ALUMNI

Konawaena High 100 year Anniversary Celebration in 2021
ALUMNI AND ALUMNI OHANA WELCOME!
Letter from Maverick Kawamoto and Shawn Suzuki

Last meeting was March 5, 2020 at 6pm in the school Library!
Website
Follow on Facebook: Konawaena High Centennial Celebration

To get the latest information about the Centennial and be on the contact list, please complete this FORM

The purpose of the Alumni Association is to get information about Konawaena High out to our proud Alumni
Our 100 Anniversary is coming up in 2021!

If you have a reunion coming up and would like to post information on this website, please contact michelle_obregon@notes.k12.hi.us

The story behind the mural restoration
Principal Suzuki Letter (updated)

Current Photos of the Mural

New Panels going up May 7, 2019

New Panels Makai side of Gym

Old Panels Makai side of Gym

New Panels Mauka side of Gym

Old Panels Mauka side of Gym

Original Artist Martin Charlot

FUNDRAISER!
The restoration of the Mural on the Ellison Onizuka Gym is more that 50% complete. The panels for the mauka and makai side have installed.
The work on the panels for the front of the Gym continues and additional funds are needed for the original artist Martin Charlot to complete the mural.
Mahalo to all who purchased plate lunches for the last fundraiser and to Kona Grill House for donating ALL of the proceeds.
See the links ->to the right for ways to donate to the mural restoration project
The Konawaena High Mural Restoration Committee

Mahalo to all who attended the
Alumni Ho'olaulea fundraiser
Konawaena Gym Mural Restoration Project
Saturday December 8, 2018
over $5000 was raised
Mahalo to organizer Val Belanio
for all her hard work and to
all the entertainers and vendors

Alumni Challenge
GREAT JOB ALUMNI!
CLASS OF 1986 WON the challenge and the trophy. just over $5000 was raised in all! Mahalo
Shout out to organizers
Rhodlynn Watai & Susie Villasenor Yamane

The mural coming down December 6, 2018
PC: Diane Spencer

PC: Diane Spencer 12.12.18

Konawaena High Gym
Mural Restoration
Artist Martin Charlot has
arrived to start the project

Campaign to restore the mural on the
Ellison Onizuka Gym
in preparation of our 100 anniversary in 2021!
Please take a moment to read about the project to restore the mural by the original artist
Martin Charlot
Every donation is greatly appreciated!
GoFundMe

Donations may also be sent directly to the Konawaena Foundation
81-1043 Konawaena School Rd. Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750
indicate mural restoration project in the
memo of your check

West Hawaii Today Article 072918

September 2019 PC: D Spencer

Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Konawaena Alumni PC: D Spencer

September 2019 PC: D Spencer

for Konawana Official Fan T-shirt $10.00

We retired the number 28 and made it the our fan number
T-shirts can be purchased thru the VP office over the summer or by contacting:

Contact Gloria Krier Matthews, gkrier@konawaenahigh.k12.hi.us

Notable Konawaena Alumni

Lieutenant Colonel Ellison Onizuka, Class of 1964

The first Japanese Asian American and the first person from Hawaii to reach space. He was lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster when it exploded and broke apart only 73 seconds into flight.

William Van Osdol, Class of 1983

Also known as "Billy V," he is a well-known TV and radio voice, often called the "voice of Hawaii." He is currently a reporter on Sunrise at Hawaii News Now and has more than three decades of experience in the broadcasting industry.

Sgt. First Class Rodney J.T. Yano, Class of 1961

He was a United States Army soldier who received the highest decoration possible - the Medal of Honor - for his role in the Vietnam war. He joined the military in 1961. He lived to the age of 25 and died in the active duty.

Dr. Greg Vaughn-Ogin, Class of 1999

He is a physicist and professor at Whitman College. He was also a member of Laser Interferometer Gravitational Waves Observatory (LIGO) team that discovered gravitational waves in 2016.

Ronald Ibarra, Class of 1962

He retired from his 12 years on the bench as chief judge in the Third Circuit Court of Hawaii. He also served active duty in the army as a First Lieutenant from 1970-72 and eventually in the Army Reserve as Lieutenant Colonel.

Albert Akana, Class of 1926

He was a principal at Alae School and Honaunau Elementary. He is also credited with starting the Saturday May Day and ho'olaulea at Honaunau. Eventually, he was also the Lions Club's District Governor for District 50 and was the president of the Kona Community Federal Credit Union.

Francis Y. Sogi, Class of 1941

After being recruited by the Military Intelligence Service in college, he served in Japan by translating documents for counterintelligence. Later on in life, he finished his studies in college and became a lawyer. He and his wife later founded the Francis and Sarah Sogi Foundation.

Pepper
Kaleo Wassman, Bret Bollinger, and Yesod Williams

The three of them formed their band together in 1997 and debuted in 1999. Business Insider named Pepper as the most famous band of all time from Hawaii.

Patrick Shane Dorian, Class of 1990

A world-renowned surfer, having spent eleven years on the Wold Championship Tour. In 2003, he quit competitive surfing to focus on big waves. Now, he is called one of the best big wave surfers of all time.

Naleen Andrade, Class of 1972

She is a well-recognized psychologist who graduated from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. UH's John A. Burns School of Medicine awarded her with the I Ulu I Ke Kumu Award, which is given to those who energize our lives and inspire the pursuit of knowledge, as well as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Diversity Award.

Glenna Kimura, Class of 1936

She was a registered nurse and the Director of Nurses of Kona Community Hospital, as well as Sunday schoolteacher at Daifukuji Soto Mission. In 2000, she was Honpa Hongwanji Mission's recipient of the Living Treasures of Hawaii.

Dr. Unoji Goto, Class of 1939

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati Medical School, he became the first Japanese physician to join the Honolulu Medical Group. He also introduced cardiac catheterization to Hawaii and was a member of the team that performed the first open-heart surgery in Hawaii.

Emiko Iwashita Kudo, Class of 1940

She worked in the Superintendent's Office in the Department of Education and was the Director for Parks and Recreation in Honolulu. She played a key role in finding funds for education in the 1970's.

Eric Yeaman, Class of 1985

He has been the president and chief operating officer of First Hawaiian Bank since June 2015. Before that, he played the same role at Hawaii Telcom from 2008 to 2015.

Koji Ariyoshi, Class of 1931

He was a nisei, born to Japanese immigrant parents. He became a labor activist and Sergeant in World War II. After being placed in a Japanese Internment Camp, he enlisted in the military as a language specialist.