Boxer 'Ohana on Oahu

By Logan Okita '06  

Pacific alumni at the Oahu Boxer 'Ohana Reception on 7/20

I recently attended the Oahu Boxer 'Ohana Reception for alumni, parents, and friends of Pacific University. It was held at Kapiolani Community College as a part of the Hawaii student registration weekend festivities.  What a great event!  

There was a great turn out with a wide range of participants. It was great to see so many new faces! The food was prepared by students in KCC’s culinary arts program, a great group of current students shared about their experience at Pacific, we heard about the new business school opening, and played a fun BINGO game related to Pacific. Can you find someone at your next Pacific gathering who has touched Boxer, met their significant other while in college, and rode the 57 (TV Highway) bus? The prizes for the games were handy Pacific gear like a blanket, a portfolio, and tumblers. A group of us had so much fun that we went out afterward for more dessert to end the night.

Now I may be biased because I helped with some of the coordination by contacting alumni from the Class of 2000 to the Class of 2012 along with several other alumni and parent volunteers, but these events are always a lot of fun. 

Each year, we work together to promote the January and July events to encourage others to attend and get to know more about what is going on at Pacific. When I first attended one of these receptions, I was scared about not knowing anyone, but I remembered what I loved the most about Pacific, no matter what your relationship with the person or your age, everyone is a part of the family. Everyone at the events is welcoming. 

Okita '06 and her mom after Honolulu Marathon in 2011.

You run into parents of your friends who want to know what you have been up to, classmates that you’ve lost touch with, and in July, professors who impacted your life and career or are now teaching your favorite course. Both events are a great way to hear about what is happening at Pacific, what has changed since the last time you were in Forest Grove, and what the plan is for the future. They are also a great opportunity for networking to build your client base because who wouldn’t want to support someone else from Pacific?

I enjoy getting phone calls from the students during Phonathon, especially when I can answer their questions about teaching in Hawaii and encourage them to come here to teach. While I wish I could give more to Pacific to financially support what they do, I have found I can give back by volunteering for these events. 

I hope if you graduated since 2000 and live on Oahu, you receive my emails about the events, come out to the January and July events to represent your class, and have joined our Hawaii Pacific Young Alumni group on Facebook where we post about things happening at Pacific and arrange our own happy hours to catch up.  I’m looking forward to seeing even more alumni, parents, and friends at the next event!

Okita '06 teaches second grade at Fern Elementary School in Kalihi, Hawaii and will start her seventh year this fall. She majored in Education and Learning with a minor in Psychology and she went on to earn a Master's of Education in Curriculum Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, doing craft projects, and exercising (walking, turbokick, and boot camp).