HAWAII’S SCHOOLS
COURTESY OF MARYKNOLL HIGH SCHOOL Maryknoll juniors and seniors take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony as part of their student exchange trip to Tokyo.
For the past 15 years, Maryknoll High School has developed one of the most extensive foreign exchange programs in Hawaii. As stated in Maryknoll's Foreign Exchange/Travel Program policy handbook, "The founders of Maryknoll School were dedicated to the belief that our lives extend far beyond our own immediate surroundings." Worlds of Wisdom
Exchange programs with five nations
Thoughts from the Road
expand students' horizons
About this page
Teacher faces cultural
challenges in Zimbabwe
By Brian Klein
Maryknoll High SchoolBecause of this, the school has made it a point to provide its students with opportunities to live with a host family, study abroad and be of service to others. In reaching out, Maryknoll has effectively made the world a classroom for its students, breaking down boundaries and expanding its students' horizons beyond Hawaii.
The primary drive of Maryknoll's exchange program is centered in the World Languages Department. Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, French, Spanish and Hawaiian are all offered at the school, and all except Hawaiian have an exchange course to complement them.
Exchange courses consist of eight weeks of classroom instruction followed by three to four weeks in a country where the people speak the target language. Previous exchanges have included trips to France, Spain, Costa Rica, Japan and China. This past year, two groups went to Japan -- one to Tokyo, the other to Hiroshima -- while another group went to China and yet another went to France.
In each of these situations, students lived with a host family for a week or two and then spent the remainder of their stay sightseeing and studying the language and culture.
In the second part of the exchange, the foreign host students visit Hawaii, where the Maryknoll students play host and help them to see and experience Hawaii.
"The experience that Maryknoll provides for its students is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am grateful for," said junior Alyssa Oshiro, who went on one of the Japanese exchanges.
Juniors Cailyn Harris and Michelle Tokars shared similar comments about their French exchange.
"I had a spectacular time in my visit to France," Harris said. "I experienced many things that you could never experience anywhere else."
"I am glad that I had the opportunity to travel to a different country and learn their language and about their culture," Tokars added.
For many of the participants, traveling to these foreign lands made history come alive before their eyes. The beauty of the diverse landscapes of their host nations, along with the kindness and generosity shown by host students and families, also struck those lucky enough to take part in the program.
In keeping with the missionary spirit of the Maryknoll Order, Maryknoll High School also offers the Mission to Majuro program. Students are sent as missionaries to Majuro atoll, capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where they help teach summer school at Assumption High School and volunteer in the community.
This mission is a natural extension of Maryknoll's commitment to community service: All students are required to complete 100 hours of community service in order to meet graduation requirements, though in reality the vast majority goes far above this mark.
Besides the Mission to Majuro, Maryknoll coordinates many other unique service projects, including the Kahoolawe Experience. In cooperation with the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission, students travel to Kahoolawe and assist in the restoration effort there.
Maryknoll has also sent students and teachers on numerous educational trips throughout the United States and abroad as part of the Foreign Exchange/Travel Program, with excursions to Russia, Western Samoa, Boston, Oregon, Australia, England and Washington, D.C.
Maryknoll has established long-term relationships with many schools and organizations across the globe, meaning students will continue to have an extensive range of options to study abroad in the future.
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Several Maryknoll students share their most memorable experiences from their respective exchange programs. THOUGHTS
FROM THE
ROADKaren Chou
Junior
China program"The whole trip to China was a refreshing culture shock. But I'd have to say that the best times were our last days in Hong Kong, when we had free time and ate together at a Vietnamese restaurant."
Davin Schmidt
Senior
China program"The most unforgettable experience was that I learned that the economic development of China clearly shows that those (as in American entrepreneurs who plan to develop in China) who possess the ability to speak Chinese have a bright future ahead of them."
Tillianne Ringwood
Senior
France program"The food in Paris was so flavorful and exquisite!"
Craig Arakawa
Junior
Japan (Hiroshima) program"The most enjoyable experiences in Japan were traveling to and from the country and finding cheap food to buy at Kyoto Station."
Alyssa Oshiro
Junior
Japan (Hiroshima) program"Every aspect of my experience was memorable, especially making lifetime friends and discovering the unique historical sights that connected me to my culture."
Jill Okihara
Senior
Japan (Tokyo) program"Playing in the snow and finding clothes sizes that fit -- the people in Japan are so small!"
Michelle Crush
Junior
Mission to Majuro"On one of the weekends, we visited a nearby island. It was fun because it allowed us to observe nature's beauty and connect with other students."
Stacey Wong
Senior
Mission to Majuro"Because Majuro is an atoll (an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon), the landscapes are really beautiful. One of my favorite places was a beach at the end of the island. It was the cleanest, whitest beach I have ever seen. The water was so clear."
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About this page
Each week, Hawaii's teenage reporters and photographers tell us about their high school. This week's school is Maryknoll High School.Newspaper: Chi Rho Knoller
Editor in chief: Denise Nelson
Editorial editor: Jan Arbaugh
Sports editor: Ryan Liu
Photo editor: Craig Arakawa
Music editor: Paul Balazs
Reporters:
Elizabeth Kor, Alyssa Oshiro and Brian Klein
Photographers:
Gabriel Nojadera and Daniel Kim
Faculty adviser: Kateri Inglis
Next week: Waianae High School
Spartan facts
Founded: 1927, by the Maryknoll Sisters, a Catholic mission society from New York
Motto: "Noblesse Oblige" -- "To whom much is given, much is expected"
Colors: Maroon and gold
Nickname: Spartans
Students (K-12): 1,350
Teachers: 150
Student-teacher ratio: 9-1
Clubs and committees: 36
Trivia tidbits
>> Maryknoll has more than 100 teams in 21 different sports.
>> Ninety-three boys and 77 girls were in the first class in 1927.
>> The school joined the Coalition of Essential Schools in 1995.
>> Air conditioning was installed in buildings on the high school campus in 1998, and on the elementary school campus in 2002.
>> 100 percent of all students are accepted to colleges.
>> All classes have computers and printers; a laptop program was established in 2000.
Maryknoll High School staff
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