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The Goddess Speaks

By Colleen Ino

Tuesday, December 12, 2000


Grateful graduate

IT'S been 11-1/2 years. Yes, that's right, 11-1/2 years since I entered the world of higher education through the portal of Kapiolani Community College. And now, on Sunday, I'm finally graduating from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa with a B.A. in Asian Studies and a minor in History.

For so many years, the $64,000 question has been, "So Colleen, when are you going to graduate?"

I would always say, "Um, I dunno."

Then, the followup question: "So, what are you majoring in?"

I dreaded answering because I knew that once I answered "Asian Studies," I'd be bombarded with more questions like, "So, what can you do with a degree in Asian Studies."

Puh-leez, give me a break! What do people think I'm going to do? Of course the answer to that question is make my mother happy. There is probably no mom in this world who will be happier to see her child graduate. When I started at KCC, I told my mom I would take 10 years to graduate. At the time, we both thought I was joking.

As the big day approaches I'm beginning to feel a sense of accomplishment as my career as a professional student comes to an end. I would like to take this opportunity to share some advice with fellow students. If you feel lost, unmotivated or pressured, just gaman, or persevere, because the end will eventually come if you just hang in there.

Someone else said to me "If you really don't know what you want to major in, study something that interests you."

This was the best advice for me. Over the years I had seen so many people studying to be in a profession, all the while hating school and their classes. If they hated the subject matter then, I wondered how they would feel once they were locked into those professions.

It wasn't until I got to the UH that I did focus on my interests. Studying about Japan, and recently about China, has been exciting. As I became more involved, I found school to be a great place to be rather than a place associated with rote drudgery. I would not have believed that someone once as unmotivated as I could actually find happiness in the classroom.

MY enthusiasm was fueled by many professors, especially Yukiyasu Ishigami Sensei, my source of great advice; Dr. John J. Stephan, who made my first semester at the UH the beginning of educational bliss; Dr. Sharon Minichiello, whose teaching style I most admired; and Dr. Ned Davis, who in my last semester made a course requirement interesting while at the same time teaching me to believe that I can understand and write about such difficult subjects as Chinese intellectual and religious history.

Thanks also go to my mom, of course. To my sister and brother-in-law, thank you for your non tax-deductible donation to the "Colleen College Fund." It really helped, especially after I defaulted on my loans from the "Bank of Mom." Your donations have been put to good use. The knowledge in my brain has blossomed and my library has expanded. I would not have been able to reach this goal without all of your support.

You've all inspired me to do my best and enlightened me with your vast knowledge.

One last note: to all of you who know me, please don't start with the next series of $1,000,000 -- adjusting for inflation -- questions such as, "When are you getting married?" After all, just remember how long it took for me to reach my educational milestone.

If you absolutely feel the need to ask, feel free, but again, I'll just have to answer, "Um, I dunno." That's my final answer.


Colleen Ino, who hasn't had enough of school,
will be returning the University of Hawai'i at Manoa
next semester as an unclassified graduate student.



The Goddess Speaks runs every Tuesday
and is a column by and about women, our strengths, weaknesses,
quirks and quandaries. If you have something to say, write it and
send it to: The Goddess Speaks, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, P.O.
Box 3080, Honolulu, 96802, or send e-mail
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