This year was certainly a crazy and hectic, but amazing year. I went to Japan, was a finalist for the ‘Ōlelo Youth Xchange contest, placed first in the state and private school division for a photo I took, and even went to my first ever concert. But with all this great stuff happening, there were a thousand other things I had to do.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Photo by Meaaloha McCabe

My Japan buddies and I enjoying some traditional Japanese food.

Finish my junior paper, plan my senior project, make sure I pass all my classes and try to maintain a club all at the same time. Trying to be a good and industrious student is hard. But in the end, it is all worth it. Without working as hard as I did, I wouldn’t have been able to say that I accomplished so many things during my junior year. Although there were things I wish I did differently, I did what I could.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Photo by Meaaloha McCabe

Mr. Paʻa, Holly Honda, and I flew to Oʻahu to attend the ʻŌlelo Youth Xchange awards banquet.

Since it is near the end of school, I’ve been thinking a lot about next school year and becoming a new senior. As seniors, we have a lot of responsibilities. We have to be good role models for the underclassmen and help to guide them through their four years of high school. I may or may not be the most equipped for this, but I will certainly try my best to show them how it’s done.

Becoming the new “top dogs” is scary because of all the responsibilities we have. We have to set good examples, be willing to help an underclassman and try our best to not get senioritis.

Thinking about becoming a senior actually, makes me feel a little sad. It will be our last year at Kamehameha Maui, my school since I was 12. Though I may not be a lifer, that’s a pretty long time. I remember being so scared to enter high school because I knew there were so many responsibilities we would soon have.

All in all, my junior year was just…wow. We may not have won ‘Aha Mele, but the year as a whole was certainly breathtaking. From little to no homework to pulling an all-nighter during my junior year was definitely one for the books. I can’t wait to see what my senior year has in store.