From diapers to college textbooks

TVA babies return to campus as BYU–Hawaii students

BY WILL KRUEGER

From being a Temple View Apartments (TVA) baby to being current students of BYU–Hawaii, students who were at the school as babies said coming back to the school feels like they are continuing on a legacy their parents began.

“It’s cool being here at school now knowing my parents were [here too]. This was where it started for them. This was kind of their gateway to pursuing their dreams,” shared Yin Kim, a freshman from Washington State majoring in biology.

TVA babies to current students

Kim explained his parents came to BYUH from Korea with one child. Kim’s older sister was born here, and he and his twin brother were also born when his family was living at TVA. “I was here for three months before my parents graduated and moved to Ohio. My parents had four kids while being in TVA.

“I see someone with just one kid in TVA, and I’m thinking that’s gotta be so hard. I can’t imagine what my parents experienced having four kids as students in TVA. I have a lot of respect for them.”

Faryn Taotafa, a senior from California majoring in social work, said both of her parents came from New Zealand to Hawaii for school. “They met here, got married in 1995 and then had me while they were living in TVA in 1997. We were in H-building of TVA for two years before moving to Utah.

“My parents loved it here and had a great experience. This was where they started their family. They have many fond memories here and some of their best friends they met here at BYUH.”

Taotafa said when she tells people she is a TVA baby, they make a big deal out of it. “It’s kind of funny. People make [being a TVA baby] a big deal sometimes. People make it seem like it’s some kind of status to be a TVA baby.”

Kim explained, “There’s almost a label attached to being a TVA baby. When people find out, they are always like, ‘Oh, you’re a TVA Baby!?’ People always seem to get excited for some reason.”

Community connections

Kim shared his parents are still connected with people from Hawaii. He said one of the professors on campus, PJ Rogers, was friends with his mom and actually helped her go out on a mission.

Kawika Brubaker, a junior majoring in marketing from Arizona, was also a TVA baby. He said, “I’ve met so many people here who

knew my parents. It really is such a tightknit community. After so many years, they still remember and talk to each other.”

Taotafa shared her TVA connections continued throughout her life as her family stayed in touch with other TVA families. “A lot of the families who were in TVA at the same time my family was in TVA also moved to Utah. Our families were able to stay connected. We kind of grew up together. It was like a TVA network.”

According to Taotafa, some of the TVA babies who were at TVA at the same time as her are at school now, and they remained friends growing up through their parents’ connections. “I am close friends with people who were also at TVA the same time I was as a kid.

“It’s cool to be back here where it started. My parents are happy I am friends with students here who are the babies of their friends from their TVA days. It’s a fun feeling to know I am here at school with others who were living at TVA when I was. Our families all started here, and now after all these years, we are here.”

Continuing legacy

According to the three students, they were greatly influenced by their parents attending BYUH. Taotafa said she was “most definitely” influenced by her parents.

“BYUH is a special place for my parents. I think they have always wanted their kids to go here, especially me, because this was where it all started.”

She said it is fun meeting professors on campus who knew her parents, and said she has also run into people in the temple who saw her last name and said they knew her parents.

Growing up hearing stories of his parents at BYUH and the things they accomplished here, motivated Kim to come to BYUH. “My parents coming here definitely grew my interest in me coming to school here. My family has a history here. I was born here, and that influenced me in wanting to come here too.”

Brubaker said, “I was born here while my parents lived here, but I grew up on the mainland. My mother is part Hawaiian, so I always had a desire to come back to Laie to connect with my culture.”

Brubaker shared he loves being a part of the married-student community at BYUH. It’s fun to know he and his wife are going through a lot of the same stuff his parents went through when they were here.

“I think it’s so cool to be back after having been born here, and it’s great to continue the legacy my family has here in Laie.” •

Photos by Chad Hsieh