BYUH students say living in Laie helps them learn to follow Christ and like the banyan tree, people grow together in unity
For BYU–Hawaii students, leaving the place they have considered home for years during their university journey is more than a mere change of scenery. Instead, it is a heartfelt farewell to a place where they have grown and learned, they said, and a place that will forever hold a special place in their shared memories and hearts.
Holding Laie Point as a special place where her and her husband’s journey began, Sidney Gatus from Utah who is a BYU-Idaho alumna, said, “This is where we officially began our journey together. It is bittersweet to leave as I remember my first visit to Hawaii to visit him while we were dating long distance.” Her husband, Mark Gatus, a senior from the Philippines majoring in hospitality and tourism management, said Laie has more beyond its beauty and landmarks.
“It’s a place rich in history. I still see it as a place of refuge like those early pioneers that settled here in Laie,” he said. He added Laie is more than just a place but one with a fruitful
history. “If you’re spending time here, really soak it in. It is a special place and its people are special,” he said. He said the experiences an individual will have in Laie is important and should not be taken for granted.
Sidney Gatus said living in Laie allowed her and her husband to learn self-reliance. She said, “We’ve really learned to rely on each other and how to grow together without the influence of family around. It’s been challenging, but we’ve learned much about each other.” She added how living in a small close-knit community with the temple helped them center Jesus Christ in their marriage. As a result, they experienced strength in their marriage through difficult times. She said, “We are always taken care of, whether we are struggling financially or with classes and work, we are somehow okay with groceries and everything ends up working out for the best.”
As a professional photographer and videographer, Mark Gatus said he will remember their times in Laie through every video and photo he took. “Every image of sunset and sunrise that I’ve taken here will serve as a reminder to me of this place, as well as friends and people I’ve met,” he said. He advised students who will stay in Laie during their educational journeys to do things that will help improve the community. “We owe it to them and the kupuna who live here. Be a part of their community and respect and love them as your own.”
Shawn Galiley, a junior majoring in psychology from Texas, shared his love for the people, the culture and the diversity on the BYUH campus. “Prophets of God...set in place BYUH so people from all walks of life from all over the globe could come together in a time when our brains are still developing to get to know each other and learn from each other,” he said. He explained as people unite, they share their lives, insights and cultivate a diverse community resembling a prototype of Zion. Laie is a special place because of the special opportunity to learn of Christ in a community centered around Jesus Christ, he said. His wife, Makayla Galiley, said she will miss the beauty and close friends she has made. “There is no other place like Laie, where the spirit of willingness to be more like Jesus Christ is everywhere, and it’s sprouted like a banyan tree,” she said.
She expressed students have the opportunity to grow and create miracles as God’s miracle workers. “I have experienced the love that God has for others because I have been willing. We just have to be willing and that is something I have learned here,” she said. Using the metaphor of the banyan tree’s interconnected roots, Makayla Galiley said, people who go through Laie and BYUH come together, connect and grow together and leave Laie as a better individual.