Newsmaker
Monday, September 7, 1998
Name: Stanford Togashi
Age: 21
Position: UH-Manoa undergraduate student body president
Education: Waiakea High
Pastimes: Sports
Stanford Togashi has grown accustomed to working behind the scenes in student government, both in high school and, for the past two years, at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. UH's student leader
But this year, the 21-year-old Waiakea High graduate steps into the spotlight as Manoa's undergraduate president, a position he says has been two years in the making as an ASUH senator.
Togashi, a senior in the UH College of Business Administration, said he'll use the leadership style of the association's past two presidents, C. Mamo Kim and Scott Nishimoto.
"I thought I could actually combine the two of them: the fight and drive of Mamo, with Scott's professionalism and his tactfulness in handling people," Togashi said. "They were really good role models, both of them."
Togashi and the rest of the student government have been hard at work since they took over in May.
Among their immediate goals for this school year - and one that the UH administration strongly supports - is an increase in pride among students, he said.
In general, students at Manoa don't have enough pride in their institution, he said. Although it may not be a Stanford, Harvard or Michigan, Togashi said UH is a great university that offers a sound educational value.
Togashi believes every Hawaii high school student should consider attending the university, even those in the top 1 percent of their class, who likely would go elsewhere.
A native of Hilo, he hopes to graduate with a bachelor's degree in management information sciences.
Ideally, he'd like to start a business with a friend that fixes and programs computers, which has become a hobby of his ever since his father bought him a computer in his early teens. If possible, he'd like to open the business in his hometown of Hilo.
His father, Steven Togashi, is a former Hawaii Community College electronics professor who now works for Hawaii County. His mother, Rose Togashi, is a registered nurse.
Pat Omandam, Star-Bulletin
