Mid-Pacific's Hula Halau to Perform on Hawaii Theater Stage on May 1

Congratulations to Mid-Pacific and the 25th Anniversary of the Mid-Pacific School of the Arts (MPSA)!  Finally, the annual hula show will be performed on May 1! In addition, all MPSA programs will have the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage on Oahu. 1,500 students are set to perform on May 1, 2016 at the Hawaii Theater, including performances from hula, theatre, ballet and visual arts students.  #proud #midpacific #mpsa #thearts #savethearts #highschool http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31811578/mid-pacific-institute-halau-present-may-day-show-at-hawaii-theatre?sf25024795=1

The Search Is On! Help Find Our Classmates!

Dear Missing Classmates,
We want to demonstrate how serious we are about reconnecting with you! At the same time, we also recognize that some of you may not want to join our Facebook group (or use Facebook) and that is OK too!
We hope that your classmates and friends will see this message for you! If they see your name below, please contact them, and encourage them to register his/her email to our blog. Look in the right column for a button that says "register my email."

Thank you! 

Class of 2001 Mentors Needed for Class of 2017 Seniors

By: Daniel McArdle-Jaimes

Most of you said, "it is important to give back to the school," and believe offering your knowledge, resources and time was the MOST important way to give back! Now is the time!

As part of our 15-year "gift" to the school, the class of 2001 will be donating scholarship money directly to the Class of 2017 seniors. As you know, your senior year is perhaps the most important year as students begin to declare majors and begin applying for colleges across the country.

To help Mid-Pacific seniors better understand the endless school choices, areas of study and career paths, a voluntary panel comprised of 2001 alumni will assembled. Each 2001 mentor will be paired up with  students to share your knowledge about your experience after high school. Who better for seniors to talk to then those of you already walked the walk?

Please find my letter that will be mailed to you and emailed to you next week. If you aren't receiving traditional snail mail from us, please make sure you register your information on our blog, and click on the "register your email" button on the right panel.

In the meantime, please review and complete the attached form for those interested in mentoring.

Thank you,
Daniel

Survey Results Are In!

By Daniel McArdle-Jaimes

The survey results are in! To help summarize this best, I highlighted just a few survey results examples that really stuck out to me.

Should you have questions regarding the survey, please don't hesitate to contact me directly. I am more than happy to share this data and feedback with you (it's just too large of a file to post here).

Your feedback was incredibly useful to us as we begin planning our reunion, alumni relations programming and develop a better approach to help engage alum living on the mainland.

Thank you for your help and input!
Daniel

FaceTiming with Rebecca Wong In The Streets of New York City—Our International Jetsetter, Pie-Maker and TV/Magazine Writer

Among her many talents, Rebecca Wong recently started
and now teaches "air yoga"

By Daniel McArdle-Jaimes

It was an overcast day in the buzzing Big Apple, and Rebecca Wong graciously squeezed me into her busy schedule as she FaceTimed me immediately following her brunch in a cute, but cramped New York City café. She was in NYC with her brother to visit their grandparents for the week.

It was Rebecca’s idea to hold our call while she was in “The States” as it would be too difficult to coordinate a time in her now hometown of Hong Kong. As I peered into my small iPhone screen, I could see her wearing a super cool, black leather jacket. I saw her walk past the tables in the café and opened the door to step foot onto the city sidewalk. Her hair blew in the wind as she looked into the camera and smiled. Did she learn that move from Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model? Did she just do that on purpose? Geeze! Here I was taking notes on my laptop in my car, while she was out and about walking the streets of New York like she was in a music video (and queue the Alicia Keyes/Jay-Z song, “New York”).

“Rebecca, I want to be like you when I grow up.” I said to her. “You live such a glamorous life!” She immediately shuts down my compliment and deflects the attention. “No!” She starts. “I’m NOT grown up. I want to be like YOU when I grow up!”

Over the years, Rebecca and I have been doing a fairly good job at keeping in touch with each other. We last saw each other in San Francisco in June 2013. She was in town for just a couple of days visiting a various California cities on a road trip. To impress her, I took her a rooftop bar, The View, at the San Francisco Marriott to watch the evening fog roll in amidst the San Francisco twinkling skyline. Knowing that she was a foodie (and world-class baker), we strolled down to Bluestem Brasserie for some California-fusion American food.

With Daniel McArdle-Jaimes in San Francisco

Anyway, here is a summary of my conversation with our friend, Rebecca Wong.  

1)     Catch us up. What have you been up to for the last 15 years?

My life isn’t really that glamorous. You know me, Daniel...I feel like I’m such a wanderer. I moved three times to different colleges, and finally ended up at the University of Michigan (U Mich), where I majored in writing (communications - but in speech and technical writing). When I finally needed to declare a major, my mentor told me something that stuck with me ever since: “It doesn’t matter what you do with your life; just be very good at writing. It will take you to many places in the world.” He was right. I still believe that you cannot get anywhere in life without the ability to write.

While I was at U Mich, I landed a couple of internships, including working with the Detroit Pistons. After graduating, I started copy writing for an advertising company. While there, I worked as an account manager for Ford Motor Vehicles, among other clients. But I grew anxious to move and begin a new adventure. When I reached my mid-20s, I had lived in Detroit for five years, and it was the place that I lived in the longest (because I moved so much growing up). 

Posing with young teachers in Nachingwea, Tanzania

At that point, I decided that it was best I move back to Hong Kong because I missed my family. I have been living in Hong Kong for six years now working various jobs. I began writing for a television show for a luxury lifestyle program that took me to places all over Asia (technically some of Asia also Europe, and by Europe, I mean Italy. My show also went to Switzerland, Maldives, all over). We would set-up travel logs, activities, and go to fine dining restaurants. We covered things that I couldn’t afford, but it was fun to pretend. I was lucky enough to work with celebrities, and got to meet Pharrell, Mario Batali (Iron Chef and Food Network star) and Joe Bastianich (former judge on MasterChef, owner of the Lucca restaurant chain).

I met a lot of people in television, and then earned referrals for production jobs outside of the television show, including working on movie and video productions. I remember when I got to meet Mark Wahlberg during the Transformers Premiere. That was the first time I was star struck. I only took the job, because I wanted to meet Imagine Dragons, but I didn’t get the chance to meet them! I remember when Mark tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around and I got nervous. At that time, I was handling the press and was to doing a lot of back-end production stuff and quality control. I did this kind of work for four years.

A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to get back into writing and took on a managing editor position. It was a good opportunity, but i didn't enjoy the stress of managing people and didn't want to commit myself to a full-time position. I eventually demoted myself twice (from a managing editor to a contributing writer to a freelance writer) because I wanted to explore my pie-making business. So I did my freelance work, while building up a pie-making business.

Unfortunately, I broke my leg a couple of years ago and had to stop baking for a bit, which was when I decided to take a magazine job last year.

At a mutual friend's wedding in Australia with Liya Wang

As my leg began to heal, I took anti-gravitation fitness classes (air yoga) as part of my rehabilitation efforts. I became quite good at it, and now I teach a couple of classes twice a week. It’s my “happy moment” in my week, and I really enjoy it.

For a little more than a year now, I voluntarily serve as a mentor for high school sophomores and juniors in Chicago. As a mentor, I’m paired up with a few students to exchange letters and hold conversations throughout the semester about their career goals. I enjoy working with the kids and I am considering becoming a mentor for the Mid-Pacific class of 2017.

2)     You were only in Hawaii for a year. Remind us how you arrived at Mid-Pacific?

My parents were always moving around, and at the time my brother was living in Hawaii, so I decided to spend my last year of high school with him before starting college. Living in Hawaii and going to Mid-Pacific was where I spent the least amount of time in, but it was a place with a lot of people to identify with.

I was born in Hong Kong, but moved around a lot. I have now lived there for six years, but I am still considered to be very foreign there in terms of my appearance. Sometimes I feel like I’m not from there. In Hawaii and at Mid-Pacific, I was the most comfortable. I have been back to Hawaii a few times since graduating, and I don’t feel foreign when I’m there.

At Mid-Pacific, there was tremendous diversity in my friends. I remember the people being very welcoming, and that was important to me as I was the only new kid there. I didn’t feel ostracized, and it was reassuring to have other foreign kids go there. I knew that I was the new kid that wasn’t from Hawaii, but I wasn’t made to feel like I was the outcast. It was new and open, and I’m happy to have gone there.

3)     What does alumni relations mean to you?

Alumni relations has a lot to do with having someone to connect the dots. I am a person who is all over the place, all the time! For me, alumni relations is what you (Daniel) are doing. It is a good reminder of where I am and where I came from. I’m terrible at maintaining my connections. As an example, there are plenty of U Mich events in Hong Kong, but I don’t go to them. At the end of the day, alumni relations is about keeping the community going and having a person (or people) share updates that are interesting and meaningful.

4)     What was your favorite high school memory?

There were so many. I think the one that comes to my mind that makes me the most happy was when I would get morning bagels with Serena (Twu) Murray (class of 2002). She was the person I could count on to “get fat” with. I remember when we would wake up early to get bagels in the morning. Those were always happy moments and great starts to the day.

5)     Who was your favorite teacher?

Mr. Vogel. I liked him because he was tough and made you write a ton of journals in class. He had a cynical teaching style. I personally appreciated cynical teachers because they had a way of keeping you awake and on your toes. I remember his kindness to me because he gave me some slack when I needed it during my last quarter of the school year…and I needed to graduate!

6)     Name a classmate that you admire. Why do you admire him/her?

I admire you (Daniel McArdle-Jaimes)!

From the day we met me and all these years later…you are still the same upbeat/positive person that I remember. We had so many interactions between high school and now. Each time I see you, things have changed in your life (your engagement, marriage, career, moving states, etc.). Your personality hasn’t changed which is really cool and admirable. It appears that everything you do, professionally or voluntarily, you do it with great confidence, joy and conviction. You don’t conform at all and that’s really cool to watch.

7)     If you were to go to the reunion, who would you want to see and why?

 Chad Nishi. I hope he brings all of the puppies he secretly keeps in his basement.

Actually, I really would love to see anyone and everyone! I see all of these faces and names in my head, but it would be neat to catch up with all of them in person so many years later to see them as grown-ups.

Interior Designer Chelsea Holladay Recalls Homeroom, Hula & Many More Memories

By: Daniel McArdle-Jaimes

The Chelsea Holladay I remembered in high school was always someone who was sweet, cool and artistic. She was a girl that always seemed to be surrounded by friends at all times (not the kind of person who would walk by herself), because she was down-to-earth, social, chill, and just easy to talk to.

Chelsea and I were in homeroom for four years together, and each morning we were greeted by Mrs. Roscoe. As Mrs. Roscoe began roll promptly at 7:45 a.m., I recall the sound of Mrs. Roscoe’s cheery and happy tone when she knew which students were “here” and on-time….And as she went through the roll, I just recall sitting there on those long tables with people like Michael Kaanoni, Jansen Fukuda, Ken Imura and Gen Fujitani among many many others watching that door to see who would be walking in late after climbing those treacherous hills from the campus parking lot by the gym. The guys in our homeroom in particular were ready to heckle the girls that were tardy.

I remember Chelsea and April Ichinose usually being the last to arrive. In their defense, they often did lug up the most stuff uphill to reach Mrs. Roscoe’s classroom. But I think Chelsea carried the most things daily. Her luggage would consist of a large backpack, but vary between paddling gear, hula costumes and/or some large art project. I remember Chelsea and others in our homeroom (mostly the girls) banter with Mrs. Roscoe about walking into homeroom even 15 seconds late (admittedly, I was late a few times).

Homeroom with Mrs. Roscoe, Chelsea and others was just a comical way to start the day with the various cast of characters that were in our homeroom. BUT I must say that the girls in our homeroom were especially late…

After witnessing Mrs. Roscoe’s frown of disappointment when Chelsea walked in late, the conversation sometimes shifted to the debate about whether or not Chelsea’s shorts or top was in dress code. Candidly, as I am typing this memory, I am laughing to myself because it was just too funny to watch the girls sass back hopelessly and swearing that “it shrank in the wash” among other excuses. The girls in Mrs. Roscoe’s homeroom, particularly Chelsea, made all the guys laugh hard as we watched them attempt to out-sass, the sass warden, Mrs. Roscoe. J

Let’s fast forward to life after high school: For five years, Chelsea and I both lived in San Francisco at the same time, and we saw each other periodically for lunches and happy hours. She was a guest at my 30^th birthday party, engagement party and wedding….so you could say that we are very much in tune with each other’s professional and personal journeys in life…but I’ll let her tell you that in her own words. 

Below captures our more formal conversation.

1)     Catch Us Up. What have you been up to the last 15 years?

I’ve been living in San Francisco for 13 years now. I can’t believe it’s been that long, but I went to college here and have lived here ever since. After high school, I was admitted into the interior architecture and design program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I really enjoyed the program and my major, and took on an internship in my junior year with an architecture firm. My first internship was a bit of a catastrophe because my boss had a volatile personality and work style but amazing projects to work on. It was an odd way to start off my career having no experience at all, but numerous jobs after school proved that not all work environments were like that. I enjoyed the firms I worked at because the people were supportive and the work was interesting.  I worked on projects ranging from commercial, hospitality, and residential interiors. However, in 2008, the recession hit the construction and architecture industries hard, and I was laid off from my job. Immediately after being laid off, I decided to do yoga every day and booked a spontaneous trip to Europe. 

About six months after that, a friend suggested that I apply to a mortgage lender that was owned by an acquaintance of hers.  It was supposed to be temporary and lasted way longer than expected but I did learn a lot about the industry. It was interesting and I advanced quickly which is why I stayed there for as long as I did. However, the economy recently turned around and now I’m back doing what I love which is more creative and hands-on. While I was working for the mortgage company, I did do some freelance residential design projects for friends and contacts, but now I’m working as a designer with a medium sized company in San Francisco. I specialize in designing furniture layouts for offices like law firms, tech start-ups, design firms, health and wellness, government, educational, and financial companies.  There is a lot of construction going on in San Francisco, as it is going through a bit of a “Renaissance”.     

Per my request, please find some of Chelsea’s work that she was willing to share with us.

Also, as Chelsea and I caught up, and we talked about how her boyfriend, Magnus, was finally admitted into the country from Norway after landing a job at a tech company and able to obtain a visa. In a nutshell, it’s like a lottery system, and if your number isn’t called, you have to reapply and wait a full year before applying for a Visa again. She and Magnus recently traveled to Miami, Florida to see Amanda Chun (former 2001 classmate) to go to an electronic dance music (EDM) festival.  Their favorite activity to do together is rock climbing.

2)     What does alumni relations mean to you?

I think it’s important to remember your roots and where you came from. Now that I live in San Francisco, I realize how lucky I was to grow up in Hawaii.  It is really nice seeing what everyone is up to these days now that we are all adults.  It’s funny reminiscing about the old Mid-Pac days.  I think it’s also important to reconnect since it could be beneficial in life to collaborate on a few things with different connections.  We could also provide wisdom and guidance to current Mid-Pac students about life lessons. 

3)     What was your favorite high school memory?

Like most, my most favorite high school memories were in the mornings or at lunch with friends. I remember when we would meet up and just talk about the day ahead, and the “problems” we were going through, which often involved boys, dealing with difficult friends, or what party we planned to go to. 

I also really enjoyed the performing arts shows. There were so many talented individuals at Mid-Pac that were so amazing to watch through acting and dance. I feel like Mid-Pac was a place where you could find your niche, ranging from the arts, sports, and science. 

4)     Who was your favorite teacher, and why?

Lanakila. I really treasure my hula classes. It is amazing to watch the evolution of Lanakila and the legacy he has built. It is amazing to see his journey, from his beginnings to dancing for Robert Cazimero, to forming Pupukahi and teaching at Mid-Pac, to now creating his own Halau and taking them to Merrie Monarch. 

For me, my hula classes were one of the best parts of my day. I enjoyed learning about the Hawaiian culture, language, and dance.  It was fun making the costumes, but they were so labor intensive sometimes.  Although Katrina (Fallas) Go and I would complain sometimes about cleaning seeds and picking leaves, it was always worth our efforts in the end to see our accomplishments.  Once the pieces were finished, we really admired them. In fact, my mom saved a box of all of my hula costumes at her house. 

Another one of my most treasured memories was when we went to the Big Island and had the opportunity to perform and visit sacred sites. It was an amazing trip, because I got to spend it with my friends, but more importantly shared a spiritual journey that allowed me to really live, breathe and experience the Hawaiian culture. I’ll never forget it.  San Francisco is a land of so many cultures, so I feel quite fortunate to have this background and really cherish all of these memories.   

5)     What was so special about going to school at Mid-Pacific?

There were so many opportunities to choose from. I took hula, visual arts, French, and did paddling in school, so I felt that Mid-Pacific really rounded me out. I also made a lot of friends there, and I’m happy to have kept in touch with so many of them. 

Now that I live in San Francisco, I am particularly fond of all of the cultural things we did in hula class. When I visit my mom (on Oahu) with Magnus, he’s always asking me to translate a bunch of Hawaiian words. Obviously I’m not fluent in Hawaiian, but it is fun for him (and me) when I’m able to teach him something. 

6)     Which classmate do you most admire? And why?

Amanda Shaw. The girl has been going to school forever! She’s one of the smartest people I know and I love traveling to see her at whatever exotic destination she is at.  When we catch up, it feels like old times and she constantly impresses me by trying to make our world a better place.  I am always so excited to hear about what she is going to do next.  I admire her for her passion and ability to juggle all of that.

7)     If you were going to the reunion, who would you like to see?

Paul Griffing and Daniel Pereira.  I have not seen those guys in forever. They always made me laugh and I admire them for being such strong individuals. 

8)     Since you will be a mentor later this year, what advice would you tell your 17-year-old self today?

Study more. I wish I studied harder in school and took it a little more seriously.  I definitely would not change anything that has happened in high school or thereafter, but there is such vast knowledge presented to us, and we will never get that opportunity again.

I would also take advantage of the variety of activities that Mid-Pac has to offer, which I am sure has quadrupled since I have been there. I think I took full advantage, but it would have been nice to try out more activities or join different types of clubs.