Haili Christina School Robotics Team At The 2023 VEX IQ Robotics Championship

By Grace Larson

In April, Hilo’s Haili Christian School Robotics Team flew to Dallas, Texas to compete in the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championships. Although VEX assigned team number 10161 to them, teacher Jodi Kalawe calls their team Akamai Ma’alahi which means “simply genius.”

The team was divided into two teams with Team A’s middle schoolers Makayla Saymo, Noah Lorenzo and Madison Williams and Team B’s elementary students Gianna Larson and Taylor Pedro.

“Team A is ranked 370th in the world for skills out of 710 teams. They ranked 59th in the Innovate division out of 80 teams. Team B is ranked 317th in the world out of 694 teams. They ranked 25th in the Engineering division out of 80 teams,” Kalawe said.

To prepare for the championship, Kalawe shared that the children were balancing schoolwork and their robotics assignments every single day after school.

“Dedication and commitment were key factors in the success of both teams,” she said. “Students and coaches sacrificed many hours of planning, engineering, strategizing and team building.”

The event left a positive mark on the students. Kalawe said it widened their horizons. Aside from applying their robotics knowledge, the kids learned the importance of communication as they teamed up with different teams from China, Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam.

When asked about their strengths as a team, Kalawe said:

“First and foremost, it is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our teams prayed before and after every competition and gave thanks to the Lord for all the many blessings and opportunities they were given. Both teams persevered through obstacles with great character and attitude.”  know how Papang (my dad) feels.”

Roland is proud of his four children. Two of his oldest work with him at House of Finance. The third child is a doctor at Queen’s hospital. The youngest works as a management consultant, advising strategies for client companies.

Chanel recalls one of her most memorable Father’s Day, “Dad’s favorite music was playing in the background - Dan Fogelberg, Petula Clark, Matt Monro, and a mix of classic 60’s tunes. He’d sing along to his favorite parts while mom danced through the kitchen, cooking up a feast of his favorite foods, enough for second and third servings plus leftovers for each of us to take home. The grandkids played in the living room while we, the kids, enjoyed the comfort of being at mom and dad’s house. We celebrated and shared memories of our grandfathers, funny stories of our childhood, and proud moments of Matt now being a father himself.”

The Casamina siblings sums up what fatherhood was like for their dad.

“Our dad led by example, instilling in us the ethic of hard work and perseverance. He supported our personal interests and passions and encouraged us to do our best in anything we attempted.

He emphasized the importance of an education. He showed us what it meant to make a positive impact in your community. He pulled from the wisdom of his own father and upbringing, including reminding us of the ‘golden rule’ - to always treat others the way you want to be treated.”

Judy Ilar

Judy Ilar, RN, BSN, RA, 56, works for Jerry Ilar Realty, a company her father Jerry founded nearly 40 years ago. She said her father is simple and just appreciates the simple gesture of a phone call or a quick