Freshmen students from the Philippines, Japan and Thailand shared why they decided to attend BYU–Hawaii, as well as their preparations to come to campus during the pandemic. They said they choose to be optimistic despite being unable to attend classes in person.
Unexpected change of plans
Christine Joy Encarguez, a freshman from the Philippines majoring in visual arts, said, “I was frustrated and devastated I could not travel to Hawaii.” Two weeks before her visa interview, Encarguez said she flew to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, to go to the United States Embassy for her visa application.
She said, “The lockdown happened [while I was in Manila], and it was really a hard time for me.” With tears building in her eyes, she shared, “I got stuck in Manila for four months.” After wiping the tears from her eyes, she continued to share what happened. “The U.S. Embassy decided not to accept any visa interviews a week after I got to Manila.” She said she then found out BYUH would not be accepting any international students, but later was accepted.
Yoshihiro Ogata, a freshman from Japan majoring in accounting, shared, “When I got the email university classes would be remote, I did not know what kind of classes I would take. I did not know how I would attend online classes and how I would adjust to Hawaii time. … I felt a little bit frustrated because I was excited, but I could not go [to Hawaii].
“The beginning of the semester was a little bit hard. It was difficult for me because of the time difference between Japan and Hawaii. I have to wake up at 2:30 in the morning.”
Ogata said despite the difficulty of adjusting to the time differences and not traveling to campus, he is still worried for his family to travel because of the possibility of contracting the virus along the way.
For Sirawit Kitwongpak, a freshman from Thailand majoring in accounting, it turned out it was a blessing for him to stay in his home country. He said he was relieved when he found out he would not travel to Hawaii because of his concerns about COVID-19.
“There were a lot of cases in America. … I don’t have to travel now to Hawaii, but I can still study at BYUH remotely.”
Why BYU–Hawaii?
Encarguez said she decided to attend BYUH because she has friends studying here and they encouraged her to give it a shot.
She shared she is interested in studying the arts, but art programs in her home country are very expensive. She said, “One of the reasons I want to attend BYUH [is] because of the programs they offer for students who have a passion for the arts.”
Kitwongpak shared, “When I was 16 years old, before joining the Church, I met a member who graduated from BYUH. This person saw potential in me to be a future student at BYUH because I was so enthusiastic to learn more about the Church.”
Ogata stated, “My Father and my mission president suggested I attend BYUH.” Ogata said he wants to work as an accountant and be a business translator in the near future.
Acceptance to BYUH
Sharing she was once denied admission, Encarguez said, “After the experience, I decided not to let it go. I was obsessed with getting admitted. I [was] willing to wait. When I received the second letter, I got accepted. I cried because of happiness.”
For Kitwongpak, BYUH is the only university he wanted to attend and, he said, he kept applying until he got in. “I tried four times to get in. … When I got the acceptance letter, I was so excited and happy. My dream came true and Heavenly Father answered my prayers at the right time.”
Recalling his BYUH acceptance, Ogata said, “I was very excited. I could not imagine I would be a student at BYUH. My wife and my children were also excited.”
Preparations and sacrifices
Encarguez shared she decided to transfer from a university in the Philippines to BYUH to study art, her real passion. She was studying information systems previously, she explained. Now, at BYUH, she is majoring in visual arts.
She commented, “One sacrifice I made to come to BYUH is I went away for a year far from my family to work as a data processor at a call center company to prepare myself financially to go to Hawaii.”
Ogata said he left his current job for a part-time job in preparation to travel to campus. He continued, “My wife quit her job. She sacrificed her career. We prepared to move to Hawaii and bought the stuff we needed. We studied the Book of Mormon and the gospel as a family to have a strong faith.”
Kitwongpak shared he is preparing physically, spiritually and financially before coming to campus. He said, “Preparation for coming to BYUH is like going on a mission. I need to be healthy so I can work at the PCC. I have been exercising for that purpose.
“I have been preparing spiritually by reading the scriptures every day and attending institute class here in Thailand. I try to save as much money as I can so I can buy my plane ticket and process my visa.”
Optimistic despite challenges
Encarguez shared, “The good thing was, when I heard the university would do remote classes for Fall Semester, I had hope because at least, through online classes, I could start studying at BYUH. It is a blessing I can still be part of the school.”
She said she is taking EIL 201 remotely at BYUH, which is about preparing international students for life on campus, including the location of buildings and the different foods available. Encarguez said she has been going to the gym for a month now and is learning how to cook healthy food. She also shared she is spending a lot of time with her family so she can bring those memories with her to Hawaii.
She commented, “I have learned to be patient because I have waited for a long time to be at BYUH, and then the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult. I learned how to accept my situation in life because we cannot control the things around us. It is up to Heavenly Father when He will give the blessings we asked for.”
Ogata shared, “Even if the classes are [remote], it is very worth it to attend BYUH because I can learn by myself. I learned to manage my schedule, use my time wisely and finish the modules on time. My classmates and teachers are very kind, awesome and they are very considerate people.”
Ogata said during the pandemic he learned the importance of having a stable faith and good family relationships. He continued, “We need a strong relationship with our families to overcome this pandemic. We need a strong faith to have hope for a brighter future.”
Kitwongpak said he feels the timing is not yet right for him to come to Hawaii. He shared, “Because of remote learning, I can still serve in my calling at church as an executive secretary in my stake. If I went to Hawaii this semester, it would be difficult to find a new person to replace my calling.”
Looking forward to the future
Encarguez said she would still love to go to Hawaii because she already made sacrifices to go there. She shared, “I am looking forward to meeting new friends, working at different jobs and enjoying classes in person.
“Being on campus is enough for me. I want to utilize the different resources the campus has to offer for the betterment of my education. I also want to visit the beaches near the campus.”
Ogata shared, “We are looking forward to visiting the PCC. My little kid loves the movie ‘Moana,’ and she [wants] to go to PCC so bad. We would like to see what kind of stuff we can experience there. We would like to visit Ala Moana too because it is famous for Japanese tourists.”
Kitwongpak said he is planning to do different activities when he gets to Hawaii. He shared, “There are a lot of things I am looking forward to doing in Hawaii. I want to meet my friends from my mission. I’d like to go to PCC and see what it is like. I recently learned about Pearl Harbor and I found out it is located on the island of O’ahu. Hawaii is a paradise for me. I would stroll around, swim and eat different food.”
Kitwongpak added he would love to be a dancer at the PCC. “It is my dream to dance with the Polynesians.”