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Kapiolani students
By Susan Kreifels
honored for
volunteer efforts
Star-BulletinWhen the world's children came to Hawaii last year, two Kapiolani Community College students embraced them. Now the world is taking note of their good deeds.
Rebecca McGonigle and Donovan Slack volunteered to help at the Millennium Young People's Congress, which drew 612 youths from 188 countries to Honolulu last fall. The youths from such poor, war-torn countries as Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Tanzania, inspired the women, who later wrote essays about the lasting impressions those meetings had on their lives.
The essays helped land McGonigle and Slack among 20 community college students from across the nation to be named to the All-USA Academic First Team.
"They lived the life we see on TV," McGonigle said about the starvation and violence that has dominated Africa. "We turn off the TV, go to bed and forget about it."
Slack, a journalism student who volunteered to coordinate 60 facilitators at the congress, said the youths shaped the way she "sees the world as a student, as an American and more importantly, as a journalist."
More than 1,400 students entered the two-year community college competition, sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, the American Association of Community Colleges, and USA Today.
Kapiolani Community College was the only school to have two winners. Entrants were judged on their leadership skills, academic achievements and community service. McGonigle and Slack received $2,500 stipends.
Slack, 32, completed her last semester at Kapiolani Community College via Internet. She moved to London in January as an intern with Peace Child International. She's been chosen as coordinator of the Millennium Action Fund and has spent the last semester traveling in Europe and North America to raise funds for youth congress projects. She also edited a book of work from youths around the world, which is being published by the United Nations.
Slack was the valedictorian of her class and regional president of Phi Theta Kappa's Pacific Region. Slack, who formerly worked in media advertising, will study journalism and international studies at New York University this fall.
McGonigle, 31, served as president of the community college's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. McGonigle, who worked in the food-service industry, is a liberal arts major in broadcast journalism. She's most interested in producing documentaries and hopes to eventually attend film school at the University of Southern California or University of California at Los Angeles. This fall she plans to enroll at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
McGonigle will join Slack in London for the summer.
Both women received Guistwhite Scholarships awarded by Phi Theta Kappa for their service to the organization. Kapiolani's chapter received five international awards and was named among the top 25 distinguished chapters. Phi Theta Kappa includes 1,200 chapters at community college around the world.
Slack credited the community college for the remarkable year she's seen.
"KCC is the most fertile ground for this kind of achievement to grow," she said.
