Prep School
How you entered Kamehameha was gruelling way back when. There was a master map with all of Hawai'i nei divided into sections. The statistics of Hawaiian population in each section was considered and a certain percentage of students was accepted from each section. In Central O'ahu they allowed 2 students from the Wahiawa area. I wanted to attend from Kindergarten but there was no transportation to Honolulu back then and it was impossible to think that my family would drive me each school day from Wahiawa Heights to Kapalama Heights.
Instead, I attended a small private school to get me ready, and then transferred to the local public elementary school until 6th grade. In the sixth grade we sent off the necessary applications, proof of Hawaiian ancestry, etc. Then I had to take one of those fill in the bubble standardized tests. We waited to hear and got the appointment for the board interview. Along with that interview (keep in mind, that although I dearly wanted to attend, I was PAINFULLY SHY) I had to hand write an essay. Then too, they wanted all of my previous school records. I had been getting good grades but wondered how I did that! We waited for acceptance. Eventually that came too. I had to be a boarder because, back then, there was still no transportation to Kapalama Heights unless my parents put me on a bus with multiple transfers and I started off at 5 in the morning!
I remember being so homesick! There were no phone calls home for the first couple of weeks. Home seemed so far away. It was 25 miles away!! But you know, from a Wahiawa pineapple fields country girl, it was far. We had only gone to Honolulu three times a year up until then (Christmas shopping, yearly physical and school shopping).
I waited to meet my roomate. Her name was Maile Shaw and she was coming from Paia, on Maui. She didn't show up the first day so I spent my first night alone in the room. I kept thinking she would be hapa haole--WRONG! Like me, she was very Hawaiian and happened to have a haole last name (HELLO...my name was Sterling!). And so began the biggest adventure of my life.
Instead, I attended a small private school to get me ready, and then transferred to the local public elementary school until 6th grade. In the sixth grade we sent off the necessary applications, proof of Hawaiian ancestry, etc. Then I had to take one of those fill in the bubble standardized tests. We waited to hear and got the appointment for the board interview. Along with that interview (keep in mind, that although I dearly wanted to attend, I was PAINFULLY SHY) I had to hand write an essay. Then too, they wanted all of my previous school records. I had been getting good grades but wondered how I did that! We waited for acceptance. Eventually that came too. I had to be a boarder because, back then, there was still no transportation to Kapalama Heights unless my parents put me on a bus with multiple transfers and I started off at 5 in the morning!
I remember being so homesick! There were no phone calls home for the first couple of weeks. Home seemed so far away. It was 25 miles away!! But you know, from a Wahiawa pineapple fields country girl, it was far. We had only gone to Honolulu three times a year up until then (Christmas shopping, yearly physical and school shopping).
I waited to meet my roomate. Her name was Maile Shaw and she was coming from Paia, on Maui. She didn't show up the first day so I spent my first night alone in the room. I kept thinking she would be hapa haole--WRONG! Like me, she was very Hawaiian and happened to have a haole last name (HELLO...my name was Sterling!). And so began the biggest adventure of my life.
posted by leona at 8:16 AM
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