10 minute read
The power of neighbors
The power Longboarding accident reveals of neighbors Good Samaritans in Laie community
BY MCKENZIE CONNELL
After suffering a concussion as part of a longboarding accident, Michaela Eisenhut said support and help from the Laie community, fellow students and the university have helped her on the road to recovery.
Eisenhut, a freshman from California majoring in Pacific Island studies, said she was almost home when she crashed her longboard near the temple. “I was going really fast on my longboard and then took a really sharp turn going into the roundabout. I hit the curb, and I just remember flying off,” Eisenhut said. She said the next thing she remembered was “waking up slightly. Everything was super, super hazy, and my head hurt really bad.”
Two Laie community members assisted Eisenhut; Luke Moffat, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and neighbor to Eisenhut, along with a woman whose identity is unknown.
Moffat said the accident was right in front of his house. “It’s funny how it all came together in hindsight. If you’re going to faceplant on your skateboard, then there’s no better place to than in front of a temple.
“She opened her eyes, and she was just so scared. I talk to her now, and she’s a totally different person. ... I have teenage daughters, and my heart went out for her,” he added.
After coming to, Eisenhut said the first thing she asked Moffat was, “Are you a priesthood holder?” Moffat said he was indeed a priesthood holder and gave her a blessing. Eisenhut said the next thing she remembered was “the paramedics coming and then putting a brace around my neck.”
Moffat said although he had never given a blessing in an emergency with nonmembers around, he felt “totally calm.” After the blessing, Eisenhut calmed down, and soon after the ambulance arrived, he said.
As all of this was going on, Eisenhut’s roommate, Jasmine Green, a freshman from Florida majoring in communications, said she was at home, unaware of what had just happened. When she heard what happened, Green said she “dropped everything and ran outside [and was] freaking out.”
Once at the scene, Green said she met the two witnesses who explained what they saw. Eisenhut was taken to Queens Hospital in Honolulu, and Green, along with their housemate Kawena Murray, followed behind her. After arriving at the hospital, they waited six hours for Eisenhut to be released.
Due to COVID-19 safety measures, neither of her roommates were allowed inside the hospital. Friends and fellow classmates came together on social media, posting requests for prayer and blessings for Eisenhut’s quick recovery. Eisenhut, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she felt the faith of all those who assisted.
“It gave me a really strong testimony of the power of the priesthood and the beauty of our town here in Laie. I had so many people there to help,” she said.
Moffat said he was impressed by her faith and used the experience to teach his young daughters.
“To teach your daughter the importance of priesthood, I give her parents props. Kudos to her folks for teaching her right,” he said.
Eisenhut said she was concerned about her classes and getting assignments in late. However, when she received a message from the BYU–Hawaii Dean of Students Melba Latu while she was in the hospital, Eisenhut said her concerns were alleviated.
Latu was encouraging and told her the school is there for her. Her health and safety was their top priority, explained Eisenhut. “I decided to withdraw from my classes this semester and start fresh next semester,” Eisenhut added. She said she hopes she can share her recovery through social media.
Eisenhut said an anonymous fellow student delivered multiple pizzas boxes to the girls’ apartment during Eisenhut’s recovery. Eisenhut and Green said throughout the entire experience, both girls felt blessed by the support each individual who assisted them gave, from both fellow students and non-student members in the community.
“I was surrounded by people who are strong in the faith, and it is amazing. I have so much support around me,” Eisenhut said. “I am really grateful. BYU–Hawaii is awesome. It is such a great school, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.”
Michaela Eisenhut crashed on her skateboard at one of the roundabouts in Laie. She said when she woke up, local people were there to help her out, and people have continued to help her as she recovered. She is a freshman from California. Photo by Ho Yin Li.
A life of distinction Stuart Wolthuis shares sacrifices and triumphs of 24 years of service in U.S. Air Force BY HAILEY HUHANE
After 24 years of active duty service in the United States Air Force, BYU–Hawaii Associate Professor Stuart Wolthuis has acquired an inspiring list of accolades, which includes more than two dozen honors and medals, a bachelor’s of science degree and a master’s of engineering degree in industrial and systems engineering.
Despite the dangers and strife of serving in the military, his family said he cherishes his time in the Air Force.
Of his achievements, Wolthuis’ wife Emily Wolthuis said, “My husband would never say this about himself because he is a very humble man. He was consistently recognized for his outstanding leadership and contributions; in fact, he was Airman of the Year for all fighter
After 24 years of service Wolthuis retired as an officer. Photo provided by Stuart Wolthuis.
bases west of the Mississippi River in 1987 and Company Grade Officer of the Year when he served in Italy. He also led a team that received Vice President Gore’s Hammer Award for saving millions of dollars in acquisition costs on a significant national project. I’m extremely proud of his dedication and commitment in whatever calling, job or responsibility he has.”
Of his military service, Wolthuis said, “Serving in the military is really tough, mostly on families. I also felt the loss of several coworkers and friends who died over the years during their military service. The most tragic died in a helicopter crash, another in an airplane crash and another from a gun misfire after training. Serving in the military is dangerous. “Many return from military service with scars and wounds, and many have wounds you can’t see, such as post traumatic stress disorder.”
Wolthuis also acknowledged the sacrifices his own family had to make. He said, “Many people have thanked me over the years for my military service, but the real sacrifice was given by my family. If you tell my children or my wife how much you appreciate their support and sacrifice as a military family, you will probably see me cry. They are my heroes.”
Wolthuis joked, “In my Air Force service, I did software development on smart weapon systems capabilities Captain Moroni would appreciate.”
Wolthuis also worked at the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), where he was chief over Foreign Military Exploitation. As chief, Wolthuis analyzed the enemy’s hardware and figured out how it functioned to improve U.S. weapon systems.
One of Wolthuis’ favorite assignments was in Aviano, Italy, where he worked directly for the 31st Wing Commander as the Chief Protocol Officer. “In two years, I hosted 660 distinguished visitors, generals, White House staff, U.S. congressmen and senators, and many others. In fact, Aviano hosted the First Lady, Laura Bush. Her visit focused on inviting military members to transition to teaching in public schools after they retired.
“In 2007, I was deployed to Qatar. My first grandchild was born while I was deployed.”
Now a professor at BYUH, he said his favorite part about teaching is his students. He said, “They have incredible and amazing stories of faith and endurance, dedication to their families, and [they] possess so much creativity and innovation. Our BYU–Hawaii graduates do so many incredible things. I’m so happy when I hear of their successes in their employment, and I’m beyond grateful when I hear of their joys with their own families, their ability to overcome adversity and stay the course of faithful followers of Christ.”
Growing up, Wolthuis said he had never considered serving in the military, even though his father had served. In fact, his father was at parachute jump school when Wolthuis was born.
As a young boy, Wolthuis loved the outdoors and enjoyed playing outside with his four siblings and the neighborhood children. “We logged hundreds of hours playing kickball, baseball, football, kick the can and any game we could invent. We built several forts and worked hard on the yard. My parents supported all our activities and encouraged us to be selfsufficient. We had part-time jobs delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, raking leaves and stayed very busy serving in the Church.”
Eventually, Wolthuis would serve in the Colorado Denver Mission. In 1981, shortly
Graphics by Bruno Maynez
after returning from his mission, Wolthuis married his wife, Emily, who, at the time, taught at the MTC as a Greek translator for the Church.
After getting married, Wolthuis attended BYU in Provo, where he began his studies in mechanical engineering. He said, “I’ve always been fascinated with how machines and industrial operations work.”
As time went on, Wolthuis said his university studies became side-tracked, and he began working as a carpet cleaner and worked a summer as a soda delivery truck driver.
During this time, Wolthuis was home teaching an individual who informed him about the USAF scholarship for electrical engineering and encouraged him to apply. Wolthuis said, “My wife and I thought long and hard about this opportunity and did a lot of praying and fasting.”
To assist in this difficult decision, Wolthuis asked his father for a blessing. He said, “The blessing stated I should base my decision to enter the USAF on how well I did on my entry
exam. The military uses a standardized test, much like taking the ACT, but much broader to match recruits with the right job in the military. ... To prepare, I got my hands on every practice test and study guide I could find.” Wolthuis spent months preparing, he said.
“After I took the test, my recruiter told me I had the highest score he had ever seen. I was able to pick my USAF job, engineering assistant. When I left for basic training in January of 1985, I was 24 years old, and my sweetheart was expecting our first baby.”
For the first four years of his service, Wolthuis worked in civil engineering. In order to make ends meet, Wolthuis worked as a parttime janitor while also taking university classes part-time.
After his third attempt applying for the USAF scholarship program, Wolthuis was finally selected. After selection, Wolthuis earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees while serving in the Air Force. He also attended four months of officer training school, where he received a commission as a 2nd lieutenant.
Wolthuis served 16 years as an officer and, after 24 years total, retired as a major.
While serving in the Air Force, Wolthuis developed the knowledge and skills he would eventually implement in his classes at BYUH. In 2008, Wolthuis was officially hired and began teaching classes in software development, cybersecurity and project management for technology in the Faculty of Math & Computing.
Wolthuis’ father, Robert Wolthuis, said of his son, “As his parents, we detected at every turn how proud he was to serve our nation which he loves dearly. He reflected a standard wherein he made every assignment an opportunity to excel. He saw much of the world and the United States. He was a great credit to the uniform he wore, and he cherished those 24 years, which allowed him to serve his country with distinction.”
Wolthuis said his family are his heroes. Photo provided by Stuart Wolthuis.
