I can still see it clearly—the way the wind felt that day, soft, almost shy, as if even the trade winds wanted to pause and watch. Graduation has this strange magic about it: one moment you’re still a student, the next you’re already carrying the title of “alum.” I saw it happen with the Class of 2012, and it felt as though an invisible curtain fell, transforming each step off the stage into a step toward a wider world.
Words That Stay With Us
There’s always a speech that lingers in memory. For me, it was Stratford Goto’s words. He reminded his classmates that college would bring “unfamiliar places with unfamiliar rules,” but also the enduring promise that no matter the distance, they would remain One Team. And when he reached back to his father’s advice—“Always keep your door open for an alum”—it was as if tradition itself was whispering across generations.
Traditions in Bloom
I watched the white holoku gowns move in rhythm like waves, the haku lei glowing against dark hair, the men with green leaf lei draped with quiet dignity. It was more than a ceremony; it was a portrait of continuity. The chapel stood on one side, the art building on the other, framing this passage like bookends.
A Farewell and a Beginning
Dr. Val Iwashita gave his final graduation speech that year. I remember the moment he was handed his honorary diploma, a symbolic gesture as he approached retirement. The applause wasn’t just for his words but for his years—an echo of gratitude.
Honors and Unsung Heroes
The list of honorees—valedictorians, medal recipients, unsung heroes—felt less like a roll call and more like a map of the values that shape an ‘Iolani graduate. Scholarship. Service. Quiet strength. Each name held a story, even if most of those stories had only begun to be written.
What Remains
And yet, when I think of that day, what I carry most is the feeling: a field of green monstera leaves, orchids opening like lanterns, and a group of young men and women stepping boldly into a future that was both uncertain and theirs alone.
No matter how far apart we are, we are still One Team.