HAWAI‘I PREPARATORY ACADEMY MAGAZINE : FALL | WINTER 2024
TIES THAT CONNECT US: CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF HPA
SEVEN DECADES OF KA MAKANI ATHLETICS
SHARED DEDICATION: PETER ’67 AND RANDY ’68 VITOUSEK
Seventy-five years ago, a rustic school with giant heart first opened its doors to a small group of students MA KE KULA FALL / WINTER 2024
Kindergarten! Q&A with our youngest Ka Makani n HPA's sustainability progress n Alice Patig ’16 and the power of electrolyzers
Scenes from a seven-decade legacy of hard work, fair play, and sheer grit
Alumni News n Class Notes n Giving Back
• Gordon Bryson, teacher and administrator (retired)
• Forty-six memory submissions from your fellow alumni!
• Peter Vitousek ’67 & Randy Vitousek ’68
Ma Ke Kula is produced twice per year by the HPA advancement office. Principal photographers: Patrick O’Leary and Mellon Monello. Other credits as noted.
Cover photo: Waipi‘o Valley, mid-1970s
This page: Commencement, 2014
A Year of Connection
Greetings, Ka Makani near and far! I salute you from beautiful Waimea where the 75th academic year of Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy is well underway.
School began on August 14, and our entire campus is now buzzing with creativity across all three school divisions. Every year is a great year to be part of HPA, but these next 10 months are going to be truly special.
Between now and June 2025, we are celebrating our connection with HPA and with one another at 75th anniversary events around the world. As I write this, Dina and I just returned from an on-campus party with 40 young alumni who have graduated from college and returned home to Waimea to work and raise their families. Next week, we'll be celebrating on O‘ahu. In October, we're gathering in the Pacific Northwest, Colorado, San Francisco, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. With many more locations to come.
On page 5, you'll find a QR code for our 75th anniversary events web page. If you will be anywhere near these locations, please make plans to come say hello. Make sure we have your correct email, and follow us on Instagram @HawaiiPrep, to get dates and locations as they emerge for the later events.
Meanwhile, enjoy these pages of Ma Ke Kula. They are filled with photography recently unearthed from the HPA archives, and the class notes section is full of HPA memories from alumni across generations. The thread of connection between us, our school, and this unforgettable place weaves through every page.
I am so grateful to be part of HPA's history and part of the future we are building together. As we celebrate this milestone, let's also imagine the students who will come to HPA during our next 75 years. Let's nurture our bonds and our traditions so that this place will always be home to bold, curious, and connected Ka Makani.
HPA Board of Trustees 2024-25
Laurie T. Ainslie P’12, P’15
Robert R. Budway ’76, chair
Michael J. Chun
Warren Doi P’22
Michael Hoover P’27, P’30
Hans P. L'Orange III '73
Rob O’Donohue ’95
Samuel Pratt ’84
William D. Pratt ’86
Michael S. Spalding ’66
Maxwell Unger ’04
Bonnie Bogue Wedemeyer ’86, vice chair
Taffi U‘ilei Wise P’12, P’15, P’17
FRED WAWNER / HEAD OF SCHOOL
Situated on the border of the wet and dry sides of Hawai‘i Island, the familiar arc of ānuenue never gets old.
A Future Full of Promise
HPA celebrates 75 years of academic ambition, global connections, and love for Hawai‘i
Seventy-five years ago, Hawai‘i Episcopal Academy opened its doors to 23 students on the grounds of St. James Mission. Within a decade, the school had become Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy, breaking ground for a new campus on the hills above Waimea with 115 students enrolled.
From those early days, HPA became a place where intellectual challenge and college preparation merged comfortably and joyously with outdoor adventure, warm community, international friendships, and a reverence for Hawai‘i. Today, HPA is a singular school in the right place for our times.
This year, we invite our entire community to join in gratitude for HPA’s past and to help build a future that is full of promise. With an innovative K-12 capstone program in place, and our commitment to the HPA Sustainability Plan, the board of trustees has set a visionary course toward our 100th anniversary in 2049. Together, we can help HPA become the premier educational community dedicated to learning and living sustainably
To each person in our HPA ‘ohana, across all generations, we offer deep thanks for helping to bring HPA to this moment. Let’s celebrate together and embrace the honor of guiding the coming generations of Ka Makani who will thrive at HPA. They are the greatest gift we can offer Hawai‘i and our world. •
A WORD FROM JAMES TAYLOR
“If you read this in later years, picture yourselves forging up the road from the gym back to the dormitories against the trade winds and the rain. (It’s raining and blowing as I write this.) You are probably grumbling, but you are knowing at the same time, at the bottom of your heart, that pushing against these elements, just like meeting the many other challenges of your school life, is a vital part of your life. We all love the beautiful weather, but I dare say that we’ll remember with special fondness the walking and running against the Trades. You lived and you grew when with exuberance you bucked those winds and the other challenges they so eloquently symbolize.”
— Headmaster’s address in the 1969 yearbook
FIND AN EVENT NEAR YOU
From near and far, we are gathering to honor 75 years of HPA. This is our moment to celebrate that we — alumni, students, families, faculty, and friends — are all Ka Makani. Events will be added throughout the year. Use the QR code to find dates and details as they emerge.
What Do You Think About The Wind?
Our newest Ka Makani answer this and other questions
As we mark this 75th anniversary, we also anticipate HPA's future with great hope and joy … particularly when we consider the class of 2037! Over the summer, we talked to a few members of HPA's rising kindergarten class, and tried to find out what they enjoy, what their hopes are, and their very important thoughts about the wind.
Where’s my favorite place? Dreamland. At HPA, I am excited about learning Science! Science! Science! When I grow up, I hope I will be doing Science! Science! Science! What do I think about the wind? The wind spreads seeds to make plants grow! But if the wind is really strong, it can make a huge storm.
– Akili Smith
If I could go anywhere, I would go to the beach. My daddy brings me joy. I’m excited about doing Math at HPA. When I grow up, I hope I’ll be a doctor and a chef. If I could make anything happen, I would make friends. The wind blows water.
– Kaimila Wong
If I could go anywhere, I would go to all the planets and visit every one of them. Every surface. People should know that I love them and that… I’m not sure. It’s a hard question. When I’m a grown up, I want to drive a truck or a train or an airplane. If I could make anything happen, I would be a builder. I don’t really like the wind.
– Ben Patterson
I want to go to Easter Island to see the statues. Hot Wheels bring me joy. When I’m a grown up, I think I’ll be picking sweet fruit. If I could make anything happen, I would clean … clean up all the messes in the world. The wind just blows stuff.
– Kenzo Gelert
If I could go anywhere, I would go to HPA. My family brings me joy. People should know that I’m very kind. When I’m a grown up, I hope I will be singing. If I could make anything happen, I would make everything in life perfect. I like the wind because we need the wind to make it rain.
– Sofi Shamel
If I could go anywhere, I’d go to Starbucks. My mom brings me joy! I’m excited about playing with my friends and learning new jobs at HPA. When I’m grown up, I hope I’ll be having kids. The wind means love to me.
– Lulu Kauhane-Wedemeyer
If I could go anywhere, I would go to kindergarten! Jesus brings me joy. When I am a grown up, I want to study rocks and polish them. If I could make anything happen, I would polish the earth. I don’t know what I think about the wind.
– Kieran McLaughlin
News Notebook
Board arrivals
HPA welcomed Michael Hoover P’27, P’30 to the board of trustees in June. A graduate of the University of Houston in hotel and restaurant management, Hoover moved to Hawai‘i Island in 1998 and has worked in hospitality along the Kohala Coast, most recently helping to relaunch the Kona Village Resort. He and his wife Emily reside in Waimea and have two sons currently attending HPA. Hoover’s most recent work with HPA has been on the master planning committee, and he will serve on the board’s audit committee.
The trustees also welcomed back Taffi U‘ilei Wise P’12, P’15, P’17, who stepped off the HPA board in 2022 to pursue her doctorate in Indigenous advancement and leadership from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi University, New Zealand. Wise is the executive director of Kanu o ka ‘Āina Learning ‘Ohana (KALO), and chief business officer for Kanu o ka ‘Āina New Century Public Charter School (KANU) in Waimea. She joined with like-minded community members in 1999 to create both entities. Wise will be serving on the assets and futures committees.
Cultivating Green
HPA makes steady strides toward ambitious sustainability goals
Since April 2019, when HPA announced its comprehensive Sustainability Plan, the school has made notable progress across five major categories: energy, emissions, waste, food, and water. And while many institutions across the U.S. are still unable to quantify or track their precise eco-footprint, HPA can.
“We now have systems in place across the board to support our continued transformation,” explains Greg McKenna, Director of Sustainable Operations. Thanks to these changes, students now have access to a wealth of both historical and real-time data: an invaluable source that powers independent research projects, capstone interests, and classroom lessons.
Continued movement across these five areas, in tandem with curricular and community progress, are key to HPA’s Vision 2049. As HPA strives to solidify its standing as the premier educational community committed to living and learning sustainably, it recognizes that true success hinges not only on resource management, but also on fostering an ethic of care for each other and for this place.
ENERGY:
Goal: 100% renewable energy by 2030
Currently: 20% from on-site PV (photovoltaic) systems
Buildings are monitored with eGauge power meters, and the data is stored in the SkySpark database, enabling efficient energy tracking and analysis. Student sustainability club campaigns have also focused on shifting behaviors toward energy conservation at both campuses.
With the Saalfeld Energy Lab and Ko Kākou Hale student union already 100% energy neutral, the three residence halls, Taylor Commons, and Castle Gymnasium are currently the top priorities for new PV and battery systems. Islanding these five buildings would bump HPA from 20% to 60% renewable.
CARBON EMISSIONS:
Goal: Carbon net zero by 2030
Currently: HPA emits approximately 2,000 MTCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent) annually.
HPA continues to refine its carbon accounting and reporting process, currently tracking carbon emissions from all sources used on site as part of operations, indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity for operations, and select indirect emissions, such as boarders traveling to and from school, employee commutes, and the school’s waste stream. The school also has its eye on potential offsets, such as reforesting on campus with native Hawaiian plants.
WATER:
Goal: 70% reduction in municipal water consumption by 2030
Currently: 12% reduction since 2017
All major buildings at HPA now have water meters to measure usage. In addition, student projects have used heat-sensing drones and other tools to identify leaks across campus. Future reductions in water consumption include alternative irrigation strategies, and replacing invasive turf grasses with native plants.
FOOD:
Goal: Source 40% of food locally by 2030
Currently: 18% locally sourced, up from 2% in 2018
Significant community outreach and partnerships have helped HPA increase its local food purchases from 2% in 2018 to 18% today. This includes sourcing 100% of HPA’s ground beef from Parker Ranch, nearly half of all produce from Hawai‘i Island, and dairy products from around the islands. The demands of an institutional cafeteria like HPA’s are intense in terms of both quantity and quality, but the school has managed to build relationships with local food vendors, local suppliers, local growers, and local wholesalers to move toward this goal.
WASTE:
Goal: Zero waste by 2030
Currently: 25% waste diversion rate
Zero waste efforts have been a successful and natural gateway to sustainable thinking at HPA. Students at both campuses continue to be involved in sorting waste and composting in the school gardens.
Did you know? Much of the food waste from HPA’s school cafeterias is fed to pigs! One student capstone project this year will be doing a deeper dive into food waste at HPA, including how much we feed to the pigs, how much we compost, and looking for ways to prevent excess waste.
Modeling Wind and Solar
Alice Patig ’16 reimagines the potential and profitability of electrolyzers
As our world makes strides toward renewable energy, a big challenge remains: how do we best harness and store green energy for later use? This is a problem that Alice Patig ’16 is trying to help solve.
In a society where one can turn on a light whenever one wants, renewable energy must be able to meet instant demand. “Wind turbines or solar PV systems can generate electricity, but unfortunately, the sun and wind don't always shine or blow exactly when we need electricity,” Patig explains.
After HPA, Patig earned a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Edinburgh. “I wrote my master’s thesis on how to coordinate solar PV and small batteries to help balance supply and demand in the electricity system. I had so much fun, I didn’t want to stop doing this kind of work.”
Patig learned that a funded position had just opened up at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in the Wind and Energy Systems Department. Now she is continuing her research interests as a Ph.D. candidate. “We are looking at how we could shift industrial electricity towards higher wind energy hours,” says Patig. “We’re trying to make this shift with electrolyzers.”
An electrolyzer is a device that uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen gas can then be used for producing fertilizer, manufacturing metal, and in hydrogen fuel cells for buses, trucks, and ships. Hydrogen can also be stored and used later, which offers a possible solution to the challenges of supply and demand.
“Fossil fuels traditionally produce the electricity that the electrolyzer uses, but we use wind and sun instead,” Patig says. “We want to sell the hydrogen, but electrolyzers are very expensive, and hydrogen is sold for little profit.” Patig’s research seeks to change that and to make renewable hydrogen production more attractive from a business perspective.
Patig, along with others at DTU, is working to develop mathematical models that maximize the electrolyzer’s profits
(across energy markets) while considering electrolyzer efficiency, sufficient hydrogen production, and factoring in the variable input from wind and solar electricity. This also requires extensive research on electricity markets, hydrogen prices, and staying up-to-date on comparable models.
“These models will help to estimate how much profit we could make with the electrolyzer, given our assumptions,” Patig explains. “The final goal is to try the model in real life on an electrolyzer of our industrial partners.”
In addition to her research, Patig is also a graduatelevel teaching assistant and helps her students model wind turbines, electrolyzers, batteries, and energy grids. “I really like it, because it helps me learn how to better articulate myself and write better reports. It’s also a refreshing break to talk to students,” she says.
Looking back at her time at HPA, Patig reflects that there were many classes and experiences that inspired her work today. “It’s too hard to pick just one class or teacher,” she says. “but the subjects that opened up my current path were independent science research, math, physics, and environmental sciences. All four years of English courses were also fundamental to how I reflect on the world. I also loved Chinese, geography, and history because of the great teachers who made these subjects come alive.”
“I am so grateful that I went to HPA, because the school teaches curiosity and enthusiasm, not just knowledge. Having the ability to get excited about things in your toolbox is the best weapon for being satisfied with your studies or work later in life.”
When asked about her goals for the future, Patig says “I can’t do it alone, so it’s not really a personal goal, but rather a dream of having a reliable and economical energy system that runs on 100 percent renewables so that we can avoid climate crises, conflicts over resources, and keep most of the natural world alive that we love.” •
“ I am so grateful that I went to HPA, because the school teaches curiosity and enthusiasm, not just knowledge.”
Photo courtesy of Alice Patig
Deep Roots, Lasting Vision
Seventy-five years ago, a rustic school with giant heart first opened its doors to a small group of students — the first of many who would become Ka Makani. Through the decades, through the ebb and flow of the many individuals and ideas that have left their marks in ways large and small, our Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy has persisted. In this anniversary year, we honor the ties that connect us to one another and to this place, and we look to the future full of gratitude and hope.
A caring community is the foundation
“I cannot believe that it has been 75 years since I first attended HEA, as it was known at the time,” says Margie Brand Kiessling ’53. “I was in the second graduating class; there were six of us. Unfortunately, I believe I am the only one remaining.” One memory that has stuck with Kiessling through the decades is a sense of appreciation for a teacher, Clara Daly MacGregor. “She originally ran a school in Hilo but was prevailed upon to move up to Waimea to help out in the fledgling school,” Kiessling remembers. “A very strict lady, but fair. She was the reason that I was a math major when I went off to Pomona College.”
As evidenced by Kiessling’s story and those of countless alumni, HPA teachers and trusted adults help inspire new ways of looking at the world, new confidence, and new destinations. They have done so across generations, with humor and hard work, through the many ups and downs that are an inherent part of authentic community.
Teachers everywhere, HPA included, are tasked with a tremendous responsibility: teach these young people what they will need to know; invite them to participate in the great project of building a life, building themselves; and do this with grace and resourcefulness, day after day, year after year. At HPA, the brave souls who have answered this call through the years are living testaments to this idea. As Julie Marrack ’90 shares in her class note (page 40), “They showed up every day to guide us through subject learning, but more importantly, how to deal with the highs and lows of growing up.”
Among those who are cited often by alums as being particularly influential is Gordon Bryson, who lived and worked at HPA for more than 30 years.
“I valued the kids from the beginning, but the true magic of the place was the vision of Jim Taylor,” recalls Bryson. “Taylor hired faculty from all over the U.S. who were builders. That is, they came to the school with a vision of something that would make it a better school.”
Seeds of excellence, respect, and curiosity that were sowed by the founding teachers, staff, and leaders continued to take root at HPA throughout the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Today, those seeds are blooming in a successful capstone program and a firm commitment to sustainability and place-based learning. Teachers in touch with their own curiosity and excitement for the larger world are shepherding their students through big questions and new ideas — in shared research at the Saalfeld Energy Lab, printmaking in the art studio, quiet contemplation in Davies Chapel, and dogged practice in Castle Gymnasium.
“[My HPA experience] was like a dream,” says Olivier Heuchenne ’86 via class note (page 39) “and all of it was possible thanks to the foundation set by this community of amazing people — from the headmaster to the teachers, the house moms and dads, and all the kids who came from all walks of life but all were on even grounds… we were one and one for all!”
Traditions breathe life into learning
The traditions of HPA span from the ridiculous to the sublime; it is a community that holds space for both high-stakes wiffle ball tournaments and the proud history that is represented in the 18th century haku mele “Hole Waimea.”
Many years ago, longtime HPA Board Chair and alumnus Duncan MacNaughton ’62 spoke of the significance of “Hole Waimea” to HPA: “The school and its people, like the warriors, have grown strong while battling and being nurtured by Waimea's famous weather. Our school symbol is an ‘ōhi‘a tree, bent with the wind but still firmly rooted against even the strongest gusts.”
For the past several years, every senior class at HPA has begun the year with a hike through the waving grass, up the slopes of pu‘u La‘e La‘e to “the” tree. Later, when they emerge at the base of the hill, the class carries a new sense of unity — one that often defines their final year at HPA: through formal dinners,
HPA Olympics, and learning the hula and mele for their graduation rites.
Traditions at HPA imbue meaning into the everyday, and provide threads of connection that unite all Ka Makani. Some of these traditions are largescale productions that involve weeks of planning and broad-based participation: Dorm Wars, Middle School Theme Week, Makahiki games. Some traditions are more singular and informal: appreciating the play of light and shadow in a tunnel of pines on the Taj — the trees their own tradition, planted with intention by Helen Farrar in the early days of the Academy so that they might one day provide respite.
Hole Waimea i ka ihe a ka makani
Hao mai na`ale a ke Kipu`upu`u
He la`au kala`ihi `ia na ke anu
I `o`o i ka nahele o Mahiki
Waimea strips the spears of the wind
Waves tossed in violence by the Kipu`upu`u rains
Trees brittle in the cold
Are made into spears in Mahiki forest
Informal moments, of course, make their way even into formal occasions, like Formal Dinner. “I’ll always envision Taylor Commons filled with kids from every country, the boys all in ties, the girls in dresses,” Gordon Bryson recalls, “and all of them willing to carry my infant sons around or walk one of them to the bathroom in the middle
of the meal. …Those meals, as I served kids from all over and listened to their daily successes and troubles, were bright occasions, more like something painted by Renoir than the usual boarding meals.”
Traditions like these form core memories that can contribute to deep appreciation later in life. “As an adult and now a parent, I find that my HPA memories often surface when I am doing something that I used to do back in the day," writes Chelsea Morriss Croy ’05 in her class note (page 44). “... When my kids are collecting mac nuts at Grammy and Papa’s house, I remember the big mac nut tree we played around at the Village Campus and how there was a rule that we were only allowed to eat one from the ground. …When I take my kids to play at the track, I remember the countless soccer games, football games, and track practices I did throughout my time. … All of these core memories have shaped who I am today. HPA is in my blood, sweat, and tears, and I hope that one day my kids will have similar experiences as students of this incredible school.”
Our place on the island inspires us
Honoring 75 years of HPA is impossible without also honoring the place where it is rooted. Waimea is home to Kamehameha’s steadfast warriors, born from the forests and the pelting rains; it is home to generations of paniolo, who ride and rope over the sloping hills; it is shaped by centuries-old stories of chiefs and chiefesses; by navigators and voyagers; by Waikōloa Stream; and by the koa, ‘ōhi‘a, and hapu‘u who spring from volcanic soil. The 200+ acres that hold HPA and the expanse of Hawai‘i Island and the Pacific waters beyond are foundational to the school’s ethos and identity.
Over the years, meaningful connections for HPA students with the land have happened both organically and intentionally, through programming including the
Wilderness Experience Program (WEP), the Outdoor Program, service learning opportunities, the Sea Turtle Research Program, capstone offerings, and Ulu Mālama Terrace Farm at the Upper Campus and Ulumau Garden at the Village Campus.
Place-based learning requires a careful balance between honoring a place and its history while also enjoying and studying it. HPA strives to meet this balance, understanding that research and adventure here must be grounded in respect and care for the culture, ecology, and history of Hawai‘i.
In a 2020 HPA Today interview, Ulu Mālama Terrace Farm Manager Willie Quayle reflected: “I’d like to think, maybe it’s too idealistic, but that connection to place, wherever it is… whether that’s in an urban setting, or a rural place like Waimea… could make a lot of things right. Connection to the land is something that HPA students and alums really seem to understand.”
Indeed, for generations of Ka Makani, whether swimming in Kawaihae harbor or observing the expanse of sky above, experiencing and appreciating this place has led to contentment and purpose. “Riding horseback through the hills and adjacent tracts, the opulence of the rolling, green grassy hills, and the swooping terrain up to the peak of Maunakea are etched into my mind — peace and beauty,” recalls Don (Bud) Billings ’58 in his class note (page 28). “Having the opportunity to camp at Kīholo and conduct scientific research on Hawaiian green sea turtles was absolutely life-changing as a teenager!” Claire Fackler ’90 shares (page 40). “It literally changed the trajectory of my future, and I am proud to say that I have now worked for NOAA for over 20 years helping to protect and conserve America's underwater treasures, which includes the important ecosystems for these endangered sea turtles.”
Renee Jenkinson ’98, who served for a time as HPA’s outdoor program director and participated in the drafting of the school’s 2019 Sustainability Plan, once explained how inspiring love and care for our community of spirit, land, and people — mālama kaiāulu — transcends the particularities of a place: “Mālama kaiāulu acknowledges that spirit, land, and people are all connected. These three things are also within each one of us, which is why caring for a place, wherever you are, is both an act of generosity and self love. As all alumni know, ‘here’ stays with you — it’s inside you.”
The concept of mālama kaiāulu, introduced at HPA as a key element in the 2019 Sustainability Plan, is now integrated across classrooms and learning spaces, particularly at the Village Campus. The Sustainability Plan also called for us to root ourselves in our shared love and gratitude for the land HPA calls home, believing this is the way to achieve deep, permanent change.
Ka Makani are changing the world
Ultimately, these 75 years of existence reflect HPA’s most lasting and meaningful legacy, both past and future: our Ka Makani. As students, they spend their time at HPA engaged in learning and making connections to each other and to the land. As alumni, they go forth from this place with what they will need to appreciate and influence the world around them. Their collective impact on the world is at least in some way tied to the lessons, friendships, and memories they always have and always will carry with them from HPA.
“When I look back at the successful members of my class of ’71,” recalls Ed (Camp) Campbell ’71 in his class note (page 32) “they are entrepreneurs, accomplished scientists, lawyers, politicians, CEOs, executives, patent
holders, artists… and it would be hard to separate HPA from providing the foundation of these leaders. Many teachers taught us how to be resourceful, ask questions, pursue answers with an eye on academic method. It was a prep school — no one knew exactly what we were preparing for — but we were given the confidence we could contribute.”
Education is a great, worthy project… worthy, indeed, of carrying the torch across the decades, through times of turbulence and times of ease. HPA’s founder, Bishop Harry S. Kennedy, once wrote: “The purpose of education is to fill your life with enduring satisfaction.” Discipline, rigor, and excellence certainly have their place, but they are one part of an equation that is meant to equal a life full of wonder, appreciation, gratitude.
In 2049, HPA will celebrate 100 years of educating young people on Hawai‘i Island. The school looks to this immediate future with clear-eyed hope and determination. Understanding the challenges of these times, HPA is striving to become the premier educational community committed to living and learning sustainably. Challenges come to every generation. Part of what we celebrate today is HPA’s endurance through these challenges.
“HPA has thrived and adapted to a changing world in its first 75 years,” Head of School Fred Wawner says. “Over the coming years, we will continue to do what we have always done. We will take on the great privilege and responsibility of educating our students, making the most of our brief time together, and empowering them to make their way into a world that needs them.”
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, our common ground is HPA; this is the place that shapes what it means to be Ka Makani, to make our way forward with determination and aloha. •
75 YEARS OF GRIT, GLORY, AND GAME
Over HPA’s 75-year history, Ka Makani have forged a proud record of hard work, fair play, and sheer grit — whether on the playing fields, court, or track, in the pool or on the ocean, and even on horseback. Every season has enriched a legacy of excellence, from the pioneering days of our inaugural athletic teams to more recent triumphs. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, we honor the spirit of Ka Makani Athletics that still inspires each new generation.
‘A’ STRONG START
Interscholastic sports began at HPA in 1953, four years after the school's founding, and laid the foundation for a strong athletic tradition that would develop in the following decades. Teams were known as the “Academians” and adopted the distinctive "A" as the school's athletic symbol before they became Ka Makani in 1963. Today, Ka Makani athletes still wear a proud “A” on their jerseys, connecting past and present.
RUN LIKE KA MAKANI
A significant part of HPA's athletic legacy is built on endurance, speed, and an unyielding spirit of competition. Training in Waimea's rain and wind can be a challenge day in and day out. But it also forges resilient champions, shaping individuals who are prepared to face any obstacle with determination and strength.
Led by the legendary coach Stan Shutes, Ka Makani achieved a historic milestone in 1983 by winning their first-ever team state championship — in any sport — by claiming the cross country crown at the Royal Ka‘anapali on Maui. The groundbreaking victory marked the beginning of a remarkable legacy, with HPA amassing an impressive 11 state championships in cross country since.
HPA's success in running isn't confined to cross country alone. The school's track and field program has also seen significant achievements, highlighted by the remarkable career of Emma Taylor '16. In 2016, Taylor capped her decorated track and field journey with state championships in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, finishing with seven individual state titles — the most in school and state history. Together, the girls track and field team captured the team state championship in 2016 — the second in school history and the first since 1995.
DYNASTIC PROPORTIONS
Over the past decade, soccer has become synonymous with HPA. Under head coach Stephen Perry, the girls program set the standard by securing seven consecutive state titles, beginning with a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against longtime rival Mid-Pacific in 2014. The streak is the most dominant in state soccer tournament history. No other program — boys or girls — has won more than four in a row.
The boys team joined the state championship ranks in 2016 by winning their first title. It was one of four state titles the boys program claimed over five years.
Ka Makani swimming has also carved out its own slice of success as a perennial BIIF and state-wide power. In 1994, Noah Phillips '94 broke through with the program’s first individual gold, capturing a victory in 100-yard freestyle. Veteran HPA swimming coach Mark Noetzel credits Noah and many of his teammates for raising the bar for the program and leaving an impact that lasted long after they stepped off campus. Success as a team on the state level followed soon after, with Ka Makani winning the boys championships in 1998 and again in 2011. No other Hawaiʻi Island school has won a state championship in boys swimming.
TRIUMPHS ETERNAL
The walls and halls of Castle Gymnasium are lined with so many championship banners and trophies that additional space will soon be needed for future victories. For any team or individual, having their achievements immortalized here is the ultimate honor.
HPA captured its first-ever league title in any sport in 1962, emerging victorious in football. Over the next five years, HPA went on to clinch four additional BIIF championships in the sport. Since then, a diverse array of teams and athletes — ranging from tennis to water polo, basketball, and beyond — have added their own chapters to HPA's storied athletic record.
Among these achievements, the accomplishments of former Ka Makani star Max Unger ’04 stand out. Unger, who won Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 with the Seattle Seahawks as their starting center, helped secure a decisive 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos. Later that year, Unger returned to the HPA campus to have his jersey, No. 77, retired by the school, now proudly displayed in the rafters of Castle Gymnasium alongside that of his former teammate and fellow NFL player, the late Daniel Te'o-Nesheim ’05.
After wrapping up a distinguished 10-year NFL career in 2019, Unger now serves on HPA’s board of trustees, where he helps guide the school into the future.
SUCCESS ACROSS THE BOARD
Over the decades, every athletic program at the school has contributed to Ka Makani’s legacy. Looking toward the next 75 years, HPA remains committed to a culture of excellence, ensuring that our athletic programs will inspire and flourish for generations to come. •
SHARE YOUR STORY!
Do you have cherished memories from HPA athletics? We'd love to hear your stories! We’re working on the next anniversary issue of Ma Ke Kula, which will be out in the spring, and we will be sharing stories in other venues throughout the year. Each perspective is unique and valuable. Scan to fill out the form and share your experiences.
Morning flagpole ceremony, Saint James' campus, 1957
HPA FOR LIFE
HPA is unmatched in the world — in part, I believe, because of the connections and community. Set in the beauty of the Waimea hills, in the early days HPA was so remote, students were there for months with no trip home. But this gave kids from the big cities — Honolulu, then Lahaina, and later places like Peking or Los Angeles — a genuine place in the country. They brought big-city sophistication to a small Hawaiian town, and Waimea taught them the value of community. It's been a winning combination for decades.
Our sense of community also came from the many roles students played. They served as tutors to the younger kids, as prefects in the work program and the dormitory, and peer counselors in times of need, particularly for students from foreign shores who found themselves feeling alone. The system means that by the time students become seniors, the
younger students have leaders to emulate. Leadership is modeled and passed on. You build something better for the next class of kids.
Because a core group of day students attends HPA from kindergarten on, there is a sense of overall community on the part of the graduating class that is missing in many other boarding schools. International students are frequently adopted by local families who give them a second home for the weekend or a trip to the beach or shopping. In turn, the international students share their experiences with local families.
On the occasion of this 75th anniversary, I'd like to say to all the decades of Ka Makani that you always gave me and my family so much more than I gave you. The most unrelenting day of classes was always better because every HPA student I ever worked with really wanted things to work better.
his HPA career,
as English teacher, department chair, dorm head, football coach, and Upper School principal. Known for his legendary sense of humor and for treating each student with respect, Bryson retired in 2012. He lives in Baltimore, MD with his wife, Elizabeth.
Watching kids from Tokyo or Seoul trooping off to Waimea and Kona homes for a weekend and coming back with hundreds of stories and thanks made me a happy man. I have lived a blessed life. One of the biggest blessings was the groups of coaches, teachers, and students I worked and played with over the three decades I gave to the little school on the mountain. Working together, we made a living, beautiful community. •
Throughout
Gordon Bryson served
SCAN TO PLACE YOUR ORDER
Celebrate our story with aloha wear
Every aloha shirt tells a story. HPA’s story is one of warriors and winds, rainbows and ‘ōhi‘a, palaka and pines. This year, as we celebrate HPA’s 75th anniversary, we are honored to present this special edition collection. We envision our alumni and all those who love HPA wearing these elements of our story with pride. For those nearby and those far away… Ka Makani is forever!
These special garments pay tribute to HPA’s most enduring elements, including:
Palaka symbolizes Waimea’s paniolo and their integrity, a core value of HPA.
HPA’s school seal is the official representation of our deep history.
The iconic “A” is a nod to our athletic power and school spirit.
The lei is a universal symbol of aloha. At HPA, lei is tied to our most cherished celebrations.
The words of Hole Waimea and the spears of Kamehameha’s kīpu‘upu‘u warriors with the currents of wind and water were originally designed by Sig Zane for HPA.
Class Notes
IN HONOR OF OUR 75TH ANNIVERSARY, WE ASKED ALL ALUMNI TO SHARE THEIR MEMORIES OF HPA IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF CLASS NOTES. REMINISCE WITH US!
50s:
See our feature story, page 12, for a memory from Margie Brand Kiessling ’53
Don (Bud) Billings ’58
Trips to Hapuna beach in the old Chevy “sampan” were really fun, not only for body-board surfing, but finding C or K rations while exploring. That was a real possibility if the Marines had practiced an invasion on a recent weekend. Those olive-drab canned stews (dated 1944 no doubt) became real midnight dorm buffets warmed up on tins of military supplied Sterno with desserts of large ancient crackers slathered with similarly aged jelly. Edible loot!!
Other than the long-term friends I made during my two years at school, the best memories I have of HEA/HPA have to do with the town and the area around Kamuela. Riding horseback through the hills and adjacent tracts, the opulence of the rolling, green grassy hills, and the swooping terrain up to the peak of Mauna Kea are etched into my mind — peace and beauty. The old Parker Ranch Store was a special place to visit with various paniolo tools for sale on display within glass cabinets – it was a piece of old Hawai‘i to me. I can still see it and smell those dusty floors.
HEA/HPA was also my introduction to a military-like environment since we had a daily formation to attend just before dinner time. We may have had roll call too… I just can’t remember. I’m referring to “retreat,” the lowering of the American flag in the evening. Standing at attention was required as was silence during the ceremony… a
lesson in national respect not lost on all of us as we had been born and raised during World War II.
The kitchen ladies worked hard to be sure we had enough to eat with three hearty meals a day, the largest of which was dinner. At least once a week, the entire Taylor family joined us for Sunday dinner. We had to ‘dress up’ with coats for the occasion and grace was said for these meals. There’s much more, but my memory of all is fading as the years go by. I’m glad that HEA/HPA has survived the societal changes that have occurred since I left long ago. The school was a great place to learn more about self-reliance and the expansion of one’s horizons into adulthood.
Robert Barwick ’58
One day I decided I HAD to climb one of those tall trees on the old campus. When I took some photos from the VERY TOP of one of those trees (that ended up appearing in the yearbook), I looked down, and the sight of Mr. Taylor looking up at me with his hands on his hips, I'll never forget. I'll not share what he said to me when I climbed down. I never climbed that tree again!”
60s:
Bud Johnstone ’61
I was only at HPA for my junior and senior years, having spent four years at ‘Iolani. I didn’t know anyone on the Hawaiian Air flight that must have been a charter because it was filled with new and returning students when it landed at the Kamuela airport.
At that time, the newly built dorms were in their current location while the classrooms were in the town, directly across from the big field used for the school’s sports teams. The track and football field on the current campus became operational during my senior year. Transportation between the dorms and classrooms was handled by buses, trucks, and assorted other vehicles.
Even though it’s been more than 60
years since I graduated, I still have fond memories of my HPA days. In no order of importance or enjoyment, they are:
• Being able to play on the football and baseball teams. Thanks to my contributions, we only won a single football game and no baseball games in those two years.
• Related to football was the trip to Ka‘u w here we spent the night before the game sleeping in their gym. Sometime before midnight, the coaches hurried in and told us to get on the bus because K īlauea Iki had just erupted. We ended w ith a front-row seat to an unforgettable spectacle.
• T he Spanish class where no English was allowed to be spoken for the entire year.
• Periodic dances where Hilo High girls traveled to Kamuela to be our dance partners.
• Bodysurfing trips to Hapuna Beach w here we would enjoy watching soldiers f rom Pohakuloa get wiped out on the w aves. (There were NO hotels or developments along the coast back then.)
• Buying snacks at Chock Inn and having to interrupt the hanafuda game at the b arber shop to get a haircut.
Perhaps my most memorable HPA takeaway was the no-nonsense approach of Headmaster, James Monroe Taylor. He laid out the rules and enforced them without hesitation. It is doubtful that anyone who was at HPA during his tenure will ever forget his forceful delivery of the statement: “Without integrity, you have nothing.” We may have chuckled when we heard it at the time but in retrospect, he was correct.
Tioni Judd ’62
I started HPA in 1958 on the St. James campus when it was Hawai‘i Episcopal Academy. Our dorm was of "military vintage," single wall and plywood lockers. School announcements were given out at "milk break" around 9 a.m. I remember (continued on page 30)
HEA's first graduates, the class of 1952: George Okita, Ardys Bomke, Abigail Spencer, Asao Yagi, and Thomas Hamada
James and Lynn Taylor pose with students outside Lower Dorm (now Carter Hall), early 1960s. Roughhousing in the mud, Upper School, late 1960s
(continued from page 28)
the milk brought in by Hugh Starr on the International flatbed. It had a thick cream topping and you would shake the bottle to mix it up. My favorite meal was Sunday supper, having steak once a month, and wearing a coat and tie. My favorite class was Senior English with Dick Solmssen studying Chaucer. We were a small class and everyone worked together for the most part. HPA has always been a special place to me.
Jimmy Greenwell ’63
Mr. Taylor's style of tough love; Mrs. Mendez’s fine French cuisine; how Mr. Kaynor molded his rag-tag glee club into the Tabernacle Choir; Spartan living in the Barracks; long, S-L-O-W bus rides home from Hapuna on Sunday; horseback overnights — cold, windy, wet, sore, but priceless; and most of all, precious lifelong friendships.
Mel Pobre ’64
It was in September of 2023 that posters were affixed to the tile wall outside of
the athletic director’s office. The posters depicted the first BIIF championship team of any sport that HPA received. It was the 1962 football team. The second poster showed the 1964 championship football team. It was the second football championship team for HPA.
The class of 1964 was a milestone class at HPA. The Vietnam War was raging and it was in the era of the draft for the military where conscription was mandatory. If one were physically fit one had to serve in the military. Of 37 graduates in the class of
We want to hear YOUR memories! The next issue of Ma Ke Kula will contain a special anniversary memories section like this one. Please submit your recollections to https://bit.ly/MaKeKula — and thank you!
A kalua pig at the beach, 1960s
Cheering football, early 1970s
Gathering at Lower Dorm (now Carter Hall), 1960s
1964, 19 (51%) served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War era. Of the 19 who served, nine (47%) were commissioned officers in various branches of the military.
“All gave some, one gave all.” Robbie Peacock ’64 served in Vietnam and never came back. He is listed as missing in action/killed in action. The class of 1964 commissioned a bronze plaque in his memory and it hangs on the rock wall in the area of his seagull statue, which his Mom, Pat Peacock, gave to the school in his memory. All are invited to visit that serene and pensive corner of our school.
Several of our classmates have passed away. We love, have loved, and cherish our days at HPA.
Peter Cannon ’64
In 1962 and in 1964, Hawai‘i Prep won the BIIF football championship. Each class at the time was very small. This championship has been accomplished only once again since our era. This experience is part of the glue that connects our brotherhood. The classes of the 1960s are tight. We were molded by the influences of one
man, James M. Taylor, and by the early life experiences and environment of the growing Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy. The school has evolved from its humble beginnings. Back then it was a different and very special place. Our friendships have lasted a lifetime.
The classes of the 1960's started the HPA Alumni Association and organized the very first reunions back at HPA. The school has since taken over this duty. Alumni reunions began in the 1970s with three annual luaus held in Kahala on Oahu. Each time twenty guys contributed $50 apiece to cover the cost of pigs and all the luau trimmings.
All HPA alumni, which was not then a big number, were invited through the coconut wireless. To get into the party, an alumnus needed to bring a case of beer or a gallon of wine. The beer was kept in a plastic lined imu-sized hole with 300 pound blocks of ice. These three reunions lasted for several days before, during, and after the party. The concept was then moved to Kamuela where it belonged. This is how it started.
Jim Klopp ’65
Every Dean wanted to expel me, but Headmaster Taylor wouldn't allow it; he saw something in me! Verified by Dean Van Gorder years later.
I was accepted to Stanford and many other great schools and withdrew from college after a semester and a half. I went into business and was very successful. I owned my first house free and clear at 24 years old in Silicon Valley. I retired at 48 years old and two other times as I was too young to be doing nothing.
Still in contact with a few old classmates that accept me as I am. Mike Nelson ’65, Gary Doi ’65, Dick Short ’65, Dick Devine ’65, Paul Morgan ’65 and Jim Dalhberg ’65 have treated me well at HPA and/or since. Partying, brewing, and golfing were common ties.
I give HPA all the credit for making my life a success as I could not have handled all the rough times had I not learned to have a plan B and C at the ready!
Hapuna Beach, 1950s
The venerable Howard Hall runs fire orientation, 1976
Jim Kennedy ’66
I was a new eighth grader at HPA and still a little unsure of what to expect. A group of us were on the bus driven by Headmaster Taylor on our way to town. Headmaster Taylor saw someone throw a gum wrapper out the window. He pulled the bus over and instructed everyone to pick up all the trash along the road for a hundred yards in both directions. What a life lesson that stuck.
Alex Achimore ’67
May Day 1967. We seniors came up with a prank to play on the faculty. As prefects, we were able to call meetings with our hallmates and set up a plan to get up before the bell for breakfast (we still ate in the Lower Dorm), sneak out, and hide in the gully above the Upper Dorm. The faculty who ate on campus showed up on time, but no students. Someone, maybe it was Mr. Hall, rushed into the dorms to look for us, came back and shouted, "They're gone!" Meanwhile, we crept out of the gully, and when the faculty came out of the dining room to look for us, we rushed at them yelling and screaming, stopped at the road, and Mike Moyle ’67 (student body president) stepped out and led us in a stanza of "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai‘i." I don't know how freaked out the faculty were, but they gave us a big hand.
Jon Hayashi ’67
You learn solitude. ... I’m in my room in the lower dorm, my last semester at HPA has ended, only final graduation remains, and solitude arrives unannounced. I have a love/hate relationship with HPA. I love the many friends with whom I share a profound bond. I love that even someone as meek as myself walks off this campus on the last day feeling ready for whatever: bring it on, I will find a way to win. I love that I actually have bonded with the concept of integrity that the Bird explained to us with his infinite patience and perseverance.
A memory from my gremlin year when
I somehow forgot that I was supposed to be on the sports field drifts into my mind. I remember the sheer terror I felt because I had violated the system’s rules and had absolutely no excuse. I march over to the door of the starched dean of students, Mr. Chalfant, and fearfully confess my sin. He hears my troubles and says, ‘These things happen. I’ll take care of it.’ He gives me a nod with the slightest of smiles and closes his door leaving me absolutely stunned. What? What?? No verbal trouncing, no work-crew? I am stunned with the flash of insight that this is what authority is about: understanding and directing. It’s not about white glove inspections, or mass punishments, or any of that rule-following nonsense. Over six years at HPA, sure, there were plenty of times when authority behaved like idiots or unfairly, but those few minutes with Chalfant immunized me against that.
I loved science as taught by Mr. Conley How to be constantly observant. How to think at the molecular level. The topic was molecular biology, genomics, and how to do an experiment. Essentially how to think like a scientist. We never dissected a single animal.
And I profoundly loved literature. Over the years we progressed through Shakespeare’s works, we analyzed Fitzgerald, Melville, Steinbeck, Capote, Hemmingway, and so on. But it was in Solmssen’s Latin class when he read passages from Huckleberry Finn that I was truly stunned by the power of language. However, I didn’t major in literature in college because I read at a snail’s pace, my spelling was atrocious, and composition non-existent. Science seemed a better fit, so I wandered over in that direction.
I’d been moved out of my comfort zone in HPA’s B section to Mr. Knauff’s A section English class, and I felt totally inadequate and intimidated by the brilliance of my classmates. I got deservedly trashed for my
essay on my ‘philosophy of life’ and we’re only a week into the semester. Then came the ‘personal reflections journal’ assignment. OK, I’ll just write what I think and prepare for a beat down, but instead Knauff was visibly stunned upon seeing me as a different student that he barely recognized and was now impressed by. I credit Knauff’s teaching skill for bringing this out of me. I ran into Knauff years later and he remembered me and we chatted as equals and parted feeling the joy of each other’s achievements. I often raise a tall one in tribute to his full heart and mighty intellect.
What did I learn to hate? Authority. Not to worry, when you choose a career in science, despising authority is a prerequisite, so that hatred has served me well. When I return to campus, love and hate wrestle with each other still, and that turmoil fills me with joy, peace, and love.
70s:
Ed (Camp) Campbell ’71
When I look back at the successful members of my class of ’71, they are entrepreneurs, accomplished scientists, lawyers, politicians, CEOs, executives, patent holders, artists… and it would be hard to separate HPA from providing the foundation of these leaders. Many teachers taught us how to be resourceful, ask questions, pursue answers with an eye on academic method. It was a prep school — no one knew exactly what we preparing for — but we were given the confidence we could contribute.
HPA teachers and administration did put up with a bit of harmless shenanigans… One night as a prank we took every other pew in the chapel and faced it backwards.
City boys meet the country: John Bingham ’71 and I, both Honolulu kids, knew each other but not well, from surfing similar sites on O‘ahu, so we decided to (continued on page 36)
A backpacking trip with the Wilderness Education Program (WEP), 1970s
Upper School campus, 1978
Riding through a Kohala stream, 1970s
Village Campus, 1979
Vision and Purpose
Peter Vitousek ’67 and Randy Vitousek ’68
SINCE THEIR TIME TOGETHER AT HPA, BROTHERS PETER AND RANDY VITOUSEK (CLASSES OF 1967 AND 1968, RESPECTIVELY) HAVE EACH BECOME ACCLAIMED PROFESSIONALS IN THEIR DIFFERENT FIELDS. YET THEIR PATHS STILL CONVERGE IN A SHARED DEDICATION TO THE LAND, CULTURE, AND FUTURE OF HAWAI'I.
“When I was at HPA,” Peter recalls, “I used to walk down to breakfast from Upper Dorm (now Perry-Fiske) and see Maunakea, Maunaloa, and Hualālai before me, and I would dream of going there.” Today, Peter’s field work brings him back to Hawai‘i and to those storied places quite often. “Hawai‘i is simply the best place in the world to learn,” he muses. This is no small statement from a man who has spent much of his life in academia.
After graduating from HPA, Peter completed
his undergraduate studies at Amherst College in 1971 and earned a Ph.D. in biology from Dartmouth College in 1975. Since then, he has taught at Indiana University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Stanford University, where he remains a professor in the Department of Earth System Science. Over the years, his work has made Peter a renowned ecologist, recognized especially for his research on the nitrogen cycle. In Hawai‘i, his work centers on understanding intensive rain-fed
agricultural systems. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992 and became a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1993. Accolades aside, the work Peter is most proud of is his work within the Hawaiian community, much of which is rooted in understanding the symbiosis between culture and ecology. “There is a view in social sciences of culture being independent from
“ I think the world needs what HPA and Hawai‘i have to offer. ”
— Peter Vitousek ’67
land, but I don't think it’s independent. I think if you talk to most indigenous people, the land is really important in the development of culture.”
Though Randy maintains that his brother was always "the more academic one," Randy went on to Williams College in Massachusetts after HPA, and was part of the first graduating class from the University of Hawai‘i Richardson School of Law. For decades, Randy has served as the Resident Partner at Cades Schutte, LLP's Hawai‘i Island office, where he represents clients in matters related to land use, permitting, environmental concerns, and long-term planning – always with an eye towards deepening their understanding of place, culture, and community. “To me,” he says, “the important part is that my work life has enabled me to live in Kamuela, to be close to our children, be close to our friends, and be close to the environment… and really try to give back to our community on a daily basis, because it’s so special and has given so many gifts to our family.”
“That’s for sure,” Peter agrees.
In the spirit of “giving back,” both Peter and Randy have dedicated many years of service on the HPA board of trustees. Both are passionate about
forging pathways for HPA students and graduates to share the wisdom of Hawai‘i with a world in need of its influence. The brothers are eager to see the school and its students continue to dig deep roots: “We are at the confluence of a rigorous academic education and the cultural history of people who have this intimate relationship with and knowledge of their land,” Randy says. “People should connect themselves to Hawai‘i, and through Hawai‘i to the world as much as they can,” Peter adds. “I think the world needs what HPA and Hawai‘i have to offer. We can be a big part of that. Bringing Hawai‘i to the world.”
HPA has indeed made strides to ensure that its students are grounded in culture and traditions across all aspects of our curriculum. From science, technology, and the arts, to food systems, outdoor programs, and community service, an integrated vision of Hawaiian studies has flourished under the care of Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea at the Village Campus, and Kumu Pualani Lincoln Maielua ’01 at the Upper Campus. This includes an expansion of the network of kupa‘āina (lineal descendants of the land) that support HPA’s indigenous and place-based learning. Ultimately, these efforts are an integral link connecting HPA students to the wider community and the world – creating pathways between the past and the future.
Reflecting on his own three children's experiences at HPA, Randy notes the strong bonds and community commitment that have emerged among their generation. “They are now in the situation where they are making their marks,” Randy says. “They’re saying, ‘This is our turn, we’re going to take care of our island and our community.’ And they are. It’s very, very heartening. They’re doing it well and together and with the right attitude. A lot of that came from our collective experience at HPA.” •
(continued from page 32)
board together in the upper dorm. That first night, the lights were off, and I heard a slight panting, screeching sound. Huffscreech-huff-screeching. I’m thinking, Man, this dude is strange. What did I get into? Finally I go, “John, is that you?” He goes, “No, I thought it was you.” We flip on the lights and there is this good size dung beetle crawling across our floor making this noise. We were above Will Hancock’s apartment so naturally we debated on returning it to its natural habitat.
The right stuff: In 1981 at our 10-year alumni reunion we were fishing in a HPA fishing tournament out of Kawaihae.
Fishing the Kohala chop line on Bobby Black’s ’71 boat, Alexander Budge ’70 had a boat (The Spooky Luki) and was also fishing near us. We caught good size ono, and they reported they caught a good size mahi, so we decided we would bet them a case of beer over who had the bigger fish. At the dock we hung the fish and weighed them — mine was 38 lbs and theirs was 49 lbs. At that point, Dick Bates ’71 goes, ‘That’s no 49-pound Mahi!” Upon inspecting the fish, we found they had stuffed a 10-pound weight in its mouth. Throwing the class of ’70 in the harbor, we took the guy who caught the fish, and hung him upside down between the fish.
One thing HPA provided were the cornerstones of Hawaiian values: ‘Ohana, Mana, Pono, ‘Āina, Aloha… important values to fall back on.
Kirk Caldwell ’71
While not a memory, what I appreciate most about HPA is the life-long friendships established at HPA and the positive impact they have had on my life. As far as memories, two stand out above all others, and there are many. One is the impact Tim Luria's AP English class had on my growing understanding of human relationships and
how interactions among people can have positive and tragic consequences for those involved and the people around them. I am forever grateful to Tim for his teaching style and his ability to open my mind to the world beyond HPA. The other one is the crossing over the fence and entering the rain forest above HPA where immediately I was greeted by silence except for the songs of native Hawaiian birds and the damp green moss growing around the base of the ʻōhiʻa trees. And of course the sweet smell of the maile that was waiting to be stripped and made into lei.
Meg Solmssen Lin ’74
I remember overnight horseback rides with my dad leading the pack. Going down the huge slide that Howard Hall would set up from the upper dorm down to the road, feeling the force of the fire hose sending us down. Sneaking up to the Taj with friends between classes. Going up to Anna’s pond and jumping in from the cliff above. Hearing the sound of the wind through the Norfolk pines.
Hans Solmssen ’75
Growing up on the old campus, then the new, present day campus in the ’60s, as the "Schnozz's" son, certainly made for some memories, some rightfully relegated to the recesses of memory, while others clamor for their moment in the sun. Being run over by unbroken horses still is quite vivid, as is my first kiss with Ann. So many hikes to “The Place” together, on foot and horseback, to the far reaches of “Sherwood Forest”.
These memories created during those formative years are so intense and long lasting. I would not give up my life at HPA in those early years for anything. The bonds with my fellow classmates still feel so deep, even though we haven’t seen each other in years. You guys have lived life
there, and me here. Such different worlds, yet I still feel so close to you all. What the faculty and administration has accomplished in creating an environment for growth, is nothing short of a miracle. Thank you to everyone involved in showing me how to spread my wings and fly.
James Lee Venable Da Bestest BiCentennial ’76
I remember riding bikes and skao, flying model airplanes at Hapuna Beach, fishing with Rizzuto, Weekendz in Kona @ Weinbergz, diving Māhukona, 18-strand maile, and Student Council.
Ted Cook ’78
One of the things that is still amazing to me was participating in the 1978 "spring sport" of scuba diving with Mr. Rice. The sport included daily dives for several months, including shell dives, sling fishing, whale dives, shark dives, boat dives, and beach dives. Most Fridays were fishing Fridays, followed by cooking the catch in his backyard while passing a volleyball and listening to Moody Blues playing in the background.
Todd R. Woosley ’79
I remember running the Snack Bar (especially the "leftovers"), SCUBA diving, hiking the hills, time spent with friends, playing soccer, boogie boarding, and the always warm "welcome back" at reunions.
80s:
Kaky Hanano Purdy ’81
I have memories of the people of this place and how they made you feel. They were all so very welcoming and open to sharing their aloha for this place, their knowledge and expertise, and just their warmth. Of course, it was a different time in Waimea, and the HPA faculty families just lived and breathed all things HPA. Names like (continued on page 38) We want to hear YOUR memories! The next issue of Ma Ke Kula will contain a special anniversary memories section like this one. Please submit your recollections to https://bit.ly/MaKeKula — and thank you!
Formal dinner, 1970s
Commencement, 1985
Olympics, 1980s
Lower Dorm (now Carter Hall), 1983
(continued from page 36)
Hall, Conley, Hancock, Shutes, Solmssen, Provencal, Rizzuto, Piltz, Bryson bring about some fond memories.
There are also the shared experiences of the things we did and people we had interactions with as students back then: flag pole ceremonies to start and end the school week, work program — kitchen duties (vacuuming and setting tables for formal dinner every week night, the scraping crew in the dishwashing room and clean up in the dining room), June and Shirley, Saturday school and football games, song contest, the wall, meeting at the deli, softball camp, assembly in the chapel, doing sports in the sideways rain and wind, Caddie, study hall, Green Monster Bazaar, hikes to La‘e La‘e, carrying chairs to and from the gym for exams, the various day student hang out locations, and all the friends we shared
these times with.
Alissa Bushnell ’84
I remember the Sunday morning beach bus to Hapuna. We would scramble to get out the door, but once we were there, the waves, the sand, and the sun made it all worth it.
Lisa Hall-Anderson ’84
We were a faculty family. All us Hallkids were raised on campus from birth. My favorite memories were playing on a 50-acre yard, and living in the apartment on "Hawi-side" of Upper Dorm. Our "backyard" had a stream with tadpoles (that turned into frogs from our aquarium and hopped around the house), treeline (the wind whistled through the pine tree needles), horse barn, mud puddles (warm Waimea rain made a kid-sized swimming pool in the parking lot above the dining room), singing in an echoey empty chapel
in the summer (after climbing on its roof!), and playing in eerily empty dorms during the summer. Watching dad and a crew of HPA students fight fires in our white fire truck, which we got to ride in during the Christmas parade in Waimea. Torturing student babysitters by letting the pig in the house, and being basically feral children. Waterslides used to be on the hill outside our apartment. Taking the school sailboat fleet, and dad's advisees, and camping along the coast. Then, going to Lower School at the old campus (Hilo crackers and tiny milk cartons for snack), moving the whole Lower School to the Village Campus in fourth grade (our family helped tape and drywall the classrooms that summer), then going to Upper School: soccer, Olympics, and graduation. And finally, after cousins, nieces, and nephews all went to HPA, I got to watch my youngest graduate in 2021! Soooo many memories… (57 years worth)!
Mauka to makai, 1985
Carolyn Birchill ’85
I remember the walk to the chapel every morning looking out across campus, sit down dinners, class Olympics, walks to Anna’s pond, exploring the island, beach bus, and so many more. Foundations for life created at HPA through friendships, community and environment. Whether I was sitting in my room, having a meal in the dining room, walking to class, or watching one of our teams play on our sports fields, I was always in awe of the views. The 360-degree vistas of lush green countryside. The best part was I shared it with my friends as we sat and chatted, studied, or just relaxed and watched the world go by.
Lisa Marrack ’85
Wilderness Experience Program trips were very exciting — I hiked Haleakalā in seventh grade with a bunch of eighth graders and remember how exciting the entire trip was. I also remember a hiking trip up Hualālai from the donkey mill area with Kara Cadwallader ’85 and Pat Greenwell
’85 and others. There was a major storm, and we had to get rescued off the mountain in the middle of the night. Finally, I swam all four years and we were bussed over the Kohala Mountain Road to the Kohala high school pool. It was freezing cold. Sometimes we would swim in the murky harbor freaking out about sharks. We built up incredible camaraderie in the team that way. I also enjoyed riding in horse shows at HPA.
Olivier Heuchenne ’86
My first time in Hawai‘i was in 1983 ... We were not living on campus as the dorms were full, so we stayed at the cottage of the family next door who opened up their home to us. The Growneys were the most hospitable and kind people. Living off campus meant that we had a different way of life the first year, but when we moved on campus the next year, it was like being in a big home with all our brothers and sisters. I loved the conviviality and camaraderie that was created. Sitting around in the commons, hanging out on the lawns, taking
those walks around campus...we did not have a swimming pool back then so I looked very much forward to those Sundays to Hapuna Beach or taking the ride into Waimea for a bit of distraction. Little did I know after graduating from HPA, I would go to University of Denver with an extended family of four of us from Hawai‘i and be back on the Big Island four years later to work at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel with Mr. Kohler, who was also the catalyst for us coming to HPA in the first place. It was like a dream, and all of it was possible thanks to the foundation set by this community of amazing people — from the headmaster to the teachers, the house moms and dads, and all the kids who came from all walks of life but all were on even grounds… we were one and one for all! I loved the sports and competitive spirit, the fun of being part of a team, and to drive towards a goal: STATE championships, BIIFs… those weekend competitions where the Ka Makani spirit came alive. Recently our daughter Linnea ’24 also
Upper School, 1979
attended HPA, and although she is not graduating from HPA, her one year was the most impactful ever! She has come home to Mallorca renewed, confident, grown up, and, most of all, a well-rounded young lady ready to take on the world. So happy my wife Anna got to experience it and got to meet my classmates who are still present and working at HPA … I believe we have closed the circle all thanks to our long lasting relationship of over 38 years with Tiare Judd Police '86
Adrianne Weiss Fisher ’87 Gosh! There are so many memories! For me, high school was not easy because I was so far from home, so I am grateful for the friends that I made and the teachers who opened up their hearts to us. Watching the stars at night, listening to the cows moo from my dorm room, hiking in the hills, going to the beach, changing clothes at least three times a day because of the weather, sports, dinner, and after dinner! I have memories of teachers who went out of their way for me (Mr. Colson, Virginia King, Todd Anderson, Mrs. Heacox) and of friends who became family. HPA will always be in my heart.
Kim Bennett Younger ’87
I remember Theme Week - Hiking Haleakalā with Mr. Barker!
Thitipol Habanananda ’88
I remember the dorm life (then Hall Dorm) and weekend outings to Hapuna Beach.
Britta Bushnell ’88
I remember winning state cross country on our home course as the first girls team to do so. Running to the finish line with NOTHING left in the tank to the cheering crowd was electrifying. I remember the rituals: Olympics, song contest, graduation ceremonies, morning “Chapel,” water slides, and more.
90s:
Christina Claire Johnson Fackler ’90
I have so many fond memories from my nine years attending HPA. Yet the most impactful experience I had was being part of the turtle tagging program with
science teacher Marc Rice, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) biologist George Balazs. Having the opportunity to camp down at Kīholo and conduct scientific research on Hawaiian green sea turtles was absolutely lifechanging as a teenager! It literally changed the trajectory of my future, and I am proud to say that I have now worked for NOAA for over 20 years helping to protect and conserve America's underwater treasures, which includes the important ecosystems for these endangered sea turtles.
Julie Marrack ’90
There are so many memories that it's hard to condense my 11 years at HPA into a paragraph, but I will try. I think of my teachers who my classmates and I put through the ringer (looking at you, class of '90). They showed up every day to guide us through subject learning, but more importantly, how to deal with the highs and lows of growing up. I think of my friends who I loved/love so hard. There were the big events like school dances, spirit week, prom, and graduation, but honestly I think of the day-to-day. Laughing about nothing until we couldn't breathe, hanging out together on the wall outside of the bookstore, with “The Rebels,” in the dining hall, outside the gym, in the parking lot, at the Taj, at volleyball practice, on the weekends, and that's just high school. The memories are endless!
Laura Rice Jim ’91
Gosh, there are so many and yet so few just because everything gets jumbled together! A few major memories include climbing the road from Kawaihae from scuba diving freezing in the open air WEP/scuba truck, camping at Sherwood Forest, hearing Mrs. Kamrow’s unique sayings, hours of running with Mr. Conley at our annual cross-country retreat in Volcano, playing basketball in fear under Mr. Colson’s coaching, writing letters for Amnesty International, getting bee stings daily on my feet because I love to play barefoot on clover infested grassy fields, and so many more. BUT... aside from these specific memories, I will share the feelings I take
away from my time as an HPA student. I remember feeling like I belong. I remember feeling safe and able to try new things. I remember knowing that the adults at HPA are prepared to encourage me to work hard, hold me up when I fall, and be there to make me laugh because of their unique characters. I remember feeling that people care, that humans are kind, and that I have no limits. It is the feeling one gets at HPA which creates the strongest memories for me as my long term memory is strengthened by reinforcements and these feelings that continue to guide me throughout my life.
Mia Solmssen Perkins ’93
Many of my best memories of HPA are from kindergarten. Our class was the first kindergarten class at HPA with the brilliant and kind Vivienne Tooman. I remember sitting next to her learning to read, and her wonderful laugh. I met some of my lifelong friends that year like Sinclair White ’93. There were eight or nine of us that attended Kindergarten through 12th grade together. Since my dad taught at HPA for over 50 years, my siblings and I grew up with the campus as our playground. We’d sit in the back of my dad’s Land Rover while he bounced around the hills rounding up the horses. We would pull the ropes at the end of the chapel service, making the bells ring. Walking to the gym after class with the kīpuʻupuʻu on one side of us and sun on the other side, and almost daily rainbows. I’m grateful for all the lessons learned at HPA and for the beautiful place that was a second home.
Alexandra Bates Hustace ’94
I remember incubating baby chicks with Mrs. Tooman, folding 1000 paper cranes with Mrs. Sperry, hiking through Thurston Lava Tube with Ms. Folk , writing the “Fourth Grade Book of Books” with Mrs. Gans, playing barefoot “Capture the Dragon” with Mrs. Kamrow, “Field Day” with Mr. Kerr, swing choir with Mrs. Polakova (née Anderson), ceramics and the Wilderness Experience Program (WEP)
(continued on page 43)
Outdoor program, Honomalino, 1990s
Olympic Song Contest winners, 1990s
Students outside Atherton House, 1990s
Perry-Fiske Hall residents, 2006
Bus to Olympics, 2007
Carter Hall, 2018
Fall Ball, 2015
Paper cranes with Mrs. Sperry, 1990s
(continued from page 40)
with Mr. Boyd, keyboarding with Mrs. Kaniho, robotics with Mr. Archer, “The Pearl” with Mrs. Jambor, parle français with Mr. Knowles, dissecting worms with Mr. Mason, the Revolutionary War with Ms. Mulligan, Shakespeare with Mr. Solmssen, the capital punishment paper and poetry lessons with Mr. Bryson, banned books with Mrs. Goodspeed (née Moore), soccer drills with Mr. Perry, chapel hills with Mr. Conley, the trial of Julius Caesar with Mr. Wilder, the history of Vietnam with Mr. Shutes, the periodic table with Mr. Hughes, geometry proofs with Mr. Bleckel, creative writing with Mrs. Piltz, and dark room photography with Mrs. Yarawamai The teachers of HPA and the learning experiences they provided created lasting memories in my life — mahalo!
David Knowles ’94
I have so many HPA memories that it is difficult to know where to start, so I guess I'll start from the beginning. I was accepted! I couldn't believe it, coming from a homeschooled background. I had to do lots of extra math and English that summer to get up to speed for my first year at HPA as a seventh grader. I remember:
• Mr. Archer's robotics class was fun and f ull of laughs.
• Mr. Diaz made algebra interesting and approachable.
• Mr. Mason's demonstration of your lungs after one cigarette. Smoking is bad.
• T he smell of the Middle School cafeteria on sloppy Joes day. "I'll have eight please." "Oh, only two at a time?" "That's okay. I wanted to say hi to you four more times, Auntie."
• T he eighth graders singing "Goodtimes Together" by Cecilio & Kapono to us s eventh graders at their Middle School graduation in the chapel. Goosebumps every time I hear that song.
• S CUBA diving certification in ninth grade. Eating a Snickers bar 100 feet underwater.
• 1990 freshmen win the tug of war in the s chool Olympics and shock the world!
• Half day Saturday classes, which means homework on Friday nights. Ouch. Four years of sacrifice that instilled a solid w ork ethic and discipline that would make college and the rest of life a walk in the park.
• Lugging my desk to and from the gym for finals week. My introduction to all-nighters. I remember Mr. Shutes: tough, disciplined, fair. He was a teacher, a mentor and later he was my patient as he gallantly battled a terminal illness. His memories and lectures in the class, "America and the War in Vietnam" are seared into my brain. Was I just complaining about school on Saturday? Shame on me. "All gave some, and some gave all." Nothing but gratitude and respect. It is a pleasure running on a track named after you.
I remember Derrick Honda '92: half man, half amazing. Shattering BIIF and state wrestling records in multiple weight categories. All BIIF quarterback, running back, track star, kendo master. Defining what it is to be an athlete. He wasn't in my class, but the world just seems a little safer knowing he is in it, and I have the pleasure of calling him a friend.
Perhaps my greatest memory came on graduation day when I got recognition from a teacher I had been trying to impress for years and who played a significant role in why I wanted to attend HPA in ways I didn't even realize at the time. In class I rarely grabbed their attention because their focus was on students struggling greater than me. On graduation day, when I had earned the right to wear all white with a red sash and maile lei, that teacher got up from their seat, walked to the front of the stage, meeting me halfway across the stage, handed me my diploma and gave me a bear hug. Thanks, Uncle Dick. I mean, Mr. Solmssen
HPA played a formidable role in shaping me into the person I am and how I relate to the world. I am grateful that the school took a chance on a homeschooled kid that likely did not meet their admissions criteria.
Max Solmssen ’97
I remember the sound of the wind through the ironwood and Norfolk Pine trees that encircled the campus seemed to always be in the background at HPA, letting me know that I was present in this unique community where I grew up.
Kaili Chapman Monsef ’99
I remember riding Bo, the feisty Arabian, up beyond the gulch and rolling pastures behind campus. Walking the tree line game-ready before every soccer match rain or shine. Playing card games and sharing laughs in the Commons during our downtime. Watching the recap videos of recent school events every Monday morning at Gates. Getting down with friends at school dances surrounded by a circle of chairs in the cafeteria. Loading the dirty plates on crates to go in the dishwasher on kitchen duty days. Dominating class Olympics three years in a row! Go 1999! Tour De Mana (Middle School theme week) riding mountain bikes for multiple days along the base of Maunakea and staying at Keanakolu on cots.
00s:
Jaime Lanin ’01
Our senior grad night party was so special. After graduation (if I’m remembering correctly), we went down to Hapuna for sunset and pule with Aunty Deena (I have that picture framed and wish I knew where that original picture was). Our whole class was in a line along the shore, holding hands in pule facing the ocean. Then, to Kona for a dinner sunset cruise. THEN, went up to Kahua Ranch for our VIP pahtay, Harry Kama Jr concert, and whole-classslumber-party. I think we all stayed up to watch the sunrise. I remember sitting outside probably around that time with a few folks, looking out at the sun rising over the hills on the horizon and just feeling so happy and peaceful. Our class was the first one to get to do something like this and it felt so, so special. We had such great relationships with our teachers and
advisors, and it felt particularly special knowing they did this for us because they trusted us and knew that we would respect this opportunity and use it well. Our class and the teachers we had alongside us were just the best. A snapshot in time that I still feel so grateful for and hold so close to my heart.
Kelly Davis ’03
There are so many memories that stick out to me during my time at HPA from fifth grade to graduation. The one that pops out immediately is Song Contest my freshman year. Song Contest was a long-standing tradition at HPA where all the classes choose a Hawaiian song to sing in spring. We would practice the song as a class during class meetings throughout the entire year. My class (2003) was packed with incredible singers which was kind of an anomaly. It was the night of the event, and we were all nervous. We were also all wearing red aloha print clothing. We get up and sing our hearts out and end up singing SO well. Historically, freshman place fourth because voices aren't trained and are young. Well this year, we placed 2nd and blew everyone away. Under the guidance of Keawe Liu ’89 (our song leader), we crushed it and I'm still convinced we sang better than the seniors, but they could not let freshmen beat the seniors.
Chelsea Morriss Croy ’05
As a 13-year alum, how can I possibly pick just one favorite memory? As an adult and now a parent, I find that my HPA memories often surface when I am doing something that I "used to do back in the day." When I am jumping rope at Crossfit with KC, I remember the days of Jump Rope for Heart and blazing through the different jump rope levels. When my twins are playing with bouncy balls, I remember playing four square each recess and the memory of my friend's laughter as we did flips on the monkey bars. When my kids are collecting mac nuts at Grammy and Papa’s house, I remember the big mac nut tree we played around and how there
was a rule that we were only allowed to eat one from the ground. When my kids sing “Happy Birthday,” I remember being in second grade and walking out onto the field to play "cut the cake" when one of my classmates had a birthday. When I watch the handbell choir play at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, I remember doing handbells with Mrs. Polak. When my kids dress up, I remember one of the best years of my HPA career, when our class was so close in seventh grade (Mike, Jana, Sparky, Cayson, Griffin, Nani to name just a few), and we would hop through the bush to performing arts class with Mrs. Kopra When I take my kids to play at the track, I remember the countless soccer games, football games, and track practices I did throughout my time. When I proctor SATs in the gym, I look at the championship banners and remember the many BIIF titles I was a part of, particularly in 2005 when we won football, track, and soccer. When I substitute teach in the biology class, I remember taking AP bio with Frobi, my mentor, coach, and teacher — and remember how the unit on human physiology literally shaped my academic trajectory as it was in that class I decided it would be my major in college. When I walk into the Chapel, I think about chapel days in Lower School when two students got the privilege of ringing the bells. When I watch the current students practicing for Olympics, I remember our class, the class of 2005, who never won anything, but we took the cake on winning circle sit each year — under mine and Ehitu Keeling's ’05 leadership, a testament to the closeness of our class and our lax nature but for the things that really mattered… coming together when we needed to. All of these core memories have shaped who I am today. HPA is in my blood, sweat, and tears, and I hope to one day have my kids have similar experiences as students of this incredible school.
Cecily Kimura ’08
The people! The people at HPA really make the experience. From your classmates and
teachers to the coaches and maintenance/ security staff, everyone plays a big part in your time at HPA. Being able to recognize familiar faces 15+ years later and have them remember me too is one of my favorite parts.
10s:
Delaney Ross McGrath ’12
I remember Ethan Spencer ’91 making us free write in a journal for Honors English sophomore year. This practice helped reduce stress, provided clarity, and helped me become a better writer, so now I integrate it into my freshmen Arts 9 class at HPA! Olympics talent shows were always a blast. My junior year was very memorable with Mālama Tamasese-Solomon ’12 and Jade Sohriakoff ’12 dancing hula while Kyle Matsuda ’12 and I played and sang. And of course, performing on the GPAC stage in the musicals was always so much fun. I have so many memories with lifelong friends.
20s:
Marie (Maja) Burdova ’22
I remember living with my best friend, Alex Hamilton. Dancing just dance with her, at Olympics, with Carter Hall girls, classmates, just dancing everywhere we went. Another of my favorite memories was being the student body president.
Kinaʻu Grace ’22
My favorite memories have to be from Spirit Week my senior year where our Kumu’s advisory would do the opposite of what was picked for that day… so “formal day” we wore hunting clothes, or for “tacky tourist day” we chose to do “tita Tuesday.” It was things like that when we felt free during highschool and where us local kids really felt at home knowing we were representing our culture and home in a different way. I also remember lunch everyday in Kumu Pua’s [Pualani Lincoln Maielua ’01] with the kanaks.
(continued on page 46)
Lava Lounge, 2018
25th Annual ‘Ukulele Festival, 2018
Outdoor Program, 2018
Moving desks to the gym for exams, 2015
Upper School riders, 2019
(continued from page 44)
Anita Lockwood ’23
Some of my favorite memories from HPA include early mornings hiking up to the E-Lab with friends to watch the sunrise and have picnics with music. Waimea and the rest of the Big Island always looked so majestic in the early morning light. It was beautiful as the sun would slowly illuminate the snowy peaks of Maunakea in the wintertime and we would all sit together laughing and enjoying the view as the island would come alive with the first light of day. But it was the people that really made it all worth it. Getting up so early would have been a challenge if I didn't have the company of friends to look forward to seeing that day. The connections made at HPA are perhaps the most crucial and incredible part of the experience. It is something I miss dearly now and think of often when remembering my time at HPA.
Nick Sebastian ’23
I remember winning BIIF championships for football my junior year.
Class notes are edited for length and clarity, including adding diacritical markings and other minor adjustments, in accordance with HPA’s style guidelines.
In Memoriam:
In the past year, we were saddened to learn of the deaths of the following members of the HPA ‘ohana. If you would like more information, please contact us at alumni@hpa.edu. We may be able to put you in touch with the friends of family of the departed.
• Sefton Clark ’68
• Jon Giffin
• Kathleen “Kathy” Honey
• Hiu Kelley ’09
• Grace Lasko
• Sachiko Myers ’21
• David W. Pratt
• Nick Purdy ’10
• Leticia Ann Rizzuto ’82
• Joanne Rocha
• Marian Woosley
• Heidi Yamamoto
Ka Makani football, BIIF champions, 2021
Since 1949, gifts have made HPA possible.
From the generosity of early benefactors until today, HPA thrives because of support and strength from our families, alumni, and community. Giving is a proud and essential tradition within our ’ohana. We are so grateful for each investor and each gift.
Today, the HPA Fund is the most immediate way you can uphold our students and programs. When you give, you create opportunities that would not be possible through tuition alone. From GPAC to the Energy Lab, in school gardens, art studios, gymnasiums, and the Pacific Ocean, your leadership is active — defining HPA right now and for tomorrow.
Thank you for being the champions of HPA.
HPA proudly bears Ka Makani as its emblem, embodied by the 'ōhi'a lehua tree whose branches are bent and shaped by the steady winds. 'Ōhi'a lehua is a slow-growing tree endemic to Hawai‘i, thriving even in harsh conditions. It reminds us of our roots, our strength, and the wind. Like ka makani, we too, are both powerful and gentle — strong and ever-changing.
65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road
Kamuela, Hawaiʻi 96743
www.hpa.edu
Want more info on HPA?
Application inquiries: admissions@hpa.edu
All other questions: connect@hpa.edu
Order your 75th Anniversary aloha wear!
Commemorate this HPA milestone with a collection that tells our story. See page 27.
