Rant & Rave
Rant & Rave
I came to Hawaii a military brat. When Dad decided to retire, Hawaii became home. Although I feel very fortunate to live in a place most pay thousands to visit, I am ready to move on. I applied to colleges in major cities such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, with the support of my parents, who are willing to back me 100 percent. West or East, make
a move while you canI should add that I have no college fund and my parents are not millionaires. They know that I have the opportunity to do something they could not. How anyone could put limitations on that is beyond me. Yet, well-meaning people have tried.
I am sick and tired of being made to feel from my peers and others in the community that local colleges and universities are my only options. When I tell people, "I'm headed to the mainland for college," I receive reactions like, "Da mainland? They shoot you over there!" or "You'll be miserable there!"
A teacher I know who cares very much about the future of students gives out information on schools, only in this state. When asked about mainland colleges, a look of confusion crossed the teacher's face. It was as if the idea that someone was not choosing to stay in Hawaii was a new concept. I have found that many adults in this community feel they must do all they can to prevent young people from leaving. I overheard the mother of an honor student in my class say, "He wants to go to the mainland for college but I told him, 'no, stay here.' "
"I implore every young person out there, DO NOT ALLOW OTHERS TO PUT LIMITATIONS ON YOU. If anything, education is something on which there should be no limits. You don't have to attend Punahou or Iolani to try your hand at a mainland school.
I understand money and the need to be close to home may be issues for some, but if there is a school out there for you, no matter how far away, make it happen! I will do it, somehow, some way. There is a whole world out there for me to discover. I owe it to myself as a citizen of this earth to experience all that I can.
Hawaii has been, for the most part, good to me. But I am tired of being discouraged, I am tired of being told I will be too hot, too cold, too lonely, too busy, too homesick.
On a recent visit to a counselor's office I mentioned my desire to attend NYU. The response I received was anything but positive. I was told I would have to step over homeless people to get to class, that moving to New York would make me cold, crass, mean.
Discouraging young people to leave the island will do one of two things. It will cause them to miss out on the wonderful opportunity to test their new legs. If they fail, so what? There is always home and the realization that they TRIED. Or they could prove the naysayers wrong. Success that way will be much sweeter.
I recently visited the NYU campus. If you don't believe me when I say I did not encounter one homeless person, I have the home video to prove it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Hawaii is not the center of the universe. What if man had not ventured beyond the fold to discover the world was not flat? What then?
Carrie Moea Brown is a senior at Pearl City High School
who will attend Northwestern University in the fall.Rant & Rave allows those 12 to 22
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