JOIN OUR ILLUMINATION VIRTUAL EVENTS IN APRIL

MAHALO TO THE QUEEN'S HEALTH SYSTEMS FOR BEING THE TITLE SPONSOR OF

ASSETS SCHOOL'S 65TH ANNIVERSARY TELEVISION SHOW

Mark your calendars for

Wednesday, April 14th at 8 p.m. on K5,

Saturday, April 17th at 6 p.m. on KGMB-TV (CBS) and

Sunday, April 18th at 4 p.m. on KHNL-TV (NBC)

Learn more about all the amazing things happening at Assets School, as shared by our teachers, administrators, trustees, parents and students. Our one-hour television show features co-hosts McKenna Maduli and Steve Uyehara with special appearances by Moani Hara ‘08, music by Grammy nominated Henry Kapono and Kapono Wong ‘20. We are very grateful to The Queen’s Health Systems for being our title sponsor and Pacific In Vitro Fertilization Institute for being a segment sponsor as well as all our 2021 Illumination Sponsors. All funds raised from sponsorships and auction sales support tuition assistance for the upcoming school year. We currently have nearly 40% of our students needing assistance due to the pandemic. Join us in helping our ‘ohana!

FACEBOOK LIVE EVENT

Log on to Assets School’s Facebook Live to meet Auctioneer Eric Schiff for an in-depth look at items up for bid in the Illumination 2021 Online Auction. This one-hour event will also include special guests and musical performances by Assets students and alumni.

Saturday, April 17th, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.

ILLUMINATION AUCTION OPENS ON APRIL 10TH! 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR FUNDRAISER FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE

Gen Asano of Vesso Surfboards designed, shaped and glassed this beautiful 9’2” Gypsy model, single fin, nose-riding board especially for the Assets Auction.

Gary Chen, parent to Carys ‘24, has been an Illumination parent volunteer for the past five years. He has enjoyed being involved and helping with everything from event set-up to donation acquisition when our events were in-person. Even though we are doing virtual events this year, Gary and his family want to contribute in whatever way they can. 

This marks the fourth year that the Chen family has donated a custom-made surfboard to our auction. “We offer our assistance and want to encourage other parents to get involved to help the families who need tuition assistance so that Assets children can continue to attend Assets School,” said Gary Chen. “We have been very fortunate and want to give back so that others can benefit. We thought a surfboard would be a fun item for the auction because it encourages people to bid on something that will bring them enjoyment for years to come.”

In the past, Gary donated Tokoro surfboards that were designed for more skilled surfers. This year he decided to donate a beautiful, fun longboard, something that can be ridden by a wide range of skill levels, from beginner to pro. This 9’ by 2” beauty is designed for nose-riding and has a single fin. The colorful design of the board is one-of-a-kind and strikes a resemblance to the “kamaboko slippers” that many locals wore in Hawaii in the 1970s and 80s. To learn more about the Gypsy board, check out Vesso Surf’s website. 

Mahalo to the Chen family and all of our families who have generously donated items to our auction!  Stay tuned to email and social media in the coming weeks to see more featured auction items!

PAYING IT FORWARD AND HELPING OTHERS

The Assets mentorship program has helped many students to pave a path towards fulfilling their dreams, igniting their future and meeting their life’s goals. 

Landon Hamada, D.Arch ‘06 may have graduated from Assets School more than a decade ago,  but memories of his time at Assets remain fresh in his mind. “The mentorship program is my favorite memory of Assets,” said Landon. “When I was in the 11th grade, I was interested in engineering and a mentorship in drafting at Belt Collins was the closest thing to that field. My mentors, Albert Rivera and Brian Kawamoto at Belt Collins provided a nourishing environment that inspired me and taught me the basics of a drafting program that I use in my job today. I was hooked and I wanted to learn more. I remember that they gave me a card that said, ‘one day our paths would meet.’ They were right; Belt Collins is now a part of the company that I work for and just last week I saw one of my mentors who is still working there. I took that opportunity to thank him for inspiring me to pursue my career 16 years ago.” 

Landon emphasizes, “For me, it was never about money or fame or any of those things. It’s about helping people. And that’s exactly what I get to do in my work today.”

Landon is currently fulfilling his passion for helping others with Bowers + Kubota, a 100% employee-owned kama`aina architectural/engineering firm, based in Hawaii.

“As architects, we tend to see things differently than others - we see things in three dimensions and I think that helps us find unique solutions. I love the challenge of figuring things out,” said Landon. “ I love that I get to help those who are less fortunate, and those who need help. For example, right now I’m working with the State Department of Education, which is helping schools and  is helping children. So, I know what I’m doing is making a difference in people’s lives and that makes it fulfilling, meaningful work.”

Tune in to hear more about how Assets changed Landon’s life in our television program on Hawaii News Now stations on Wednesday, April 14th at 8 p.m. on K5, Saturday, April 17th at 6 p.m. on KGMB-TV, and Sunday, April 18th at 4 p.m. on KHNL-TV.

Assets Alumni - we’d love to hear from you! Please share your current contact information and what life adventures you’ve been on since leaving Assets. Click on the link below.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF ASSETS STUDENTS BY SUPPORTING ILLUMINATION 2021!  

  Assets School |  1 Ohana Nui Way  |  Honolulu, HI 96818

(808) 423-1356