A life-changing class, the support of family and friends and gaining confidence through traveling, are memorable parts of college life
A four-year college journey is a time to grab opportunities to learn and grow, said graduating BYU-Hawaii students. They shared resources available on campus helped them in their college journeys and which opportunities they regretted not taking.
Taking advantage of opportunities and resources
Choosing to be involved in many different things is something Bailee Fox, a senior double majoring in social work and intercultural peacebuilding from Utah, said she was glad she did. “I tried to take any opportunity I was given. I am glad to do a lot of things and be surrounded by and learn a lot from different people,” she said.
Fox said looking back to all the things she took part in made her feel well accomplished, whether it was working as a tour guide at the Polynesian Cultural Center, being part of the Social Work Club Presidency, and being the field director for a year aligned with her intercultural peacebuilding major.
“I was able to spend time and learn about other cultures. Work with awesome people who have a similar passion for social work as I do. Help in [each] department [I worked with], and learn a lot from the community, “ she said.
Johann Faana-Kong from Tahiti, French Polynesia, a senior majoring in political science, said participating in university trips made his college experience meaningful. He said, one of the memorable trips he took part in for his political science class was when he went to New York to attend a United Nations meeting. “ We went and met with many ambassadors of the Pacific at the United Nations,” he said.
“We were able to talk about different issues that they are advocating for at the U.N,. and we also visited the United States Headquarters,” said Faana-Kong. This experience, he said, helped him to become more confident in himself. Learning in class is more theoretical, but being able to be out and witness how people work in the actual setting is another thing, he said.
As a non-native English speaker, Faana-Kong said regularly meeting with a mentor for his English as an International Language (EIL) class helped him learn the language quickly. He said he was also heavily involved in club activities, such as serving as the club president for Tahiti for two semesters. “Getting involved allowed me to embrace college student life better,” he said.
Wilmar Banguilan-Kim, a senior majoring in social work from the Philippines, said she was proud of balancing family life while gaining an education and working part-time. She said she married in December 2021, started college immediately after that, and gave birth a year later in December 2022. “I am proud I was able to survive all of that,” she said.
She said seeking help and assistance from the resources available for mothers on campus helped her a lot. “Sister Brock, Sister Wadman, Sister Cripen, and all the couple missionaries assigned in TVA, assisted me in my transition to becoming a young mom,” she said. Because her family lives far away, she said they served as mother figures to her as they continuously gave her motivation and reassurance she was doing well in her studies and as a mom. “Everything from prenatal classes, giving birth, to feeding the baby and taking care of it. They gave the best support... I wouldn’t be able to overcome postpartum without their help,” she said.
Of reflections and regrets
Taking care of a baby while studying and working simultaneously can be challenging, said Banguilan-Kim. “There are many extracurricular activities and events I was unable to join because I prioritized taking care of our baby, such as attending university events and performing in Culture Night,” she said.
Banguilan-Kim also expressed her regrets for not acknowledging the importance of networking earlier. “Because I was shy and felt like I didn’t have enough time, I was not able to participate that much in club activities and networking events, such as Career Fair,” she said.
Faana-Kong said he took four different minors because he didn’t want to focus and specialized in only one thing. “I want to have my doors open and enlarge my horizons...[but] I’m still searching for what I want to do later,” he said.
He said, though he had grabbed a lot of opportunities to get involved around the campus, one thing he wished he had done was to add another major. “If I could go back in time and do something else, I probably would have chosen business management as a second major alongside my political science major,” he said.
He said he thinks politics and business go hand in hand and can benefit each other. He also said he is becoming more interested in creating a business that increases job opportunities for people back in Tahiti.
Fox also said one thing she wished she had known before coming to college is her time here is not to figure out exactly what she will do with her life, rather, it is to gain experience with different things.
She said she thinks it’s a lie when people say something like, “You’ll know what you want to do with your life,” or “You’ll figure out what you want,” to someone who just entered college. “In college, I think you come and try things. Sometimes you just don’t know for sure. Even as a senior, you’re still figuring it out,” she explained.
When she came to BYUH, she said she thought she would do psychology. “There was no room in the psychology class I wanted to get into, so I had to take a social work class,” she shared. After taking that class, she said she ended up falling in love with social work and made it her major. “I am grateful that I was forced to take a class I wasn’t planning on,” she said.
The main challenges Fox said she faced while being a student were taking care of herself and finding a good balance in her life. She said there were times she would be burnt out and sacrifice her sleep. She said sometimes she even forgot to eat. “It would seem like a little thing, but over time you just decline. Your mental health will be bad and then it just impacts every part of your life,” she said.
With the support of her friends, she said she was able to overcome it. She said they would check in with her and remind her to care for herself and sleep more.
Navigating college expectations
Prior to college, Fox said she didn’t really know what to expect. She said, “I wanted to make sure that I took advantage of the different opportunities I was given.” She added she wanted to learn and immerse herself in Hawaiian culture, “the land, the life here, and all the various cultures that are represented here at BYU–Hawaii.”
Growing up in Utah, Fox said she initially planned to study at BYU in Provo because it’s close to her home. She said she has always liked being exposed to different cultures when she had the opportunity. However, she said, on the U.S. mainland, she sometimes feels like she doesn’t get to learn as much about other cultures.
“Learning from different people from different places, and learning about their personal experiences and values they have in their culture is really inspiring to me. I can learn from their perspective and take what I like from that into my own life a little bit,” she said.
Faana-Kong said he had some expectations about college life, however, he was more surprised with the culture shock, especially with making friends. “With the different cultures we have on campus, I thought it was going to be easier to make friends. The reality is it was really hard for me,” he said.
“When you get into a new environment, you would think things would happen in a certain way. However, when you actually get there, it’s totally different,” said Faana-Kong. Though it was still hard for him to reach out to people, he said stepping out of his comfort zone has helped him to adjust better. “Going to the dances, talking to the people at the cafeteria, doing those small things helped me better navigate college life,” he said.
Moving forward with gratitude
Faana-Kong said the simple fact he’s graduating early is an accomplishment in itself. “I know that I have received a lot of help from Heavenly Father by coming here,” he said.
“To give back what you have received,” Faana-Kong said is the greatest lesson he learned during his four years at BYUH.
He explained, “Being able to come here and receive a full scholarship was really a blessing. Those are Heavenly Father’s blessings to me. And so, I learned throughout my journey here, I need to work on giving back what I have received.”
Initially hesitant to pursue an education at BYUH, Banguilan-Kim said her husband encouraged her. “At first, it was difficult for me to leave my country, but now, it’s the best decision I have made so far,” she expressed.
Through her decision, she said she and her husband learned to be more independent and rely on each other. She said especially in taking care of their baby and balancing school, work, and church callings. “I have always received help from the Lord to do all of these things. He is the center of our lives,” she added.
“I will always carry on with gratitude in my heart,” said Banguilan-Kim. Without the help of the I-WORK scholarship and university sponsors, she said she wouldn’t have this opportunity to gain a higher quality of education and experience. “It has been a blessing and I will always remember these,” she said.