THE LEADER
APRIL 2021
46 GRADUATION
SPEAKER
Terrence Dela Peña
33 WORDS FROM THE WISE Advice from professors 48 A PROPHECY FULFILLED Digitizing the scriptures in Hawaiian
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APRIL 2021 • VOLUME 128 • ISSUE 4
LeeAnn Lambert ADVISOR
Abbie Putnam COPY EDITOR
Hannah Manalang ART &GRAPHICS
Xyron Levi Corpuz MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Hailey Huhane EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sydney Hyer COPY EDITOR
Katie Mower ART DIRECTOR
Serena Dugar Ioane COPY EDITOR
Sadie Madriaga ART &GRAPHICS
Karren Chang ART &GRAPHICS
Alexander Tumalip MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Lauren Goodwin MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Anna Stephenson MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Mark Daeson Tabbilos PHOTOGRAPHER 2 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
Emmalee Bazar CONTENT MANAGER
Ulziibayar Badamdorj PHOTOGRAPHER
Lisi Tiafau MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Alexandra Clendenning MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Uurtsaikh Nyamdeleg VIDEOGRAPHER
LE T T E R FROM
T HE AR T DI RECTO R A couple months ago, my roommate and I were having a conversation when she asked me if I was scared of the future and whether or not I would be able to do everything I wanted. At the time, I said no. I had faith that if I worked hard, all would work out for good.Yet, as I thought about the conversation and as the end of my last semester approaches, I have found myself a little more apprehensive. Knowing there are people like me and my roommate, we decided to dedicate this issue to exploring the future. The future doesn’t have to be daunting. If we prepare ourselves and try new things, we can define and discover a path that will bring us both success and joy. Whether you are just beginning your experience here at BYU–Hawaii, are somewhere in the middle or are getting ready to walk out the door, there are plenty of tips, guides and stories to inspire you into your future. If you’re wanting to know about art careers, check out page 12, or if something like conservation is more your thing, look into page 16. You can also find information about internships (pg. 36), networking (pg. 28) and what your professors really want you to know (pg. 33). Learn how to conquer fear (pg. 34), find self worth (pg. 40) and find out how others have conquered trials while in school (pg. 42). Together we can learn from one another. There is so much to discover from those who’ve come before us and those along side us. The future is bright if we will forge the path. We’ve got this!
Katie Mower
NEWS CENTER BOX 1920 BYUH LAIE, HI 96762 Print Ser vices
Editorial, photo submissions & Distribution inquiries: k e a l a k a i @ by u h . e d u . To s u b s c r i b e t o t h e R S S F E E D or to view additional ar ticles, go to k e a l a k a i . by u h . e d u .
CONTACT Email: ke a l a k a i @ by u h . e d u Phone: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 6 9 4 Fax: ( 8 0 8 ) 6 7 5 - 3 4 9 1 Office: BY U – H awa i i A l o h a C e n t e r 1 3 4 ON THE COVER: Terrence Dela Peña, the winter 2021 student graduation speaker. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj. ON THE BACK: Janlavtsogzol Battulga, a senior from Mongolia majoring in accounting. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
ABOUT The Ke Alaka‘i began publishing the same year the University, then called Church College of Hawaii, opened. It has continued printing for more than 60 years. The name means “the leader” in Hawaiian.What began as a monthly newsletter, evolved into a weekly newspaper, then a weekly magazine and is now a monthly news magazine with a website and a social media presence.Today, a staff of about 20 students work to provide information for BYU–Hawaii’s campus ohana and Laie’s community.
© 2021 Ke Alaka‘i BYU–Hawaii All Rights Reserved
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C O N T E N T S
Table of
4 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
6 Art submission 7 Campus Comments
EXPLORING THE FUTURE
8
Senior feature: Paolo Poblete
12 Careers in graphic design 14 College survival kit 15 Interactive maze
16 20 22 24
26 28 29 33 34
Careers in conservation Feature: The Nortons Occupation exploration Investing in your future
10 Things successful people do The power of networking Pull-out poster Advice from professors Fighting fears of the future
36 38 40 42 44 46
Making the most of your internship Senior feature: Janlavtsogzol Battulga The search for self-worth Senior feature: Asaua Tanuvasa and Ulu Leota Budget-friendly meals Graduation speaker: Terrence Dela Peña
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY 48
54 56 58
APRIL 2021
Digitizing the Hawaiian scriptures
Campus construction update Trash talk: The annual trash survey Seasider Safe testing
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C R E AT I V E W R I T I NG/AR T/ PHOTO S UBM I S S I ON
“After the Flood” by Juan M. Escalante, assistant professor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work
Share your art, photos or creative writing with us to share in our next issue. Email us your high-resolution photo or work with a caption at kealakai@byuh.edu
FOLLOW US A ROUND T HE W EB
K E A L A K A I . BY UH . E D U
6 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
CAMPUS C O M M E N T S Wha t do you wa n t to b e in t h e fu t u re ?
BY LIS I T IAFAU Ma tt Lucas, a freshman from Idaho majoring in biology, said he was inspired by a family friend to become a physical therapist. He said, “Physical therapy is an interesting career. I am also a sports person, so I started to get interested in becoming one in the future.”
Munkhzu l Ga lbadra kh, a senior from Mongolia majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said she wants to build her own tourism company. “I love to travel. I want people who also love to travel to be able to find the best places with great prices, including cultural experiences they will never forget.”
Adr ianna h Metta, an alumna from Papua New Guinea who graduated in Fall 2020, said she wants to pursue a career in public administration. “I am very passionate about anthropology, and I am looking to further my study into the dynamics of culture and leadership,” Metta said. She shared she is looking forward to integrating what she has learned in anthropology to leadership.
Mahinalani Pulotu, a junior from Kailua majoring in social work, said she wants to use her major by helping children in Hawaii, build healthy families and homes. “Families are very important. I want to work with them so their children won’t end up with other families or in foster care. I want to help them establish and build strong and healthy families where children can stay and be safe.”
Graphics by Katie Mower. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
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Finding joy in the journey Graphics by Sadie Madriaga.
8 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
Biology major with a knack for writing shares struggle to find the right career path but says he’s stepping into the unknown with faith in every step BY XYRON LEVI CORPUZ
W
hen Paolo Poblete decided on being a biology major, he said he realized he didn’t want to give up his ability to express himself through writing. So, he wrote a poetry book. For Poblete, a senior from the Philippines, writing poetry is a source of self-expression and creativity. As a biology student, he said he doesn’t get to do that. “Biology is very technical and scientific. There’s nothing with biology that uses the right area of the brain about creativity.” He said he wants to put himself out there and make sure he doesn’t miss out on his talent for writing. He plans to publish his poetry book when he graduates in April. A free spirit Attending BYU–Hawaii was not part of his plan, Poblete said. However, when he was accepted, he said he told himself, “Why not?” Because he had previously attended nursing school, Poblete began working on a biology degree, despite his passion for writing. In his hometown of Cebu, Poblete attended the university nursing program for two years before leaving on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During his mission in the Philippines, he said his close friend, Hyrum Seth Castro, invited him to take the Michigan English Test, an English exam required for Filipino students who want to apply to BYUH. Castro, a senior from the Philippines majoring in business management operations and supply chain, said he knew Poblete would pass the test because his English was the best in the mission. Poblete said they took the English test at a stake center and they both passed. After their missions, he said Castro asked Poblete to continue with the BYUH application. “There’s no harm in trying,” Poblete said. In the end, they were both accepted. Poblete said his friends refer to him as a free spirit. Leaving nursing school to attend BYUH is a result of that, he said. Choosing a major was not an easy decision, Poblete said. Because biology fit well with his experience at nursing school, he said he decided it was the best choice. However, he said things changed when he noticed his grades were dropping from As to Cs.
The drop in his grades, he said, was due to the uncertainty he felt about his career path, and he is still uncertain if he wants to pursue medical school to become a doctor. “I felt that I was born to do something more than a biology major,” he said. “Was I really doing the right major, even though I like [the biology] major a lot?” Poblete said he considered an English major because of his writing ability. He said he can write books and poetry. “I was the editor-in-chief of my high school publication. I can write, but then I don’t want to be a writer either. I just want writing to be part of me and not my job,” he explained. “Because I felt really uncertain about my major at some point in my under grad life, I decided to write a book because I didn’t want to feel I missed out on my talent or on my capacity to be able to express myself beautifully and fully through my craft in writing,” he shared. Finding his tribe When he got to BYUH, Poblete said he made friends from Hong Kong, Samoa, Fiji, Japan and the Philippines. “It was fun. It was really easy for me to make friends.” In the beginning, it was exciting to meet new friends, he said. But as the semesters went by, the smaller his circle of friends got. He found his tribe, he explained.
“I decided to write a book because I didn’t want to feel I missed out on my talent or on my capacity to be able to express myself beautifully and fully through my craft in writing.” – Paolo Poblete
“[Poblete] knows how to have fun but at the same time excel in his studies,” Castro said. One weekend, Castro said he and Poblete invited another friend to town. “It was our first time doing so, and we did not have a reliable GPS at the time. Although we got lost and missed some exits, we still had so much fun. “I think that reflects him and our friendship,” Castro said. “Sometimes we don’t have a concrete plan, but somehow our plans still work out, and most importantly, we find joy in our journey.”
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“There’s always the risk worth taking, but that’s the beauty of life. You have to take the risk to see what’s going to come.” – Paolo Poblete
Jaden Sigua, Poblete’s friend from Utah, said, “[Poblete] is the type of friend you can rely on to lend a compassionate ear when you want to talk to someone.” Poblete is a very good listener who asks questions and thinks deeply about what you say to him, he said. Sigua recalled a time he and Poblete went to Park City, Utah, and stayed up until 2 a.m. by the fireplace outside of their hotel. “I remember laughing super hard as we told stories and danced by the fire. It was super meaningful to me as we grew closer with each other and some other friends. I felt connected to Pao and everyone else on a deep level because of the things we shared and all the laughter.” Anna Gomez, a junior from the Philippines studying clinical psychology, said, “Paolo is the kind of friend who you can be comfortable and real with because he also does the same,” she explained. “He is real, not afraid to share his opinions and emotions, and because of that you would want to do the same around him.” Gomez described Poblete as a friend who shows his love by giving. “It doesn’t matter what he gives, big or small. A simple card or a treat to a meal, it is sure to be something thoughtful and sweet,” she shared. Into the unknown After graduating from BYUH, Poblete said he plans to work in Utah for a year to save money. As for his career path, Poblete said he has four options: Working as a biology teacher in Japan, moving to Italy for a master’s in art history, completing a master’s in biology in Provo or going home to the Philippines to attend medical school. Although he said he wished the path to take was clearer, he quoted Elder Boyd K. Packer, by saying, “Faith, to be faith, must center around something that is not known. Faith, to be faith, must go beyond that for which there is confirming evidence. Faith, to be faith, must go into the
Pablo Poblete working in the biology lab. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos. 10 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
unknown. Faith, to be faith, must walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness.” Poblete said every decision people take in life has to be done with faith in Jesus Christ. “We just can’t know it all. … There’s always the risk worth taking, but that’s the beauty of life. You have to take the risk to see what’s going to come.” Poblete said he is focused on making sure he steps into the darkness with confidence and his Savior will slowly light the way with every step he takes in faith. •
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BECOME YOUR OWN BOSS Graphic design students share their aspirations of becoming freelance designers
12 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
T
he world of design presents a variety of career possibilities for graphic design majors. Two BYU–Hawaii students said receiving formal training and experience in the field has helped them discover what they want to pursue in the futures. Some said they want to be freelance graphics designers so they can be their own bosses. From passion to online business Gabrielle Pritt, a freshman from Nevada majoring in graphic design, said she started her small design business in January 2020 on Instagram by posting her designs and showcasing her work. She explained, “Some of my friends started following [my page], then family members, then acquaintances. It just kept growing and growing.” Pritt said she knew she had a future in graphic design when people started reaching
out and requesting designs, logos and rebranding designs from her via Instagram. Picking her major was easy, she said, since her main focus was already graphic design. As a graphic design student, she said she is preparing for a future career through classes that teach her fundamental skills and knowledge about the field. She said getting formal training can help her make designs for bigger companies and create with more skill and precision. Pritt said her professors urge their students to learn different skills and to master the basics before they move into more complex projects and designing opportunities. Freelance work Pritt said her dream is to become a freelance graphic designer in order to work with different companies. She said, “Being a freelance graphic designer means being my own boss and not being tied as a company’s official graphic designer. I want to be able to bounce around between different individuals and companies, so I will expand my network.” Trisha Panzo, a senior from the Philippines majoring in graphic design and psychology, explained being a freelance graphic designer is a way to gain more experience in the career field by working with different customers. Panzo said she would love to work with companies to create posters and layouts. She expressed, “I want to do graphic design in the future to help companies rebrand. Branding actually does help out a company’s online presence and helps small businesses a lot, so rebranding can definitely change people’s perspectives on that certain business.” She described freelance graphic design as being in control of your time, your projects and the number of projects you take in. She said, “You are basically free to do whatever you want to do as long as the client is okay with it.”
client in order to make a product the client will thoroughly enjoy. “When I work with individuals who want custom designs for their own personal use, I work a lot with them instead of doing my own thing. I like to have them involved with what I’m doing every step of the way.” Gaining experience Panzo said gaining real life experience is one of the best ways to determine whether a career in graphic design is right for you. She expressed her professors teach a broad range of topics so students can take an educated step toward a specific pathway in graphic design. She explained it is all about finding a specific niche. Panzo advised students to get involved with projects that are not strictly for school credit in order to grow as a designer. Doing jobs outside of her school projects has been a great way to gain experience and create a portfolio, she said. Some careers options for graphic design majors include becoming an art director, editing film and photos, working for magazines and printing companies and website design. Graphic design can also lead to jobs in advertising, marketing, fashion and general brand improvements, like website updates, rebranding and photo retouching. BYUH students can find mentors through the Ohana Network where they can connect to thousands of alumni around the globe who work in a wide array of fields. •
Top: Gabrielle Pritt said she started her design business on Instagram. Photo by Madison Hafen. Bottom: Trisha Panzo said she wants to use graphic design to help companies rebrand. Photo provided by Trisha Panzo.
A collaborative effort Pritt said when she receives a request to create something, she collaborates with the
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COLLEGE SURVIVAL KIT headphones
laptop
water bottle
phone charger mints/gum
writing tools
notebook
snacks
Here’s what you’ll need to pack for your daily trip to campus. Photo by Mark Daeson Tabbilos. 14 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
Navigate to
GRADUATE Get past the obstacles and reach the finish line to graduation!
START
FINISH!
Graphics by Hannah Manalang. A PRIL 2021 15
Save the planet, GET PAID
Hawaii-based conservationists share their paths to success through gaining well-rounded skills, and not being afraid to change career paths
BY ANNA STEPHENSON
T
hree conservationists said finding a career in conservation after graduation can be daunting, but not impossible. Savili Kamuela Bartley, Jr., from Waianae, said he went from working in IT, to traveling around the world as a volunteer working on conservation projects with elephants, coral and plastic-related effects on the environment. He currently works as an intern at the Loko Ea fishpond in Haleiwa. He said, “If there are volunteer opportunities at nonprofits that you are interested in, go for it. Check different website platforms to find available positions, such as conservation job boards or conservation careers. Also, if you are able or are interested in traveling, I 100 percent would recommend this because you will view the world in a totally different lens, and it will open your mind to so many things.” Rae Okawa, from Kawaihae, said she got a master’s in environmental studies and started out as a field researcher in Pennsylvania. She said she then switched to a development coordinator for the Hawaii Wildlife Center and has worked there full time since 2012.
16 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
She said, “You can take what you’re good at or what you’re interested in and find a way to work it into conservation. And don’t get discouraged if your path changes along the way. It happens. “If hard-core science and research is your thing, then great! If it isn’t your thing, that’s also fine. Perhaps environmental policy or law is more interesting to you. There’s also environmental education and outreach, media and communications, graphic design and more.” She explained all these are helpful in the conservation field. Rebecca Choquette, from Pearl City, said she studied veterinary science for two years before she decided she wanted to work in conservation. “The biggest setback I faced,” she explained, “was realizing and admitting the goal I had set for myself, veterinary medicine, needed to change. It wasn’t what I wanted to spend my life doing.” Choquette said this was a “painful realization” because she had already been studying veterinary medicine for two years and had wanted to be a veterinarian her whole life. However, after school, she landed the “perfect job” at the Reptile and Keiki Zoo at the Honolulu Zoo.
Following his passion around the world Bartley said, “From a young age, I was always fascinated with the ocean and knew that I wanted to be a marine biologist. With that dream, I took a marine science class in high school and then decided to focus on biology in college.” Bartley said he attended a university in Iowa because of a scholarship. He graduated in 2017 with a degree in biology because the university he attended did not have options in marine biology, he explained. After school, he said he could not find a job within the biology field, so he worked in IT for two years. Because working at a desk was difficult, he said he saved his money and eventually told his boss this was not the right job for him. “After that, I vowed to myself that I would never work behind a desk again, and I would pursue my passion for biology through conservation.” He then went abroad by seeking out hands-on working opportunities in Asia, he reflected. In Thailand, he worked with Asian elephants. “With this opportunity, I lived in a rural hill-tribe village about a six-hour drive from Chiang Mai. I lived in a villager’s hut. … Every morning we would hike out to find the elephants we were observing.” He said he collected data to help people learn about how to work with the elephants in an ethical way and also “immersed [him]self within this different, unique and beautiful culture.” He said, “I also was very keen to start networking within this niche internationally and see where to go from there.” After Thailand, Bartley said he visited Malaysia and built a “new coral nursery and [learned] how to properly propagate healthy corals in a new location. I did this on a beautiful island off the eastern coast of Malaysia, ... the Perhentian Islands.” Indonesia and Bali were next, he recounted, but Lombok, the island next to Bali, was the most productive. “In Lombok, I made connections
with a nonprofit that focused on educating the local communities about sustainability and the negative effects of plastic pollution.” Being able to travel and see the world cemented Bartley’s dedication to conservation, he said, because he wanted to do all he could to make the world a better place. He said he was able to do research with sea urchins and the effects of zinc oxide. However, due to the pandemic, Bartley said he had to leave Indonesia and return to Hawaii. “I told myself when I go home, I will dedicate my time to deepen my roots in my Hawaiian culture, all while trying to make a difference through conservation work.” He started working with Kupu, a Hawaii-based conservation and sustainability centered internship placement and service-learning program, where he was accepted into the Loko Ea program. The Loko Ea fishpond in Haleiwa is taken care of by the Malama Loko Ea Foundation. He said Loko Ea has become very special to him. “I felt the mana of this place, and I knew this is where I will deepen my roots and grow as an individual, as a student, as a Hawaiian and as a conservationist. The work we do here is more than aina work, it is a haven for all our native animals and plants to make a comeback. “Loko Ea is a space for the community to leave their problems at the gates and forget time. This place is where our keiki and our future generations can come to learn hands on and connect to the past by recognizing the foundation that has been laid out by our kupuna. The work we do at Loko Ea is important for the land, for the community and for Hawaii.” Bartley said his advice to new conservationists is to jump in with both feet and take every opportunity possible. He said to get involved in volunteer opportunities that interest people and check job boards and postings. “Everyone has their own path, and my path has led me to Loko Ea. So the next question is, where will yours lead?”
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Preserving nature through different disciplines Okawa said, “I was born and raised on Oahu and always knew that I wanted to come home after grad school to work in Hawaii conservation. “I went to Cornell University for college, graduating in 2010 with my bachelor’s in biological sciences and then attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 2012 with my master’s in environmental studies.” She then found a job as a field researcher but found it difficult to do the job from Pennsylvania. She said after searching, she found and landed an internship at a well-known environmental nonprofit organization. During her work with the organization, she reached out to the Hawaii Wildlife Center to inquire about receiving assistance in creating a conservation fundraising plan. Okawa then got a job there as the development coordinator. She said, “There are certainly days when I miss being out in the field, banding birds and checking nest boxes. However, that’s more than made up for by the fact that my work with the Hawaii Wildlife Center has provided the resources for hospital and rehabilitative care for nearly 2,000 native Hawaiian birds and bats since I first began working here.” Okawa said she pins her success on flexibility. “The conservation field is quite broad. I wanted to be well-rounded, so I tried to fit in areas of study outside of my biology degree, completing courses in environmental law, natural resources management and economics. “When I went for my master’s, I shifted gears and focused more on education, outreach and communication and also took courses in environmental policy, nonprofit management, quantifying sustainable business practices, philanthropy” and others. By being flexible and well rounded, she said she was able to avoid setbacks and disappointments by letting her circumstances guide how she would work in the conservation field. She advised current conservation students to follow in her footsteps by remembering there are many opportunities in the conservation field. Preserving nature, she said, requires a multitude of different professions and disciplines all working together. Okawa encouraged all conservation students to take at least one course in communications, citing how being able to effectively communicate with people will be a key skill in any profession they may go into.
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Perseverance is key Choquette grew up on the Big Island then moved to Oahu to attend college at UH Manoa, she recalled. “Moving from a rural environment on the Big Island to an urban one on Oahu for college was a difficult adjustment. When I started college, my goal was veterinary medicine.” She said during school, she volunteered for various veterinary opportunities but decided to change her major to zoology. She said this was challenging and “switching majors also meant it would take me longer to graduate, and I was mostly paying my own way through college.” She said she worked as a waitress in Waikiki to support herself during this change. Choquette said she has “a passion for reptiles, amphibians and insects. All the weird, creepy-crawly animals many people dislike.” She said she applied to the Department of Land and Natural Resources for field work, but “by coincidence, a few months after graduation, a position opened in the reptile department of the Honolulu Zoo.” She said this was the “perfect position for me.”
Now, Choquette is the working supervisor for the Reptile and Keiki Zoo at the Honolulu Zoo and has been working there for 27 years. Choquette explained the staff at the Honolulu Zoo work with the DLNR to “breed and exhibit Kamehameha butterflies, which are the Hawaii state insect.” She said these butterflies are endangered. “We also breed Amastra cylindrica land snails, a species that was extinct in the wild until DLNR began a reintroduction program. … They are on display here, helping to educate local folk and visitors alike about some of Hawaii’s endangered species and the challenges they face in our current environment.” The Honolulu Zoo’s Aloha ‘Aina Conservation Fund supports conservation in different environments and has many partners, Choquette explained. Animal keepers from the Honolulu Zoo often participate in research projects all over the world. Overall, she explained, it’s an important force for conservation. •
Graphics by Sadie Madriaga.
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Richie Norton and his wife Natalie Norton encourage students to take advantage of their time at BYUH because life only gets busier. Photos provided by Richie Norton.
Solving social ills
with business skills Don’t wait, say the Nortons, starting something stupid now is the smart thing to do BY LISI TIAFAU
20 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
G
aining knowledge from professors, mentors and peers and starting passion projects now, is the advice of successful entrepreneurs and BYU–Hawaii alumni Richie and Natalie Norton. “It’s okay not to have all the answers,” said Natalie Norton, who is also a photographer. “As long as we’re in it all the way, we’re going to find what we need and build what we feel compelled to build.” Knowledge is a tool chest students can use to help build their path, choice by choice, she said. Richie Norton, also a best-selling author, said every good thing he has done and is doing now has come as a direct result of going to BYUH. “It all started from a crazy idea when I was at BYUH, and it later turned into something big and good.”
“
My experiences really taught me that it’s not enough to wait until the perfect time to do the things we feel called to do, both within our homes and also in the world. – Natalie Norton
”
Richie Norton has started several companies and has mentored managers and entrepreneurs on how to start, grow and optimize their own businesses. He wrote a book about the experience, called, “The Power of Starting Something Stupid,” which was endorsed by author Brené Brown, publisher Steve Forbes, and business consultant and author, Stephen M.R. Covey. Richie Norton’s catchphrase in his classes is, “self-reliance through self-employment.” he said. He said while in college, he was hired as a consultant to generate revenue for BYUH through the chair of the Department of Continuing Education (later known as CITO) and SIFE (now Enactus). As a social entrepreneur, Richie Norton said he is finding ways to solve social ills with business skills. He said he wants to make a deep and pervasive impact for good and empower others to think and act in the best interest of themselves, their family and society. He shared, “If a business doesn’t create meaning, then it’s not for me.” With partners Thiefaine Magre and Jase Bennett, he said he started a company called Prouduct to help people create products across dozens of industries. Using the flexibility that entrepreneurship has given him, Richie Norton said he creates companies to help people be successful and get their time back. Of all his accomplishments, he said he is proud to have co-founded the BYUH Center for Entrepreneurship with Greg Gibson, now called the Willes Center. “The center helps students become employers when they return home,” he said. Ariunchimeg Tserenjav, a BYUH graduate from Mongolia who majored in accounting, was the first student funded by the Center for Entrepreneurship. “When I entered BYUH, my goal was to get a degree in free
Richie Norton said having a family is an entrepreneurial experience. Photo provided by Richie Norton.
market economics and accounting so I could learn what free business is.” Tserenjav said she wanted to open her own business, manufacturing cashmere products in Mongolia, but didn’t have enough money. “Richie Norton came to help in 2004 with his father because he liked my business plan that I introduced at the BYUH business planning competition,” she said. Unfortunately, she couldn’t pursue the business for long, recounted Tserenjav, because she didn’t know enough and had to support her family. However, she said, “I am still hoping that someday I will resume and run my own business.” Her advice to students is to learn and ask questions of their professors, advisors and anyone who can help them. “Learn and apply what you learn and never give up on your dreams and goals,” said Tserenjav. Baby steps are still steps Natalie Norton said re-learning to speak after having a stroke taught her not to wait to be settled to do the things she always wanted to do. She said now is the time and not later. “We always have the capacity to keep moving forward, and we can measure our success by millimeters sometimes. But baby steps are still steps,” she added. Modeling important principles for their children, Natalie Norton said, is vital to her and Richie. They show what it looks like to follow promptings they feel, she said. “We do our very best to always live with purpose and follow through on things we feel
compelled to do.” Richie Norton shared that for him, raising a family is an entrepreneurial experience. He said nothing is more important than his family, uplifting them and finding ways to have peak experiences to shape them into better humans. Natalie Norton said, “My experiences really taught me that it’s not enough to wait until the perfect time to do the things we feel called to do, both within our homes and also in the world.” Richie Norton advised, “Start a project like the work you want to do in the future now. What better way to learn and show a future employer what you can do?” He said, “Start now. Serve, thank, ask, receive and trust. Now is your opportunity to make the most of [BYUH].” Life gets busier, he continued, “so use the time you have now by reaching out to professors and leveraging resources to create projects around your ideas.” He advised students to get experience and help now that will help in their businesses or jobs. Natalie Norton said students are more capable than they think. “It’s okay if you’re figuring it out as you go,” she said. “It doesn’t mean you’re not capable or ready.” The path of an entrepreneur has no limits, she asserted. The only limit is the willingness to show up, to do the work and to keep trying, Natalie Norton expressed. One of her favorite things about entrepreneurs, she said, is they constantly learn, reach and gain more and more as they go.•
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Occupation exploration Staff from Career Services urge students to use school resources to assist them in selecting their careers BY LAUREN GOODWIN & ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
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YU–Hawaii’s Career Services offers students resources to help in their pursuit of degrees and future careers. Resume feedback, mock interviews and remote appointments with a career mentor are just a few options the department offers. Career Development Manager William Numanga, from the Cook Islands, described Career Services to be full of success stories. On its website, he explained the department’s goal is to inform students about BYUH alumni who have gone on to succeed in different career fields and to inspire students to connect with them. He said alumni can share their experiences with students and help connect them to future career opportunities. Career Services offers online and in-person resources to help students discover what they want to do in the future. Among these recourses is the Ohana Network, which is available to all BYUH students. Once students create an account, Numanga said they will instantly be able to connect with thousands of BYUH alumni. He explained the Ohana Network consists of over 36,000 alumni and acts as a directory for students to connect. “There are alumni who are ready to assist and mentor students along their journey to a future career,” he added. Numanga said students need to create a profile and answer some questions about themselves in order to be connected with alumni. Once students have created a profile, employees at Career Services look over their profiles and their MBTI reports, which are the results from the personality test offered at Career Services. Viema Taito, a sophomore from Fiji studying social work and a student specialist at Career Services, said taking her MBTI personality
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test helped her discover her interests and helped her understand herself on a deeper level. Taito said Career Services connects students to mentors who can guide them along the path to a future career or to choosing a major that best suits them. They can also help students find jobs and internship opportunities related to their majors, she added. Taito even said she has her own career mentor who helped her decide on a major. Tserennyam Sukhbaatar, a 2012 marketing graduate from Mongolia, stressed gaining real life experience is important when deciding what to do in the future. He said real working experience will help students know if they need to apply to grad school or understand what company they want to work for. Sukhbaatar said an internship can give students real life experiences without entering the industry fully. Through internship experience, he said students worth as future employees will increase, as well as their understanding of the field. Nasanbold Sukhbaatar, a 2019 hospitality and tourism management graduate from Mongolia, said he did extensive research about what career path he wanted to pursue in his chosen field and started to learn necessary skills related to his career. Doing an internship or academic training will bring students a greater perspective about the industry and the career, he said. To learn more, visit the Career Services page on the BYUH website, where there are links and resources that can help students along their journeys to future careers. •
The Ohana Network
MBTI Personality Test
Virtual Appointments
“There are alumni who are ready to assist and mentor students along their journey to a future career.”
–William Numanga Career Services can help students find career opportunities and can even help them pick a major. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj. A PRIL 2021 23
Investing in your
F U T U R E Economics professors say financial success comes from budgeting, planning and learning to cope with change and uncertainty BY ALEXANDER TUMALIP
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YU–Hawaii professors said preparing economically for the future will largely come as a result of how students learn to adjust to these unique times. No matter where people live, they said being proactive self-learners will set someone apart in the eyes of future employers. When planning for the future, they said it is important to ponder, pray and rely on the Lord. Erin Frederick, assistant professor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said planning for the future consists of hard work through investing and setting specific, achievable goals. “Investing really is balancing your incomes and expenses,” Frederick shared. “You need to learn what you’re putting your money into.” Fredrick said with COVID-19, more and more people are “getting caught up in things like the GameStop situation and not really investing.” Frederick recalled the time she and her young family bought their first house in her
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hometown of West Palos Verdes, CA. The house was 945 square feet, old and too small for Frederick, her husband and their two young children. “We bought that house, and all we did was work on it,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had some goals. I’ve done the same to every house I’ve owned since then.” The profit is not instant money, she said, it’s hours and hours of work and budgeting. Frederick said the same process applies to economic planning for students. Students’ major goals will be challenging to meet, so they need to develop a strategy, she said. Frederick noted students may not be able to directly achieve their goals now, but they can slowly work on them in the meantime to get where they need to be. Gale Pooley, associate professor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said the biggest objective for students is anticipating what will happen tomorrow. “We need to ask
ourselves what the future will be like based on our current situation,” he explained. Pooley said the strength of the market is uncertain due to downsizing because of increased remote work. The only exception is construction because the demand is high, he added. Ricardo Vicente, assistant professor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said students should see education as an investment, especially during the pandemic. “When you go to a trade school, you learn the ‘how’ of your field. The future, however, needs knowledge, which is the ‘what’ and ‘why,’” he said. “When people say to follow your passions, what people forget is you need to put in the work every day,” he elaborated. Learning experiences come from school or from working in the field, he added. Vicente said students should assume they will not have the same success as someone else, and said they need to understand Heavenly
Father will continue to guide them. Frederick said the best financial advice she received was to start saving now and to never judge people by how economically successful they are. She explained some people may never figure their life out economically, yet have great character, and those who earn a lot of money may lack character. “I have spent 37 years working, and I still have so many questions when I get to talk about money,” she said. “There are so many lessons that come from managing money the Lord has asked us to deal with. “We find personal satisfaction through work and achieving goals,” Frederick explained. “Our achievements then make us feel better about ourselves, since you see the results of what happens, regardless of what you do.” In the midst of a global pandemic, Vicente said the most important attribute to employers is the progress someone has made during this time. “It doesn’t matter where you live in the world, you need to be much more proactive and this means students must be good selflearners,” he said. Frederick said people can easily judge how prepared students are if they go to college with a plan and achievable goals for the future. “Students should be seeing what adjustments they need to make, especially with COVID-19,” she
explained. “There needs to be a strategy in place to use the skills [they] have gained.” Pooley said he wants all students to understand they have the gospel to guide them and encouraged them to use gospel principles to answer questions about the new, postCOVID-19 environment. “The economy is going to be the economy, but our ability to create value is more important,” he said. Frederick said challenges are not something people can plan for economically. “When you are in that situation, you are completely reliant on the Lord, but you soon realize how to pick yourself up and move forward,” she said. “The willingness to humble yourself and submit yourself to the Lord is more important.” She recalled when her husband suffered a stroke that made him unable to walk, talk or remember their children’s names. Her husband was able to make a full recovery while having two children at home
and two in college, though it took a lot of work and rehabilitation, she shared. Frederick said students can survive on their faith, and they must remain reliant on the Lord. When students plan out their futures, she said they should continually ponder and pray about it. “Anytime you are faced with change, there is always uncertainty. But if you have a plan and work towards it, you can always change your plan,” she said. •
Graphics by Karren Chang.
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10 things SUCCESSFUL people do Be your most successful self through habits that have worked for the most accomplished entrepreneurs and CEOs BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
1. Sleep According to Forbes, the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, said waking up naturally and getting a full eight hours of sleep is what benefits him the most. Oprah Winfrey is also an advocate for waking up naturally in order to reduce stress. According to Forbes, alarm clocks do nothing but surprise you and create a shock to the system that can affect the rest of your day. 2. Morning workouts According to the New York Times, Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, suggested a morning workout in order to get the body moving.
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He also said he uses his morning workout time to multi-task. 3. Start your day with a question According to Forbes, Steve Jobs asked himself one important question every morning, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” If the answer is no for too many days in a row, then Jobs said he knows he needs to change something. Think about how you want your life to be and make it happen. 4. Read According to CNBC news, Warren Buffet, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, along with other successful entrepreneurs, read something
every day for educational purposes alone. Reading can help you expand your mind, vocabulary and improve creativity. Thus, successful people choose to add this activity to their daily schedules. 5. The more jobs, the better According to CNBC, successful people choose to have multiple jobs in order to fill their lives with variety and experience. Not only does this help with expanding one’s portfolio, but it will also result in more income. 6. Mind and body maintenance According to Forbes, CEO of Equinox, Niki Leodakis, sees physical health and mental health as one. You need to take care of
both to be fully successful in work and play, she said. 7. Self-pep talks Business Insider recommends that in order to become successful, you must value who you are and know who you want to become. They suggested people say to themselves, “I value who I am and the value I bring to the world,” twice a day for two months and see how it makes them feel. 8. Be kind to yourself Business Insider suggests people should be aware of the messages they are telling themselves. Often our brains pick negative pathways that are not confidence builders, it
says. The article recommends people watch what they tell themselves and switch the messaging to become more positive.
Jessica Edwards, a junior marketing major from Oregon, demonstrates some healthy habits. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
9. Growth mindset over fixed mindset Business Insider claims people who have a growth mindset can easily overcome failure. We all experience failure, but it’s how we overcome and learn from those failures that determines our success. 10. Ask for help Business Insider explains asking for help from others is a great way to build success and improve quality of life. •
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The Power of Networking BYUH students and alumni say networking is the key to setting up a successful future BY LAUREN GOODWIN
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YU–Hawaii students and alumni said putting time and effort into networking with peers and teachers can help students discover what they want to do professionally and help them secure jobs or find internship opportunities. They also encouraged students to take advantage of networking platforms, like the Ohana Network, LinkedIn and Handshake. Viliami Fifita, a Fall 2020 graduate from Tonga who majored in interdisciplinary studies, said the best way to network is by simply talking to people around you. Through networking, he said students can receive answers to their questions from experienced people. Fifita said he had always wanted to do an internship with Disney and work for the company after graduation because of his passion for theatre. He explained networking showed him questions he didn’t realize he needed to ask before, and he was referred to the right people through his friends. Eventually, Fifita said he achieved his goal. “Networking isn’t easy, and it’s going to take time and a lot of scheduling. But my passion pushed me to continue networking and talking to people to make my dream happen.” Camille Condie, a junior from Utah majoring in marine biology, said expanding their network can help students better understand the field they chose. Through networking, Condie said she found out she had to switch her focus in her
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major and figured out what to study after her graduation. “Networking can broaden your view of your major and your knowledge of what you want to do with it,” she commented. Condie also stressed the importance of doing internships with sincerity, which can lead to further employment. “Getting to know people in your internships and letting them know your work ethic is very important. Otherwise, it might come around and bite you later.” Diana Westergard, a junior from Colorado majoring in molecular biology, said networking has helped her find scholarships and jobs on campus. Through the network she created, she said she was referred to the Daniel’s Fund Scholar organization and was also connected to other students in the United States who led her to more opportunities in her field. Westergard said, “Networking opens up your options. A big part of networking is not just talking to people, but is a way to open up doors into different areas.” She explained networking is a tool to explore different opportunities within your field you can use to take advantage of additional connections, resources and knowledge. She urged students to ask questions and not be afraid to talk to people. “If the opportunity presents itself, you better take it. If you are more bold, you are going to stand out from the crowd, and that’s what moves you forward.”
Through platforms like the Ohana Network, LinkedIn and Handshake that are supported by BYUH, she said students can find people who have worked in similar fields and can extend their networks. Westergard said these platforms can help students find people with specific skill sets and similar interests, and can help students market themselves to employers. She described networking as beneficial in two ways. As students are investigating opportunities, they are also presenting themselves to those who they may work with later, she added. •
A PRIL 2021 29 Photo by guille pozzi on Unsplash
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Graphics by Katie Mower A PRIL 2021 31
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WORDS FROM THE WISE BYUH professors offer advice and encouragement to current students
BY LISI TIAFAU 1. Isaiah Walker Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts “Surround yourself with professors, advisors and peers who believe in you.” 2. Stephen Hancock Faculty of Arts & Letters “Don’t study by reviewing or re-reading. Test yourself and reflect.” 3. Marcus Martins Faculty of Religious Education “Get your degree as fast as you can and get out of here.” 4. Scott Hyde Faculty of Math & Computing “Make sure you never lose that raw naive curiosity that got you interested in learning in the first place. Don’t get too wrapped up in seriousness. The universe is a cool place. Exploring it is fun!” 5. Troy Smith Faculty of Business & Government “There are no shortcuts to success.” 6. Benjamin Jordan Faculty of Natural Sciences “Embrace learning as a way to improve yourself and your understanding, not just a means to get a grade.” 7. Susan Barton Faculty of Math & Computing “Never put off until tomorrow what you can and should do today. You don’t know what tomorrow will bring in terms of what you need to do or unforeseen challenges that may eat up your planned study time.”
Graphics by Katie Mower.
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Fighting fears of the
future
BYUH ohana say making time for yourself and setting realistic goals helps people cope with anxieties about what lies ahead BY LAUREN GOODWIN
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YU–Hawaii students said when people focus on things they can control, rather than things outside of their control, it will help calm their fears about the future and help them enjoy the precious time they have at BYUH. Passion and potential Josefa Kacabotevakadua Rupeni, an alumnus from Fiji who majored in communication technology and information systems, said he had a lot of anxieties about whether or not he involved himself enough in academics and activities. He said he wanted to have fully experienced everything BYUH had to offer. He shared, “I was asking myself, ‘What have I done in the past years that helped me reach my full potential?’” He said he worried about not reaching his full potential at BYUH and running out of time to do so.
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Rupeni explained finding time to do things he’s passionate about helped him cope with the anxieties he felt surrounding graduation. He said, “The last thing I wanted to do was turn something I loved into something I hate.” Rupeni also advised students to focus on what they are in control of, rather than putting their time and efforts into things beyond their control. “The time students have here at BYUH is precious, so they should focus on things they find uplifting and shouldn’t be questioning themselves,” he said. Do good, be good Shan Arumugam, a senior from Southern India majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said he has mixed feelings about the future, but he puts his trust in fate. However, he added good planning helps calm his anxieties.
“When I think about taking the next steps, I believe in fate. I plan and set realistic goals. I know if I work hard now, it will be worth it in the end,” Arumugam shared. “My motto is, ‘Do good, be good.’ I believe as long as I abide by my motto, I won’t get overcome by anxieties about the future.” Nomungerel Enkhtuvshin, an alumna from Mongolia who graduated in Fall 2020 and majored in psychology, said doing her academic training at BYUH Counseling Services has helped her manage her anxieties of the future. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Enkhtuvshin said it was hard to find an internship or a job to help her husband while he was still in school. The difficult job hunt caused her a lot of anxiety, she said. However, she eventually found an internship. Enkhtuvshin said she felt blessed she found this internship, but the uncertainty behind
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I try to do my part and understand what’s under my control and do what I can. The things that I can’t control, I try not to worry about them. -Nomungerel Enkhtuvshin
”
what she is going to do after weighs on her. To cope with these fears, she said she tries to keep an open mind and heart. “This anxiety is normal and even beneficial. It can help us be better prepared for things that are coming in the future.” Journal your emotions Like Rupeni, Enkhtuvshin said, “I try to do my part and understand what’s under my control and do what I can. The things that I can’t control, I try not to worry about them.” She said she joined the mindfulness group held by Counseling Services, where she became more aware of her emotions. She continued, “We can accept our anxieties by being mindful of our anxieties.” By practicing the skills taught in the Dedicated Worry Time class, Enkhtuvshin said she felt she could address her anxieties for a period of time and then stopped worrying about them. She also said journal writing has helped with this process. “I write down my feelings and emotions. ... I separated the anxiety from myself and put it in my journal.” According to Enkhtuvshin, being aware of her feelings and emotions helps her keep a positive mindset about the future and pushes her to keep going. •
Graphics by Hannah Manalang.
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a sneak peek
into the future
Career Services employees say students should prepare now to make the most out of their internships BY LAUREN GOODWIN
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mployees at Career Services and students who have completed their internships advised students to prepare by discovering what they are passionate about. They said an internship gives students a sneak peek at their futures and can help them know if they’re on a career path that is right for them. Preparation is key Kenneth Kalama, manager of Career Services, said his job is to support, advise and consult students on internship experiences. He explained an internship isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience, so preparation is an important part of the whole process. Kalama explained, “What you want to do professionally may differ greatly from your co-workers. Before you do internships, it’s important to explore where you want to live, what you want to do and what you want to get out of the experiences.” He said once students figure out those key components, he can help them narrow down the search. According to Kalama, preparation is the key to finding what you want to do in life professionally. He said, “Thinking about the experience a year in advance is really important.” He stressed that in order for him to help students, they need to know what they want out of their internship; the student is the only person who knows what he or she wants. Career Services Mentor Camilla Paul, a senior from Malaysia majoring in interdisciplinary studies, said her job is to help students with the internship application process. “When students come to me for the first time, I ask them what their interests are and what they are looking for,” she explained. She said she helps students to dig up their desires and helps them with what they need. If students don’t know what they want from the beginning, Paul said they often will just pick whatever comes their way and they may not enjoy it. Do your research She explained when students put more effort into researching their internship, they feel the experience is more fulfilling. She commented, “The students learn more from their internship when they explore their options. It’s better when you know your interests.”
Career Services employees Hidden Canite and Camilla Paul. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
Paul explained because there is no limitation or restriction placed on where students can go, the options are endless. So she said doing research about a place or organization will help the student get more out of the internship experience. Know what you want Munkhzul Galbadrakh, a senior from Mongolia majoring in hospitality and tourism management, recently completed her internship in Montana. She said, “I really enjoy nature and natural settings, so I knew I had to go somewhere close to nature.” When Galbadrakh was going through her internship application process, she said an opportunity arose where she had a chance to intern at a Marriott hotel in Utah. However, Galbadrakh said she knew she wanted to be close to nature. “I did an internship in Montana, and it was the right place for me. I found everything I wanted there.” Galbadrakh said she enjoyed her internship experience and learned the importance of
communication. “In the work field, I have learned that being an effective communicator is an important skill,” she said. Galbadrakh said doing an internship she enjoyed gave her the opportunity to learn things efficiently. The lessons she learned will stick with her for life, she explained. Naimila Aluesi, a senior from Tonga majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said her internship exposed her to the real world. “I was able to practice what I learned in class in the real world,” she shared. She said her internship has helped her understand what she wants to do after she graduates. Aluesi said, “[During your internship], you are not only representing yourself, but you also represent BYUH, so go out and do your best.” She said an internship will give students a sneak peek at their future and will help them know if they will enjoy their current career path or not. She stated, “Having an idea of what you want to do now can help you in the long run.” •
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&
Determined unstoppable
Student mother of four says hard pregnancies and an overload of responsibilities didn’t stop her from graduating BY SERENA DUGAR IOANE
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anlavtsogzol Battulga said her and her husband’s determination to take responsibility for their lives motivated them to fulfill their obligations as parents, students, employees and club presidents. She expressed gratitude for her BYU–Hawaii education and everyone who helped them along the way.
A dream come true Battulga, a senior from Mongolia majoring in accounting, is graduating magna cum laude in April 2021. She said graduating from BYUH had been a dream of hers since she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 16 years old. “My parents are middle-class workers, so studying abroad was financially impossible for me. But when I heard about the IWORK scholarship, it gave me hope. I started to prepare myself by learning English and taking BYUH online classes.” Battulga came to BYUH in Fall 2016 with her husband. Working part time and studying full time with four children was not easy, she said. “There were many nights that we looked at each other and cried, prayed, despaired and exhorted together until we came this far.” Odgerel Ochirjav, Battulga’s former stake president, said she is a diligent and positive person. “She just goes and gets whatever she wants. She is very persistent with her goals. Having four children while studying abroad in a second language is a great success. I have no doubt that she will do great things in future.”
Refined by hardships Battulga said all of her pregnancies were extremely difficult, sharing many of her difficulties were especially bad within the first
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four months. “I couldn’t eat at all and threw up all the time,” she explained. Despite those challenges, she said she and her husband have never skipped any homework or submitted late work. She said they knew this was the life they chose, so they had to be responsible. “No one else has responsibility for us. This mindset encouraged and sharpened us to be strong.” Elizabeth Ramsey, a BYUH alumna and special instructor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said Battulga was her classmate. Ramsey said, “She is a genuine friend and we were study buddies. Every encounter with her is a special memory.” Ramsey said she too had a complicated pregnancy and that Battulga was a source of support and encouragement. Ramsey shared, “Being a mom herself, she shared with me her experiences that helped me look forward to the role of motherhood.” Battulga said every night she and her husband would sit together and plan out the next day. “If we don’t plan, the next day is a disaster. When I look back, my husband was the biggest part of my success. I doubt any other man can bear this much load. He is my superhero,” she commented. Her husband, Tulga Enkhbold, an alumnus who graduated in June of 2020 and majored in accounting, said, “My wife does not know about quitting or giving up. She never ceases to learn and always begins something with the end in mind. I am really proud of her accomplishments.” Ramsey shared an experience she had with Battulga. “We were both stressed trying to study for one of our exams. Although there was still so much to study, she told me she had to leave because her husband must be tired of watching their kids and she had to go grab some food to take to him. “Even when she had so much on her plate, she chose to forget it and serve others, specifically her husband. I’m grateful for her Christlike example,” Ramsey shared. “Every time I get a chance to chat with her, I always feel good and uplifted afterwards.” Besides her classes and family obligations, Battulga said she works hard to fulfill her IWORK promise. To do that, she said she works several student jobs, one being the accounting junior clerk at the Polynesian Cultural Center’s business department.
Left: Janlavtsogzol Battulga dressed for graduation. Top: Battulga with her husband and four children. Bottom: Battulga dressed for Culture Night. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
She and her husband also served as presidents of the BYUH Mongolian Club.
Supported by the community Battulga said managing everything seemed impossible sometimes, but God was always watching over them. She said she couldn’t imagine college life without her friends, the TVA community and ward members who were always there for them when they needed help. She said she is grateful for well-prepared professors whose examples helped her feel the Spirit during their lessons. Battulga added she will be forever grateful for IWORK donors.
“IWORK donors are the people who made my dreams come true and blessed me and my children’s future. I am eternally grateful for their hard work and generosity. I promise that I will utilize everything I have learned at BYUH,” she expressed. Battulga advised students to not be idle and to make every moment count. “Try your best to absorb as much knowledge and skill as you can and attend every event organized by the school and the student clubs. It will help you to expand your friends’ circle and network with international people.” •
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The search for self--worth BYUH students say true self-confidence should come from within, not from external validation
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BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
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n a social media world with shifting beauty standards and trends, BYU–Hawaii student Hailey Hontanosas said trying to keep up can have a great effect on people’s confidence and self-worth. Although it can be challenging, BYUH students shared how they strive to feel secure and confident in themselves, by keeping a gratitude journal, accomplishing difficult tasks and simply being their true authentic selves no matter what.
Graphics by Sadie Madriaga.
Recognize blessings According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ article, “7 Ways to Build Self-Confidence Every Day,” self-confidence comes down to being yourself, believing in yourself, staying positive, keeping track of achievements, getting out of your comfort zone, avoiding comparison, and having faith in Jesus Christ. The article said as people show appreciation for themselves, God’s blessings and take risks, they can become more confident and happy. The article explains, “Pondering your daily successes will give you a sense of self-worth and motivate you to do more. Recognizing God’s blessings will increase your gratitude for life and fill your heart with His love.” The article says comparison can be harmful. It advises, “Everyone is different. Embrace your unique qualities and potential. Happiness comes from appreciating who you are and who you can become, just like God does.” Cheyenne Palmer, a BYUH alumna from Utah, said keeping a gratitude journal is a source of confidence for her. She said she has kept a gratitude journal since April of 2020, and it has changed her life for the better. Palmer said she has become an advocate for manifesting positivity and confidence into life through practicing gratitude.
Own who you are For Palmer, confidence is about being her true authentic self. She said she feels most confident when she is being who she really is and surrounded by others who also express their true selves. Palmer said her former mission companion was a great example of someone who is confident. She said her companion was comfortable with making her needs known and expressing what was important to her. Hailey Hontanosas, a senior from Kahuku studying exercise and sports science, said she gets her confidence by observing good people in her life, such as her family, friends and members of her church. She expressed her family and friends are good people who influence her to be a good person. She said she strives to be like the best of the people she knows and to surround herself with people who build her up.
Hontanosas said confidence is feeling free in her own body and owning who she is. She explained, “The feeling of confidence is a feeling of being free. … You’re not concerned with how people are feeling [about you] or perceiving how you look.” Not focusing on the physical aspects of who you are can help you become more confident, she advised. According to Palmer, self-worth is nothing more than just being herself and living life. She explained her idea of self-worth is “one that includes working on understanding and applying the belief that my worth comes from just existing. I don’t have to do anything or be anything more than I currently am to have worth.” Hontanosas said her self-worth comes from doing tasks that remind her she is a capable person who can do hard things. She said when she accomplishes a task, her confidence grows as a result. She added, “External validation is more of a bonus to whatever you have internally. You can be as insecure as ever and be receiving a lot of extra love, but it won’t matter if you don’t have it internally.”
Follow your own music Palmer explained everyone she meets has their own story she doesn’t know about. “We all have our own music. No one else can hear my music, so no one is expected to, and I don’t have to hear other people’s music. I feel more confidence when I’m following my own music,” she said.
“We all have our own music...
I feel more confidence when I’m following my own music.” - Cheyenne Palmer
Hontanosas explained to maintain self-confidence, it’s all about focusing on her own life and how she can improve it. She said often people can be too focused on the people around them and start to compare themselves to others. She said, “I always think ‘Why focus on others when you have so many things in front of you to focus on and work on?’ ...When you see people on social media and in real life, they could look good. But that’s their life, and it’s time to go work on yours.” •
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keep going A reason to
First generation graduates say anxiety and the loss of a loved one motivated them to achieve BY LISI TIAFAU
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espite the heartbreak of losing a loved one and missing home, two Western Samoan students shared they found courage through family and friends to keep moving forward and graduate. Success through sacrifice “If you have dreams and goals, go for them and trust your instincts,” said Asaua Tanuvasa, a senior majoring in math education. Students should dream big, do what makes them happy and be themselves, she remarked. When she began her first semester, Tanuvasa said she felt overwhelmed. She explained, “I was very homesick. I missed home so much, but I had my parents and family encouraging me to stay strong.” During Tanuvasa’s second semester, her mother fell ill and passed away, she shared. “I couldn’t focus on school or think about anything. All I wanted was to go back home and give up on school.” Every year, students go through similar experiences, shared Tanuvasa.
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Losing a parent is never easy, she said, but despite her mother’s passing, she gained courage to continue school and honor the sacrifices her mother made for her. “When I called home when I first came to school, my mother would give me a speech of encouragement. She was my inspiration,” Tanuvasa said. These words of encouragement gave her a fighting spirit to never give up, she said. Tanuvasa’s husband, Maulalo Jr. Fesolai, a student spouse also from Samoa, said, “I am proud of my wife.” Being away from her family for four years was not easy, he explained, but she has made it. Tanuvasa said, “I left for my mission in 2014 until 2016, then again left home for BYU–Hawaii the beginning of 2017.” She added she returned home to be sealed in the Apia Samoa Temple on Dec. 22, 2017. After she was married, the couple flew back to Hawaii together to finish school. Fesolai said, “We have been happily married for three years and
counting.” When times were rough, Fesolai said his wife never gave up and added he works to support and help her in any way he can. Fesolai expressed he would take care of household chores and make dinner so his wife would have time to focus on her assignments. “She’s hardworking, a fighter and a devoted person. When she grieves for her mother, I am always there,” he shared. Fesolai offered advice to married couples at BYUH. He said, “Help your spouse in any way you can. Give them the time to focus on their assignments. Lend a shoulder when they need it. In the end, it’ll all be worth it.” As the first in her family to attend and graduate from college, Tanuvasa said, “I am glad I made the decision to attend BYU–Hawaii and to stay. I am satisfied with my achievements. They are dedicated to my parents for all the sacrifices they made for me.” To be the first to graduate from her family with a degree is not only an achievement for her, but also for her family. Being the first in
her family to attend college, Tanuvasa said she felt the pressure of expectations. Still, she said she was determined and prepared herself spiritually, academically and financially. She said, “My family has shed tears and has financially supported me in any way they can. They have sacrificed their time and money to help me get an education. I owe them my achievement.” In addition, she advised students to stay in school no matter what happens and to remember the sacrifices their families have made for them. “I want to thank my professors for their time and effort, my husband for being supportive in all I do,” Tanuvasa expressed. “Thank you, BYU–Hawaii, for opening the door for me. Thank you for all the aloha.” When she graduates, she shared she plans to return home, find work, provide for her family and start a family of her own. Overcoming anxiety Ulu Leota, a senior from Western Samoa majoring in political science, said she learned about BYUH when she was in primary school. Professors, students or volunteers representing the school would visit Samoa and talk about the University, she said.
In high school, Leota said she made it her goal to attend BYUH after her mission. When she began classes at BYUH, Leota said managing her time was difficult. She was anxious attending college for the first time and working, she said, but using a calendar helped her schedule time and prioritize. “On the calendar, I would mark important deadlines and input important reminders and dates so I wouldn’t forget anything and have my priorities straight,” she said. There were times when she missed home and her family, she said, but the fact that they were always supporting her was reason enough to keep going. Leota shared a quote from Albert Einstein that motivated her, “Education is not the learning of fact but the training of the mind.” For Leota, she said gaining an education helped her train her mind to prepare not only for the future but also the present. Her education at BYUH has helped her get a job to provide for her family, she said. Leota is also the first in her family to attend and graduate from BYUH and now she said she has been accepted to graduate school. “I am grateful for all the achievements I have made so far and to be blessed with another opportunity to further my studies is beyond my
expectations. But I am very satisfied with my achievements.” She has been accepted to BYU in Provo to earn a master’s degree in public administration. She said she is determined to graduate within two years and acknowledged the people who helped her along the way. Leota advised, despite COVID-19, students should keep their heads up and not give up. She said, “To future students, you have chosen the best school. BYU–Hawaii might not be the perfect school, but what you get out of it matters. Thank you, BYU–Hawaii. My future is bright and possible because of everyone at BYU–Hawaii and especially my friends and family here and back home.” • Left: Asaua Tanuvasa said she was encouraged to continue in school to honor her mother’s sacrifices. Bottom left: Ulu Leota said she is grateful to be accepted into grad school. Bottom right: Tanuvasa holds a photo of her mother who passed away in her second semester at BYUH. Photos by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
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budget-friendly Simple meals Three easy recipes anyone can make
A delightful, refreshing smoothie
A pasta casserole can feed a hungry crowd
BY ANNA STEPHENSON
Smoothie Ingredients: Baby carrots One bag frozen fruit or equivalent amount of fresh fruit Fruit juice or plant milk Fruit butter Optional: chia seeds
44 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
1. Add your vegetables to your blender and then add your fruit. (Tip: if you are using strawberries, keep the tops on! The leaves and stem are edible too!) 2. You want to have either a 1:1 ratio, or more fruit than vegetables. If you have lots of vegetables, especially strongly-flavored vegetables and only mildly-flavored fruits, add about a tablespoon of fruit butter to introduce concentrated sweetness to your smoothie. This recipe calls for guava butter, but there are many varieties. 3. Once you have added your fruit butter, pour liquid into the blender until it is at least halfway to the maximum fill line.You can use sweetened or unsweetened plant milk or fruit juice. Adjust the amount of liquid depending on how thick you want your smoothie. 4.For a thicker smoothie, freeze your fruit and soft vegetables before making it. A bag of prefrozen vegetables from the store is a great, convenient way to make this.
Pasta casserole Ingredients: Any pasta, one box Three cups milk (plant milk is okay) Eight tablespoons butter Two tablespoons flour Salt, pepper and seasonings to taste (Cajun spice mix is good) One bag frozen vegetables ½ pound bacon, cut into pieces, or one can spam, cubed Two cups cheddar cheese Parmesan cheese
Yellow rice Ingredients: One cup white rice One powdered chicken bouillon packet, approximately one teaspoon Turmeric Cumin Salt Pepper One clove garlic One bay leaf Optional: chopped onions or frozen peas
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Prepare the pasta according to directions on the box but cook for one to two minutes fewer; the pasta should still be firm when bitten and will finish cooking in the oven. 3. For the sauce, melt the stick of butter in a saucepan on high heat. When it is fully melted, add the flour and quickly stir. It will start to turn a light brown color. Add milk and keep stirring. Add half of your cheddar cheese once the milk begins to bubble. 4. Turn the stove down to low heat and stir until the cheese is fully melted. Add your seasonings. 5. Sauce should still be thin. If it looks like it’s too much sauce for the amount of pasta you have, that is good! The sauce cooks down in the oven, so if you do not make enough sauce, then the casserole will come out dry. 6. In a mixing bowl, combine pasta, sauce, the other half of the cheddar cheese, vegetables and meat. It is helpful to steam your vegetables or let them thaw before doing this just to get all of the ice off; they do not need to be fully cooked at this point. If using bacon, you can fry it beforehand if you like it crispy.You can also add the bacon fat to your sauce for extra flavor. 7. Pour your pasta mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top according to taste. 8. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, remove the aluminum foil and put back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese on top has melted and any exposed pasta has begun to brown.Your casserole should be heated all the way through and your vegetables cooked. Serve hot.
1. Prepare the rice by rinsing it in the rice maker. A tip to cook smaller amounts of rice is to set the bowl on a flat surface and touch your fingertip to the top of the rice. Add water until the water comes up to your first knuckle after your fingernail. This is a simple trick to get the perfect amount of water for rice every time as long as you are not cooking huge amounts. 2 .Add the packet of chicken bouillon to the rice, along with salt, pepper and about a teaspoon of turmeric and cumin. Note that you may not need to add salt, many chicken bouillons are high in sodium. So if yours is, go ahead and skip the additional salt. 3.Take your clove of garlic and smash it with the side of a knife, and add that to the rice too.You can also use minced or freeze-dried garlic; the package should tell you how much is equivalent to one clove. 4. If you wish, you can add chopped raw onions or frozen peas at this point. Use frozen peas instead of fresh or canned to prevent them from being overcooked in the rice maker. 5. Mix everything together and add your bay leaf. This makes it easier to remove the bay leaf when it is done cooking.You do not eat the bay leaf. 6. Set your rice maker to cook. Serve hot with toppings, such as sliced avocado, chopped tomato, corn, cheese (cotija is best if you can find it!), peppers, fried spam, kalua pork or hot refried beans. 7. Eat within three days; rice will begin to ferment if left in the fridge for too long. Before reheating, whether on the stove or in the microwave, add a few spoonfuls of water to rehydrate the rice. Storing your leftover rice and toppings in separate containers is recommended.
Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos and composite by Karren Chang. Table image by STIL.
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FAMILY MOTIVATES Winter 2021 commencement student speaker says his dream is to honor his family’s sacrifices by helping his sisters receive an education too BY XYRON LEVI CORPUZ When Terrence A. Dela Peña was selected to be the Winter 2021 commencement student speaker, his mentor, Jennifer Kajiyama Tinkham, said she knew he was the perfect student to represent BYU–Hawaii. Tinkham, an adjunct assistant professor in the Faculty of Business & Government, said, “There are so many wonderful students [on campus], but I think he is a perfect representative of the type of student we want to get to be an ambassador for BYU–Hawaii and to speak on behalf of the students.” Dela Peña said before coming to BYUH, his dream was just to graduate, but he has accomplished so much more. “With this opportunity to speak and at the same time … graduating as summa cum laude, I think it’s just a great blessing,” he shared. Due to his academic achievements, Tinkman said, Dela Peña got accepted to a prestigious internship in his home country. “Terrence applied for a very competitive internship in the U.S. Consulate in the Philippines and he got a position. … He’s the second student in the whole history of our school to get that position.” However, Dela Peña explained he was unable to intern there and chose to accept another internship in the Philippines, due to how long the internship’s clearance process took. Tinkham said she first met Dela Peña when he was a freshman taking one of her political science classes. “I knew right away he was very academically talented and smart.” Family support and sacrifice Dela Peña, a senior from Antipolo City, Philippines, majoring in political science, said 46 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
his mother, Myrna Liza Aboguin Dela Peña, is a single parent who raised him and his two sisters. “She became our mother and father at the same time. She works hard, and she really helps me understand what hard work means.” Because his mother was the only provider in his family, he said his sisters gave up pursuing college and worked together with their mother to help him get through college. “On my end, … it’s very hard for me because I’m the only guy in the family. I’m the one who’s supposed to be helping them and supporting them.” He said his family told him they believe he can achieve his dream, which is for both him and his sisters to get an education and a good job. He said if he can get an education, then “I will be able to help my family get out of poverty. So they believed in me, they trusted in me and … that motivated me to study hard in college,” he explained. His wife, Ana Katrina Fugaban-Dela Peña, is a senior from Isabela, Philippines, studying social work and TESOL. She said, “I just hope my mother-in-law is here [when he graduates] so he can honor her for all of her sacrifices as a single mother.” Throughout his time at BYUH, Dela Peña said he was summa cum laude, consistently on the Dean’s List, president of Prelaw Society, president of Pi Sigma Alpha BYU–Hawaii Chapter and inducted to Phi Kappa Phi. Dela Peña said part of his commencement speech will address the uncertainties graduates are going to face because of the pandemic and hate crimes going on in the world. “I know there are a lot of things we don’t understand, [and] there are a lot … of decisions we need to
make. We’re not sure about what’s going to be the future for us,” he said. But those uncertainties don’t need to be crippling, Dela Peña asserted. “As we hold on to the things that matter to us … like our family, our education or our faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, those are the things that will help us get through and deal with the uncertainty in front of us.” Representing the graduates Dela Peña said he didn’t expect to be chosen as the Winter 2021 graduation speaker. “I’m honored I will represent the graduating class for this commencement ceremony.” He said BYUH’s Academics Vice President John Bell called him and asked if he would still be in Hawaii during the commencement. “I told them I will be here, and then they extended the invitation,” he recalled. “It’s such an honor for me to have that opportunity. … The first thing I did after I received the news was I talked to my wife and shared the news to her.” They were both so happy about it, he added. Ana Katrina Fugaban-Dela Peña said, “Last year, I was joking around and told him he’ll be the graduation speaker. He didn’t believe it until the call came. I am so proud of him.” His reasons why Dela Peña and his wife are both full-time students and are raising two boys, Richard, their 4-year-old son, and Kyle, their 2-year-old son. He said it is not easy to be a parent, work part time and be a full-time student, but his family is the reason he can do them.
GRADUATE TO EXCEL “Whenever I take an exam [or] quiz, I always think I’m doing this for my family and that their future is at stake. So that’s why that motivates me. ... [It] helps me to find some inspiration and to not give up,” he explained. Ana Katrina Fugaban-Dela Peña said there were times her husband was discouraged, and she would remind him the reason they are doing all this is to provide a better future for their children. She described him as hardworking, kind, humble and genuine in everything he does. She said he is their boys’ best friend. “I am so blessed to be married to a man who loves and respects me as a daughter of God. I am grateful to have the chance to [go] through life’s challenges with him,” she said. Tinkham said, “[Terrence] and Ana are both so hard-working, but they also have such strong testimonies of Jesus Christ. They’re always serving other people and they represent the stories of so many international students and students in general.”
Dela Peña said he and his wife got married in the Philippines and then were both admitted at BYUH while Ana Katrina Fugaban-Dela Peña was pregnant with their first son. The next chapter Dela Peña said he chose political science as his major because it would help him achieve his goals. “I believe the program helps students to think deeply and critically about different topics and to learn how to communicate and write well.” He said he also wanted to learn more about how the American government works so he could use that knowledge in the Philippines. Dela Peña’s dream is to become a foreign service officer for the Philippine government, he said. “Part of that [dream] is to equip myself with the ability to analyze policies, to learn how to write clearly and how to think critically,” he added. He has been accepted into the master’s program for public administration at BYU in Provo. “Part of my plan is to gain experience
in policy analysis and learn some management skills so when … I return back to the Philippines, I will be able to apply as a foreign service officer,” he said. Dela Peña said he also hopes to become a lawyer and is planning to do a joint degree program for the juris doctorate and master’s in public administration at BYU in Provo. He also received an offer to work as a research assistant for the BYU MPA program working in organizational behavior and ethics. “I think it’s a rare opportunity because I’m an undergraduate student about to become a graduate student. … I [will] work with two of the great professors, [Dr. Jeff Thompson and Dr. Brad Agle].” You can watch graduation virtually on April 17. • Below: Terrance Dela Peña with his wife, Ana Katrina Fugaban-Dela Peña, and their two sons. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj.
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A prophecy
fulfilled Three locals say miracles lead to digitizing of Hawaiian language Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants & Pearl of Great Price BY ABBIE PUTNAM
A
fter following their own individual inspiration to make the scriptures in Hawaiian more accessible, three locals said they worked together with more than 30 volunteers to digitize the scriptures in Hawaiian. They said this project required meticulous effort but was also transformative as they witnessed the Lord’s hand throughout the process and in the lives of those who helped. Robert Lono Ikuwa, Keali‘i Haverly and Alohalani Housman each shared their stories of how they got involved in the miraculous effort. A BYU–Hawaii associate professor in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, Housman oversaw the digitizing of the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price in Hawaiian. “It was prophesied this book would go to the remnants of the House of Israel,” she said. “Now, it is becoming a reality.” Housman said the project is fulfilling the prophecy told in the Book of Mormon, that the hearts of the children would turn to their fathers. “BYU–Hawaii faculty, students, alumni and friends were involved” in digitizing the scriptures. Friends from other islands and in the mainland also were involved, she said. “They will even say how this has strengthened their testimony, turned
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their hearts to their ancestors and brought them closer to Jesus Christ, and that is the whole goal of the scriptures.” Haverly, stake president for the Laie Hawaii YSA 2nd Stake and director of facilities and maintenance for the Polynesian Cultural Center, said, “I think, to an extent, people who are not too familiar with the circumstances of Hawaii may feel the Hawaiian language is a dying language. … I think it is important to note, the Hawaiian language was never a dying language, and it is actually thriving day by day.” Of their efforts to make the scriptures more accessible, he said, “This is not some academic process or activity. It is the process of saving more souls by sharing [the scriptures] with our community whose language is Hawaiian.” Ikuwa, from Laie, works as the Hawaiian culture-based educator at Kamehameha schools. He said it was the Lord who helped in reformatting the scriptures. “[That should be] the message, the Lord inspired several individuals and groups of people.” Housman said she met Ikuwa and Haverly after working at BYUH. “The Lord brought us together,” Housman said. “We worked together to bring this to fruition.” Haverly explained, “Many hands came together. Many people came together.”
Na Berita A Me Na Kauoha, or the Hawaiian Doctrine and Covenants, on the Gospel Library app. Photo by Uurtsaikh Nyamdeleg.
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“to
be able to sit around
as family and feast upon the words in the language of this land, of the land that we sit
and stand and breath and live and eat from
… is
miraculous.”
keali‘i haverly
The language of the heart While Haverly was growing up, he said he would sit at his grandmother’s feet and listen to her speak Hawaiian. “I would not understand much. … [But] it became the language of my heart, although it was not my first language. “It really became a language of importance. As I started having children, we felt that the Hawaiian language, as our ancestral language, is a way to further understand life.” Haverly said his children read and write primarily in Hawaiian. Besides English, Haverley explained, Hawaiian is the No. 1 most spoken language in Hawaii by those under the age of 18. In fact, he said his wife taught a class in church where nine or 10 of the 12 students spoke Hawaiian as their first language. They could not read or write in English, but he said they did not have resources available to them in Hawaiian. “And now that is gone,” Haverly said. “We can pull from the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price and be able to help people follow along [in Hawaiian].” For those who primarily read and speak Hawaiian, Housman said, “This really is filling a need.” The 1855 version of the Hawaiian Book of Mormon, Ka Buke a Moramona, was the original version organized into paragraphs instead of verses, Ikuwa explained. He said George Q. Cannon was authorized by Brigham Young to translate it with several other Hawaiians, including Jonathan Napela. Reading this version was more like reading a regular book, where there was no numbering of the verses. Thus, 50 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
looking up a scripture in church was very difficult, he said. In 1905, there was an edition where the scriptures were organized into verses. Housman said the 1905 version is more “user friendly.” The scriptures originally available to the saints in Hawaiian was the version that was not organized into verses, Haverly said. “As we the people who read and speak Hawaiian, those scriptures do not work for us.” He said it was also difficult to study without the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, which were not widely available to the saints in Hawaiian. One day, Haverly said he went to the BYUH Archives and asked for the Doctrine and Covenants in Hawaiian. He took pictures of the book and put the pictures on a website so others would have access to it. “Our children and families were hungering and thirsting for our scriptures in this language.” He said one Sunday he asked his 7-year-old son to grab his scriptures for church, so his son grabbed his Hawaiian Book of Mormon. Haverly said he explained to him how they could not look up scriptures easily in the Hawaiian Book of Mormon. “My son looked kind of disappointed,” he said. “I asked him, ‘Would you like me to follow up and see if we could get a more appropriate version?’ He said yes. He’s 17 now.” Haverly continued, “It’s been a 10-year process for our family to see if we could get these resources more available to us. … It was all in the Lord’s time. “It’s pretty emotional just thinking about it because you know our Heavenly Father is in
the details. … To be able to sit around as family and feast upon the words in the language of this land, of the land that we sit and stand and breath and live and eat from … is miraculous.” Hui Iosepa Ikuwa said he was converted to the Church in 1996. Of his conversion, he said, “The day I was baptized, I did not speak Hawaiian. But when I went up to bear my testimony, the first words that came out of my mouth were Hawaiian. … I feel like it is this gift for me.” Ikuwa said he has now worked as a Hawaiian translator for the Church and has taught the Hawaiian language for close to six years at BYU in Provo. Ikuwa said he gathered 25 to 30 volunteers, including BYU students and community members, to help with reformatting the scriptures in 2015, while teaching Hawaiian language courses at BYU in Provo. Ikuwa referred to the volunteers as “Hui Iosepa,” or the Iosepa branch. He said this group acted as an “impetus in building momentum to align our scriptures in Hawaiian with current English text for modern-day speakers of Hawaiian.” This Utah-based group of volunteers was named after the Iosepa saints to honor the sacrifices of Native Hawaiian pioneers who moved to Utah in the 1880s to receive their temple endowments and to build Zion, Ikuwa explained. The Hawaiian language served as the primary language of daily communication and worship over a 30-year span in the town of Iosepa,” Ikuwa said. A video called, “The City of Iosepa: The Never Fading Flower,” by Palakiko Chandler, says, “More than 1,000 people return to Iosepa each spring … to commemorate the pioneers and the fruits of their labors.” About the journey of the Iosepa saints, Ikuwa said, “It was such a sacrifice to travel... The big thing about the Iosepa saints is they created a town out of nothing. They lived the gospel, and they suffered a lot. They built so much. “They grew so much to love that place that they cried when they had to move back to Hawaii. I feel like they are a part of this story as well,” Ikuwa shared. Ikuwa said the Iosepa branch he worked with did their work “pakana style,” where one partner would read while the other would listen. The two would work together to
compare the digital version to the text version to make sure they match up, he said. The proofreading process required the volunteer to look at the text and then the digital version repeatedly. “Your eyes start to get sore. The process is so painful,” Ikuwa said. To combat the difficulty of the work, Ikuwa said he focused on inspiring the volunteers. He said, “I actually taught them the history of George Q. Cannon. ... I feel like you have to feed them spiritually in order to get into the tedious work.” Ikuwa said the Iosepa Branch proofread for about two months and stopped around the end of Alma. Transforming lives “Let me tell you about the spirit of the volunteers,” Ikuwa said. He explained the true miracle happened within the lives of those who helped. “We had an individual who was inactive, and she felt so touched I would reach out to her to be a part of this sacred work. She and her two daughters worked together, … and the daughters shared with me how beautiful it has been to read the scriptures with their mom and feel the Spirit of the Lord as they did the work.” Ikuwa also talked about a volunteer who had not attended church in a while. He said as this volunteer was reading, she felt the Spirit tell her she needed to come back to church so she could go to the temple. “Isn’t that beautiful?” Ikuwa asked. “I can feel the Spirit in this monotonous work.” Ikuwa described a “Come Follow Me” group of about 82 people who meet regularly. He said the group fasted and prayed together to show their thankfulness to God for the work done in the digitization of the scriptures in Hawaiian. He said two days after the fast, the announcement came that the scriptures would be available on the Gospel Library app in Hawaiian. When speaking of this group, Ikuwa said one sister shared a particularly sacred experience from the group’s fast. She said as she was closing her fast, she heard a soft voice that said, “Lohe au i kou pule,” which means, “I heard your prayer.” Of this experience, Ikuwa said, “The voice she heard was in Hawaiian. It was not in English. … The fact Heavenly Father responded to her in Hawaiian was kind of an answer to all of our prayers. … The Lord Himself said, ‘Lohe au i kou pule.’”
Robert Lono Ikuwa with students, some of whom helped proofread Ka Buke A Moramona, with the town of Iosepa behind them. Photo provided by Ikuwa.
Na Berita A Me Na Kauoha, or the Hawaiian Doctrine and Covenants. Photo by Uurtsaikh Nyamdeleg.
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The Lord’s hands Housman said a few years ago she felt impressed to do her dissertation. Although she already had a plan for what she was going to do, she felt like she needed to go in the direction of the scriptures. So her plan changed, she said. One day, Housman said she read the George Q. Cannon introduction in the 1905 version of the Hawaiian Book of Mormon. In the introduction, Cannon described some challenges he faced with the translation. Housman said she read Cannon’s words, “If I do the work to fulfill the Lord’s words, He will do the rest.” “I felt like it was a message from George Q. Cannon. Just do the work and the Lord will do the rest,” Housman shared. Housman said listening to the Holy Ghost is crucial. “I know when the Lord says look, you need to look. When he says do this, do this. When we do not, we miss out on the opportunity to serve. “The prophet has been telling us to hear Him. The Lord has a work for everyone to do and it is different for each person. He will let us know what we need to do, and we are his hands.” Her constant prayer, she said, is she will be
able to do the Lord’s will. “The Lord will use you in miraculous ways that you do not even know.” Housman said she was gifted a copy of the Hawaiian Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. “It is hard to find a copy.You can only find it in the archives.” Housman said she felt prompted to make these scriptures more widely available to the Hawaiian saints as part of her dissertation. As part of her work, she typed up the entire Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price with the help of her daughter and some BYUH students. In the summer of 2018, she said she typically spent 10 hours a day, six days a week proofreading and creating a document using modern orthography, “using the okina and kahako and updating spellings of the language.” They would compare the text version to make sure they matched up. However, in November 2020, “the Church approved a copy of the original books without the use of modern orthography.” She then spent 70 hours that month creating and proofreading a new document to meet their request More volunteers in December spent time proofreading that version as well.
Some of the more than 30 volunteers helped proofread the Hawaiian scriptures. Photo by Joshua Sanchez.
52 KE AL AK A‘I 2021
“The Doctrine and Covenants being available is just heroic,” Haverly said. He said one reason the Doctrine and Covenants is so valuable to Church members is it helps Church leaders know what their responsibilities are. For example, he said having the information about missionary work available is a great blessing to his children as they prepare to serve. Reading the scriptures in Hawaiian provides insight into many words, Housman explained. She said many English speakers do not know what the phrase, “Verily, verily I say unto you” means. Many think of it as a filler word. However, in Hawaiian, the phrase means, “A truth, a truth, I speak unto you.” “Certain words are so much clearer and deeper in understanding in Hawaiian,” she said. A blessing in disguise An organized effort to digitize the scriptures happened during the pandemic, Ikuwa said. “This is where the blessing in disguise came about.” After consulting with the ad-hoc advocacy team, he said he extended 100 invitations to trusted Hawaiian-speaking members via email and over 40 responded.
Left to right: Robert Lono Ikuwa, Keali‘i Haverly, Alohalani Housman and Kamoa‘e Walk. Photo by Joshua Sanchez.
Many who helped in 2015 as part of Hui Iosepa resumed work on this project despite a fouryear hiatus, Ikuwa said. Housman said, “It is interesting how the Lord works.” Because of the pandemic, she said people had more time and could do the proofreading online. Haverly said they made sure they worked in the spirit of what the Church wanted them to do. “This is strictly a digital effort. We were under no authority to translate. … We did our best to digitize the scriptures in alignment with our predecessors.” Ikuwa said within three weeks, the 30 volunteers had proofread the first round of the whole Ka Buke a Moramona. Ikuwa then said he told the volunteers they needed to do a second round to double check their work. During the second round of proofreading,
Housman invited her BYUH students to help. “You are dealing with scripture that is over 100 years old,” Haverly explained. “So the scans [of the scriptures] need to be proofed and reproofed and reread and assessed and corrected.” He said they proofread “very thoroughly and meticulously.” Ikuwa explained, “I did Zoom trainings with Keali’i and myself and then Alohalani joined in. … We were looking for tedious things like punctuation marks, making sure it was perfectly aligned with the original 1905 text of the Book of Mormon. Housman said, “In early December 2020, the final edits were collaboratively completed by Kamoa‘e Walk, Keali‘i Haverly, Lono Ikuwa and me.” In January 2021, Housman said their team was able to view all three books on the Gospel Library app and recommend edits.
“On Feb. 9, 2021, we received an email stating that Ka Buke A Moramona (1905), Na Berita a me na Kauoha (1914), and Ka Momi Waiwai Nui (1914) was going online and would be accessible to everyone,” Housman explained. Ikuwa said, “From April of 2020 until now, we were able to promptly proofread all the Hawaiian language scriptures because of the sacrifice and love of our dear volunteers. Our advocacy team provided frequent updates with Elder [Voi R.] Taeoalii, our area authority in Hawaii, who then communicated to the area presidency.” Haverly said he also traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, and communicated with Church leaders about the reformatting. •
LOHE AU “LOHE AU II KOU KOU PULE. PULE.”
I heard your prayer
A PRIL 2021 53
Constructing a c a m p u s that builds leaders
Construction manager says projects around campus are not about producing profit but about producing quality leadership BY ALEXANDER TUMALIP
W
alking through the BYU–Hawaii campus, students can hear a chorus of drilling, hammering and giant trucks driving by. Despite the inconvenience, construction workers said their work is a fulfillment of prophecy. Among the projects under way are the Seasider Turf Field behind the McKay Gymnasium and the REC Solar Project that provides both covered parking and a projected one-third of the electricity on campus.
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John Tippetts, project manager, said BYUH is at an unprecedented point of development in its history. They have built more and faster than ever before, Tippetts said, and they expect to continue building for the foreseeable future. He added he hopes each project never truly finishes, since the mission of the Church is to continuously grow. “It’s a great testimony builder to me to see how committed the brethren are to building character in students,” he said. The projects aren’t about profit, but rather producing quality leadership, he said. Peni Kioa, a senior from Tonga studying applied mathematics and an intern in the Planning, Design & Construction department, said the goal of these new construction projects is to guide students to BYUH. “This is where leaders are built to help them build the kingdom of God. We want future students to see we have something nowhere else has and have them experience it themselves.” Kioa said the leadership of the construction department makes these projects meaningful, particularly Kirk Tyler, the major projects manager of the Planning, Design & Construction department. Tyler said he is excited about the projects because he gets to see students use
them. “They will benefit mostly because the designs deliver a better opportunity for student life and academic learning,” he said. The turf field The Seasider Turf Field, located outside of the McKay Gymnasium, south of the Cannon Activities Center, will be given high-tech turf that contains a special material that will regulate the temperature of the turf even in high temperatures, Kioa said. “Students are going to be very happy to have this field, and I’m excited for it, too.” In addition to the high-tech turf, Kioa said there will be a raised rock wall and adjacent pavilion to accommodate spectators for intramural events. To address the previous issue of soccer or rugby balls entering the Polynesian Cultural Center’s back lot, Kioa said the fences are being raised and protective netting is being installed to keep them in. The solar project The solar project, originally approved by President John Tanner, is taking shape, Tippetts said. He always wanted to do a solar project, he shared, but still has a lot to learn. One of the project’s pieces of equipment is a Tesla megapack battery, the only one of its kind on Oahu, which will power the solar grid, Tippetts explained. He said he is pleased BYUH is becoming green by using solarproduced electricity on campus. “Fossil fuel production represents 70 percent of the greenhouse gases, so we’re doing our part to reduce greenhouse gases,” he said. Tippetts explained when the grid is activated, it will produce one-third of the electricity on campus. At the end of January, the project was more than 60 percent completed, Tippetts said. The project will be nearly completed in April, he said, but workers will continue to do electrical work. Dedication and commitment Tippetts said he hopes students understand the level of commitment needed for these projects. “We are a small group, yet the First Presidency
are so interested in what goes on,” he said. “They want to be certain that students here have an opportunity to grow and develop.” Kioa said the leadership in the construction department are dedicated to their jobs, and he is fortunate to work with them, especially Tyler and Tippetts. “They are always receiving revelation and their vision is the same as President McKay, which is to bring millions to this campus,” he said. From Tyler, Kioa said he has learned to be open to learning and serving. “He has all the skills from his many years in construction, and I am just fortunate to see and learn from him every day.” The most exciting thing about the construction on campus is the progress that has been made, Kioa said. Even though it takes a lot of work, he explained it makes him happy to see the joy in the faces of students and faculty. “Our goal as a construction company is ensuring the customer is happy. If that happens, we’ve accomplished our goal.” Before a construction project begins, Kioa said there are phases, like planning, zoning and design, that need to be completed first. “It can take many years before a project even starts.” He said planning is the hardest part. “If you make a mistake in that phase, everything else will fall apart.” “We’re all in this together,” Kioa continued. “We’ve talked about the importance of teamwork a lot.” Tippetts said, “It is another family here. Because we’re dealing with different contractors from different places and backgrounds and experiences. We get kind of a combined knowledge that not any one of us gets.” • Top left: Construction intern, Peni Kioa, said the goal of the new construction projects is to guide more students to BYUH. Photo by Ulziibayar Badamdorj. Bottom left and right: The high-tech turf field and solar project on campus. Photos provided by Jordan Keck.
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Trash talk:
Recording Laie’s
garbage Due to rising Laie waste levels, Dr. Ingley and his students encourage Laie residents to be mindful of littering
Graphics by Sadie Madriaga.
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BY ANNA STEPHENSON
E
ach year, BYU–Hawaii students walk down the streets surrounding the Laie Hawaii Temple and pick up litter. While this is not an unusual sight in Laie, in this case the students are also writing down what they have collected. Each individual piece of litter is assigned a category, and a tally-mark is made on a sheet of paper on a clipboard. This is the trash survey, the first one was done in 2019. According to Dr. Spencer Ingley, assistant professor in the Faculty of Sciences, the purpose of the trash survey is to take stock of what kind of waste the citizens of Laie produce and, more importantly, what kind of waste they leave lying around. Ingley said the amount of trash in Laie increased from 2020 to 2021. This is troubling, he said, because the amount of trash recorded in 2020 was over double what was recorded in 2019. Ingley speculated that this overall increase is related to COVID-19 and not just because of the face masks they found. He explained because the restaurants are closed, more people are eating takeout which increases the amount of waste produced. Additionally, hand wipes are tossed aside instead of thrown away. The water bottles provided at the Seasider Safe COVID-19 tests were also found discarded around Laie. “What we found was the level of trash seems to be increasing. … We are trying to brainstorm ways of motivating the community to pick up after themselves and prevent people from littering,” Ingley explained. One of the solutions Ingley’s class came up with was involving the Kahuku High School football team in a public awareness campaign. However, at this time, it is still just an idea, he explained. Kylie Steskal, a senior biology major from Washington, participated in the trash survey. “I think the most shocking thing to me was just how much ... trash [was] left on campus. I mean I love BYUH. I feel like most people touched by this school do, so it was just really surprising that campus had not been better taken care of. It seems like such a little thing to hold on to your trash just a few extra minutes to keep such a special place beautiful.”
“Personally, I do not think it would take a miracle to make BYUH a litter free beauty.” Kylie Steskal
survey showed. Disposable convenience items, such as plastic bottles, aluminum cans and various straws, cups, plates and utensils from takeout food are most common. But some surprising things were found too, like shoes and other articles of clothing. Sterling Kerr, a senior biology major from Utah, described his experience participating in the trash survey. “We went around … to see the cleanliness rating of our community. A bunch of students went in a bunch of different directions. The key was to be advantageous in looking in bushes, people’s driveways and in the road for any kind of trash … trying to see if there was any kind of pattern, if there was more of this than that.” While conducting the survey, Kerr said they found paper bags, a lot of cigarette butts and bottle caps. They even found a sock that had grass growing through it. Community members stopped to talk to the students and expressed appreciation for their efforts to keep the neighborhood looking nice, Kerr added. Steskal, however, said she did not get the chance to talk to community members because of the amount of work to do. “For how abandoned campus is, there was a surprisingly high trash count,” she said. This year, the trash survey was focused on discovering how COVID-19 may have affected Laie litter, Ingley explained. A new category was added to the survey sheets: face masks. Because the 2020 survey was taken early in the year, 2021 data is used to more accurately assess the COVID-19-related litter. Steskal and her partner, who picked up trash on the BYUH campus, found mostly water bottles, hair ties, plastic wrappers and pieces of weed whackers. However, “[face] masks were by no means rare,” she explained.• Sterling Kerr records data on trash around Laie. Photo by Anna Stephenson.
Steskal encouraged students to be mindful of making sure their trash makes it to the trash can and suggested picking up one extra piece of trash per day. “If everyone did that it is hard to imagine how much BYUH would shine, and I believe that would radiate out to the people who spend time on campus. … Personally, I do not think it would take a miracle to make BYUH a litter free beauty.” Most garbage makes it to the trash can, but some particular articles were found on the road, sidewalks or in the waterways, the
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Graphic provided by University Communications.
Keeping
SEASIDERS SAFE As BYUH prepares for return to in-person classes, Seasider Testing staff say weekly tests will help us get there BY ALEXANDRA CLENDENNING
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uring the Winter 2021 Semester, BYU–Hawaii has continued salivabased COVID-19 testing, known as Seasider Testing. Since testing began in December, Nomi Health’s marketing lead said they have issued around 20,000 tests and have recorded 36 positive cases. Manda Nielson, a senior from Utah studying exercise and sport science and Nomi Health’s marketing lead, said, “Currently, there’s only two active cases that have been recorded,” On March 17, President John S.K. Kauwe III announced BYUH would return to in-person classes for the Fall 2021 Semester. He said, “We chose to create a testing program here at BYU–Hawaii to find a way to balance bringing back our students and the campus back to normal life, while maintaining the safety that is necessary for our students, employees and surrounding community.”
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BYUH’s Assistant to the President Laura Tevaga said there are about 1,000 students living on campus and 500 students living off campus. This means only 50 percent of students are back on campus in comparison to the 2,962 students currently enrolled in classes. This means testing is crucial to keep people safe and in order to welcome more students back to campus, she added. With BYUH planning for in-person classes in the fall of 2021, Nielson said Seasider Safe testing will continue through the Spring 2021 Semester to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing. As Hawaii enters tier three of the COVID-19 Reopening Strategy, she said students, faculty and staff should expect to see more things open up on campus and eventually get back to normal life. Nielson said continuing to get tested weekly and following all precautions will allow for more openings on campus.
According to Ailana Meyer, the field operations director for Nomi Health, Seasider Safe has one of the most impactful roles in stopping the spread of COVID-19 because it tests people who are asymptomatic. She explained the BYUH Health Center takes care of the outwardly sick patients. Meyer shared, “Our testing program is to capture the asymptomatic people so we can stop this spread right away. We can find out where the close contacts are and impose a quarantine on them.” She said Seasider Safe is here to keep the BYUH ohana safe and to give everyone an enjoyable, personable experience. “The biggest focus on our students and medic staff side is just having a continuous improvement mindset. Since it’s a mandatory testing program, patient experience is our priority.” •
Nomi Health’s field operations director, Ailana Meyer, said patient experience is their priority. Photos by Mark Daeson Tabbilos. A PRIL 2021 59
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