just. excelsEmma in purposeful pursuits us continue outstanding educational by making gift toEach the Queen Annual Fund. with the same courage and commitment modeled our students founder,today Queen Your generosity will directly by impact andEmma. for many years to come. You can use the enclosed envelope to make your contribution. Or visit us online at: www.standrewsschools.org/givetosas To learn more about how you can support The St. Andrew’s Schools, please contact Jennifer Burke, Director of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations at (808) 532-2441 or at jburke@standrewsschools.org. 44 T H E S T. A N D R E W ’ S S C H O O L S
ANNUAL REPORT OF GIVING 2019-20
Transform a Child’s Life with a Gift to the Queen Emma Annual Fund
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Make a Gift to the Queen Emma Annual Fund
FALL/WINTER 2020
T R A N S F O R M AT I V E E D U C AT I O N
2019-20
Annual Report PLUS Through Their Eyes: Stevens Global Leadership Commencement 2020