BYU-Hawaii staff and students came together on March 3 to celebrate the years of service of a long-time BYU-Hawaii employee, JoAnn Lowe, who worked as an academic advisor and in the Admissions Office for 31 years.
More than 50 friends, coworkers, and family members attended Lowe’s farewell party and showed appreciation for her time spent at BYUH.
James Faustino, the director of Admissions, said, “In the scriptures, in it Alma says, ‘By small and simple things are great things come to pass.’ [JoAnn is] small but not simple. She has the biggest heart I’ve known.”
Wendi Sanchez, Lowe’s daughter, said she is always so grateful her mom was able to work at BYUH and have such a great, supportive work environment.
At the event Lowe’s granddaughter, Mikayla Un, performed a Native American hoop dance she learned from her father. While Native American music was playing, she picked up the hoops one by one with her fingers and toes and jumped through them. She also intertwined all the hoops from left to right and held them with her hands and around her neck while spinning.
At the event, Lowe’s six daughters and granddaughter performed a hula. Her youngest daughter, Rachel Johnson, shared a message about her mother and the kind of person she is. “We always say she’s like a firecracker because firecrackers come in a small package but are always the life of the party and come with a big boom.”
One of her co-workers, Jason Ava, the Admissions technical analyst, asked, “You guys remember ‘The Incredibles?’ Every morning we’d see JoAnn walk to work and the kids go, ‘Dad that looks like Edna from ‘The Incredibles.’’ I saw [JoAnn] and said, ‘That’s who they made it from. They came to Hawaii when they were doing ‘Lilo and Stitch’ and they saw Aunty JoAnn and they said she’s incredible.’”
After their performances, everyone was invited outside where Ava’s Samoan family performed a traditional fireknife dance. Ava said to Lowe, “You light the fire in my life.”
The last performance featured a 19 year old who took off and threw his shirt in front of Lowe. While the crowd laughed, Lowe hid her eyes and joined in laughing. Later in the dance, the man invited Lowe to join him. When she did, Lowe and the crowd laughed and shared broad smiles. Afterwards, when they went back inside, a video by students and staff at the Admissions Office was shown where they described Lowe. They talked about her as a mother, superwoman, a giver, and one who “comforts us and encourages us to be the best we can be through bad and good times.”
The Admissions Office team, Ava, Faustino, and Chad Yuen, an Admissions officer, put on wigs and sunglasses and sang “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison. They lip synced “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles while swinging their arms out to the sides and bringing them together again to clap to the music. The last song was “My Girl” by The Temptations, where each man gestured toward Lowe one by one as the chorus sang “My girl, my girl, my girl.”
After which, Faustino spoke and said he’s worked with [Lowe] for seven or eight years and it’s hard to say goodbye. “It’s been a joy to work with her. She brings the spirit with her wherever she goes.”
Faustino presented Lowe with a picture of Jesus surrounded by children “from all over the nation.” Lowe responded, “Oh my gosh, so sad, but I’m going to see you at Foodland, yeah?” Guests laughed at this remark. She continued by thanking Jacob Nihipali, the Event Services and Outreach manager, who gave her a picture of the temple, which she said she always wanted, and an Edna Mode, talking ornament.
Nihipali, who used to work in Admissions as a BYUH student 17 years ago, shared, “Her compassion and kind reminders helped shape how I work in the office today.” Nihipali explained, “She has a big heart and no matter how difficult her day was going, she powered through it and kept a positive attitude. That’s something we all can learn from.”
Rachel Johnson then joined her mother and said she was prompted by her dad to go up and thank her mom. Johnson said, “Thank you to everyone at BYUH for being part of her life. Thank you for taking care of my mom. For 31 years, it’s amazing what she’s done.” She said her mom switched to working in Admissions full time when her dad passed away 20 years ago. Because of her mother there was always love in their home, Johnson explained. BYUH students would come over to their house to visit Lowe and her family some days and holidays, she said.
Johnson shared, “We were just always ready with extra food because we knew students would just come by and we had to be able to feed them.”
She said the Admissions Office became part of Lowe’s family and she is thankful for that. “My mom worked so hard to continue to take care of my family without my dad, but I know my dad’s been with her along the way. And I know that he’s been here when my sisters and I were supposed to all come together.”
Eddie Maiava, an Admissions officer, said, “She is the most service-oriented individual. She puts everything on hold when you see her and gives you all her attention. One could go to her and ask her the same question more than once and she would still explain it just as patient as the first time. She’s very loving and always willing to help. She’s a prime example of service.”
Cici Chan, a senior from Hong Kong studying hospitality and tourism management, said, “She’s the kindest person I’ve ever met. I just love working with her.”
Chan has been working in Admissions for two years with Lowe. She said, “She is a very considerate person. She cares about every one of us and not just about work but also about our personal lives.”
Brenda Okada, a freshman from Brazil with an undecided major who had been working in the Admissions Office for the past two months, said Lowe was the one who hired her and was really patient. “She knows everything. I don’t know how she does it. And if she doesn’t know, she knows who to ask.”
Writer: Emmalee Smith