By: Daniel McArdle-Jaimes
Does anyone else remember this poster Mr. Wheeler prominently displayed
in his office? I don’t recall ever speaking to him about it, but I recall
seeing it each and every time I stepped into his office to talk about student
government-related activities. It is an inspirational quote that still sticks
with me today, and part of the sum of many Mid-Pacific-inspired ingredients
that I believe influenced the bravery and boldness I uphold today in facing impossible
situations and putting myself out there, no matter the cost.
In case you forgot, Mr. Wheeler served as the Class of 2001 dean until
the 9th grade. To some, he was more than just someone you saw when
you were in trouble. Mr. Wheeler was someone that many of us confided in. And to
others, he was an inspirational coach who drew out our inner champion outside
of the classroom. And to me, he was not only a sounding board, but he definitely
reeled me in when I went too far off the deep end. And I needed all of those
things, especially as an overly ambitious teenager. Mr. Wheeler knew how to
nicely but directly reel me in—a skill that even my own parents struggled with!
In high school, I was considered as one of the talkative and “out-going” types.
Believe it or not, I actually never viewed myself this way (and still don’t see
myself this way). I was a doodler in class and my mind wandered a lot. I would
actually consider myself to be more shy, conservative and introverted. But we
can all thank Mid-Pacific, especially theatre and student government, to help
draw out my leadership, communication and presentation skills. And Mr. Wheeler
was instrumental in this process as he was one of the first supervisor-like
figures for me –as he instilled real accountability
and responsibility in my senior year (going beyond turning in lengthy
persuasive essays on time and earning a high grade on a test). And one other
thing Mr. Wheeler helped me with was define what public service and school
spirit meant to me.
It were these values and character traits that were learned in my teenage
years (“formative” according to Mr. Wheeler) years that helped inspire my professional
path today in working with the community as a strategic communication and
public engagement consultant for various governmental agencies, non-profits,
businesses and schools. It is perhaps one of the reasons that helped me accept
the duties of becoming the Class of 2001 alumni representative.
And, only a couple of weeks ago (after a 15 year hiatus), I was reminded
about his magical inspirational, reflection and empowerment skills on our phone
call that I needed in order to draft his blog. Hopefully, I am able to capture
his wise counselor-like persona!
1) Catch us up. What have
you been up to the last 15 years?
I think the last time you and your classmates saw me, I was just getting
started in shaping the Student Government Association (SGA) program at
Mid-Pacific. I am a firm believer in Mid-Pacific, our school’s spirit and
school’s legacy. It is for these reasons that my sister (Mrs. Wheeler)
and I decided to came back to our roots (where our dad taught math, and where
we fondly refer to it as “the farm”). In more recent years, I decided to take
on the SGA opportunity to define and grow the program’s concept, design, reach and
impact.
I think many of your classmates would be surprised to see how expansive
SGA has become. In fact, SGA has become so large that I needed help, and we
recruited Mrs. Kondo to help empower and support our middle school
student government leaders and programming initiatives.
One of the largest SGA programs that we started (in 2002) is the annual all-school
Ho’olaule’a event. Each spring, the Ho’olaule’a works to showcase all of our
school clubs, programs and activities. It includes music, food and
entertainment for students, parents and staff to enjoy while building school
spirit. It’s an event that everyone looks forward to each year.
When I’m not working on SGA-related programming, my afternoons and
weekends are focused on serving as the assistant coach for Pac-5 football. I
particularly enjoy coaching sports. It allows me to see Mid-Pacific students in
an environment outside of the classroom and in a more relaxed atmosphere.
2) You were also the
basketball coach at one point in time. Were there any fond memories associated
with that, particularly of any Class of 2001 alumni?
There were absolutely fond memories associated
with coaching basketball. During your (the Class of 2001’s) senior year, was
when the varsity team transitioned from the Division II to Division I. That was
the year when we competed with the bigger schools. While we were a solid and
competitive team when we played in Division II, we learned a lot and grew a lot
when our senior guys (Chad Wheeler, Kyle
Yanabu, Brian Terayama, James Ogiwara, Clint Copulos, Tyler Young, Ricky Bauer)
not only became the veteran players, but also had to rise up to a higher level
of basketball.
There were also fond memories formed with my
longtime basketball managers—Dezarae
(Ramos) Miyahara, Stacie Shimabukuro, Kristen (Young) Unten—as they were so
helpful in supporting the team. I recall the conversations we had following the
games, which were uplifting and fond because I got to know the girls in a
different light.
3) The Class of 2001 was
“officially” the last class to be under your guidance. Were there any fond
memories or stand-out characteristics that defined the Class of 2001?
I think the first memory that comes to mind
was when you were in the 7th grade. I was your dean at the time, and
I remembered that the photographer came around to take the class picture. I
remember trying to work with the homeroom teachers to try to gather you all
together for a picture. I don’t know if it was your teenage hormones,
excitement or because you were all too unfamiliar with each other, but that
experience was worse than herding cats. I just remember thinking to myself
“What did I get myself into?” because it was really my first opportunity seeing
all of you together in one space.
When we finally were able to gather all of you
together was I realized that we had a lot of different personalities in this
(small) class, which was unique. Some classes are particularly memorable, and
the Class of 2001 was one of those classes because of the energy, diversity and
quirkiness that came with it.
In Hawaii, probably more than anywhere else in
the country (or the world, for that matter), where a person went to high school
helps to define who that person is.
While there are certainly many more significant factors that go into
defining a person, our high school experiences occur during such a formative
stage in our lives that we cannot ignore the impact of those experiences in contributing
to who we are today.
Having strong alumni relations allows us to
maintain those relationships that were formed and sustained through those
formative years of our lives. We all
move on with our lives after high school, but it's important to maintain the
foundation upon which those lives were built.
Every school has a uniqueness to it - and one might argue that Mid-Pacific
is more unique than others - and being able to share common memories and
experiences with our fellow alums is what builds a strong alumni base.
The strength and image of our school today is,
in large part, formed by all the alums out there doing their thing. A successful alum brings honor to our school.
5) In looking at the
current roster of teachers, there are so many alumni from various classes. Why
do you think they come back? Why did you come back?
Don’t quote on me this (because I don’t think
we have an official number yet) but I think we have 24 or 25 alumni that
currently work at Mid-Pacific. I think that so many alumni come back to
Mid-Pacific because the school has given so much to them in a variety of ways
that are unique to each of them. But this year’s roster showcases the most alumni
working at Mid-Pacific, and that is truly a huge testament to the school and
its legacy.
6) If the Class of 2001
were to come and tour the campus, what would be the most surprising thing to
them?
The buildings. The
campus has changed a lot, and it has grown a lot with the addition of the
elementary school and the renovation efforts to a number of efforts, including
the Quads and the former dormitory.
7) Which Mid-Pacific teacher do you most admire?
All of the “old-timers”
as these have been the people that I have naturally become close to, as we’ve
been working together the longest. They know who they are, and these are the
individuals who I confide with professionally and personally.
8) Which Class of 2001 Mid-Pacific alumni have you seen recently?
I got to see a lot
of alumni at this summer’s Pa’ina Event, so those that come to mind first
include Karalyn Tom, Kimberly Hee Aina, Rosella Leonhardt-Wicker, Bryan
Sato, Keric Chang, Chad Wheeler, Dane Marcouiller. It was really nice to
see all of them as a whole together. I am proud of them for becoming successful
adults in their own professions, and some of them are now married or have
children.
Anyone and everyone. But if I were to pick a few, I would love to see my
old basketball players, basketball managers and some of the people who used to
come into my office just to talk story like Mariko (Daniels) Wakuya, Kristen
Tamashiro or Mari Yokoi.
