Leilani Wong has graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Photo / Supplied
Graduating from university is an amazing achievement, especially when you're far away from home, in another country.
For young single adults (YSA) from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Brigham Young University-Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii) is a popular destination, especially for YSAs who have returned from serving fulltime missions and are seeking to further their education and meet new friends.
This journey provides tremendous opportunities for young people to meet others from around the world who live mutual standards of good health and wellbeing.
Quite a few Kahungunu students attend BYU-Hawaii. They live on campus and most of them are involved in the IWORK Programme designed to help students study while working at the neighbouring Polynesian Cultural Centre or on the BYU-Hawaii campus to help offset their school fees.
It's a great opportunity to learn, grow, and explore new talents. Most of the time, our Kahungunu students will gravitate to one another and enjoy conversations of home and family over a kiwi kai.
We have thousands of graduates of BYU-Hawaii who have returned home to New Zealand and many who have married and live either in Hawaii or in other parts of the world.
Recently my family and I travelled to Hawaii to attend my daughter's graduation. She will probably get upset that I write this article about her, but I am absolutely proud of her and her achievements. In fact, if it helps other YSAs find their way through young adulthood, then that's great.
This is an excerpt from her journey – Leilani Wong.
In 2017, after my mission, I came to Hawaii on a trip with Uncle Traci (Tuimaseve). Sitting in the Hawaii (LDS) Temple I was prompted to come to school here (at BYU-Hawaii). So, immediately after coming back home to NZ, I started my application. I applied twice and got rejected twice. It was embarrassing. In my third application, I thought, this is it, make it or move on ... and thankfully, I made it. I was accepted to school, and able to receive the IWORK scholarship.
Fall 2018, I arrived nervous and excited for what this new journey would bring. And what a journey it was. It was a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs! The off-and-on homesickness, the challenges of balancing school and work, the classes, food, slow communication, meeting people etc ... it was all a challenging journey.
I eventually craved the challenge, picking up three majors - psychology, graphic design, and social work. Which at times meant taking over 24 credits a semester. It was hard - and at times, depressing. But I'm proud of myself for sticking through. Something about taking three made me feel as though I was proving to myself and to the school, that if it took me three tries to get in here, I'm gonna do three times the work and prove I'm meant to be here.
Aside from studying, what really made this journey were the people. My family, my friends, my unit mates, co-workers, my professors and everyone else. People had everything to do with helping me get through and making this journey so much fun.
Thank you all for everything! Without you, I don't think I would have made it ... seriously, a few of you know how much I considered dropping out lol. So thank you for the pep talks, trips to the beach, naps, walks to the temple, drinks at soda bomb, basketball, movie nights, listening to music, massages, laughs, cries etc etc. THANK YOU.
I'm so grateful to have come here, there's something in the water aye. As much as it can be dreadful some days lol ... there's something special about it - a love for people, for education, for culture, for God! We come from all over the world and share this brief time together, and I couldn't be surer of my decision to come here. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Four years later, I've finally graduated. Again I sat in the Hawaii Temple, and thought, I did it Heavenly Father. Thank you for prompting me ... What's next?
If you're a YSA contemplating what you will do next, don't give up on your dreams of inner belief. Life is a journey. Dreams do come true.
On Saturday, June 25, Leilani graduated from Brigham Young University-Hawaii, magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree triple majoring in social work, psychology and graphic design.