[intro music] HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's   New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha and welcome to this episode of HIKI NŌ on  PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Emma Roy and I am a senior   at H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui.

We have a  packed show for you tonight.

I get to reveal the   winning entries of HIKI NŌ's 2024 Fall Challenge  Competition.

Each season during the school year,   HIKI NŌ Challenges student reporters to produce  stories in the span of a few days.

These contests   are called Challenges.

For the 2024 HIKI NŌ on  PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge, the call was for   videos based on the prompt, Weathering the Storm.

Usually, students have weeks to work on projects   for HIKI NŌ and lots of help from our teachers  and industry mentors.

During these challenges,   students search for story ideas and people to  interview, film and edit all within five days.

In these competitions, HIKI NŌ judges look  for stories produced with technical skill   and storytelling finesse.

They also have  to meet the prompt.

Now, it's my pleasure   to share the winning entries with you.

Let's  start with the third-place story from our high   school division.

[ocean wave]   In the high school division of the 2024  HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge,   receiving third place from the island of  Maui is Maui High School.

Congratulations.

This story features a local food business  called Da Soriano Grindz.

The restaurant   was affected by the Lahaina fires in 2023.

This  story shows how persistence and community support   can help you through difficult times.

We just took whatever the storm gave us   and then turned it into something better.

Here at Da Soriano Grindz, a beloved local   eatery has overcame numerous challenges to  establish its new location in Kahului, Maui.

We actually started off of selling food  on Facebook marketing during the pandemic,   and then after that, we kind of saved up enough  money to buy a food truck.

And our original food   truck was actually in Lahaina, so we just bought  a second hand and kind of just rewrapped it and   kind of expanded the menu a little more,  and just basically grew from there.

When   our truck burnt down in Lahaina, it was kind  of hard for us to process it.

We kind of at   first didn't want to believe that it was gone.

And with that, we kind of just stuck with this   truck for now and used whatever we had to make a  food truck pod, which is now Da Tambayan Corner.

We were kind of inspired to make a place or a  home for the locals, have like an area where   they can just come comfortably sit, talk,  eat.

You know, and we try to make the space   clean and comfortable as possible.

Against all odds, Da Soriano Grindz   turned their struggles into strengths,  although it wasn't an easy journey.

It was a rough, rough storm, you know.

We had  to come, we had to go, and we just did whatever   we could with what it gave us.

You know,  we had to get all these guys to trust us,   to have them do their business here, and have  them succeed in weathering the storm as well.

Despite countless setbacks,  the Soriano family persevered,   fueled by the community's love and support.

It was really good to have the Maui community   itself come and help and support  us, especially in Lahaina.

You know,   the Lahaina community is so big, and since we were  based in Lahaina, I feel like the word of mouth   gets around a little bit more faster there.

We couldn't really have this food truck   or let alone Da Tambayan Corner itself  without any of Maui's community support.

Da Soriano Grindz turn their troubles  into stepping stones, giving them   the opportunity to create something bigger.

So, we are actually trying to expand this area,   and then we're trying to get our new truck,  and we're actually looking into opening up   a restaurant in Lahaina as well.

We're trying to  actually get a sit down, not really fine dining,   but a pretty nice setting for our business  here.

And we're trying to get back to Lahaina,   and that's our main goal.

But yeah, so hopefully  we get a restaurant pretty soon, because that's,   that's our biggest goal since the beginning.

Even though the Soriano family faced countless   rough patches, they weathered life’s  storms to bring them to where they   are today.

This is Sarah Rosete from Maui  High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] There was no third   place in the middle school division.

Coming  in second place in the 2024 HIKI NŌ Fall   Challenge middle school division is Highlands  Intermediate School on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

These students took the prompt Weathering  the Storm literally and investigated how   the Hawai‘i Emergency Management agency works  to inform the public during times of crisis.

I think really weathering the storm, part  of it is, how do we prepare ourselves.

Colonel James Barros has a very important  job here at HIEMA, so important that everyone   on O‘ahu relies on him and his team.

Without HIEMA, the good is still going   to happen.

But you know, my mission now is  bring all this great energy together, focus   it so that we can really get after preparedness,  the mitigation, and then in the response phase,   we're all working for that same effort  of saving lives and protecting property.

Being prepared is key.

That's why HIEMA makes  sure you're prepared in many different ways.

Well, we're trying all different methods.

We’re, you know, we’re doing morning shows,   we're doing some mail outs, we're trying  to get into some print in the newspaper.

We're trying everything we can do to inform and  educate our state on the hazards that we face.

What happens when you send out a false  message to the public, and how do you fix it?

Back in 2018, you know, the leadership at the time  went down and we they did the investigation.

They   looked at what was the problems that HIEMA  had with the messaging, with the training,   how we exercise and test ourselves, so that  the agency put into place some new steps.

Sometimes technology fails on you.

That's  why you should always have a backup plan.

So right now, I have a map.

I have digital  maps.

Yeah, technology can go down.

I got   paper maps.

We'll pull out paper maps.

We've  got paper maps on the wall.

Pretty much that's   how we think in emergency management, right?

Yeah, maps are, I mean, digital maps are great   Google Earth, and you know, when you everybody  drives, they punch in where they gotta go.

When   that fails, you gotta be able to use a paper map.

Weathering the storm is something that's not an   easy task.

Just know that everyone  here at HIEMA will be here to help   you through it.

This is Kailah Bandola  reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] And now in the high   school division of the 2024 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i  Fall Challenge receiving second place is Hawai‘i   Technology Academy on O‘ahu.

Congratulations.

These student reporters traveled to their   sister campus on Maui to explore  how students and teachers were   affected by the 2023 Lahaina wildfires.

When the fire happened, it was so out of   nowhere.

No one would ever thought that  would happen.

And it changed, really,   the course of my life and so many others as well.

Over a year ago, a devastating wildfire swept   through Maui, leaving 3,000+  plus students, teachers and   families without schools in just hours.

No, when I lost school, since I liked it,   I was, of course, sad, and it was a month before I  even got back to learning.

And just in that time,   at the beginning, I had a lot of free time, but  I began to get bored.

I never saw my friends for   quite a while, and one day, my mom came into my  room and she said, “How would you like to go to   a different school?” She said, the name HTA.

My friend Kash, who joined the school with me,   his mom found this charter school that is really  good education, and it looked very welcoming.

In the face of tragedy, teachers, Jenelle Peterson  and Ray Mohrman have been a pillar of support,   doing everything they can to  help her community rebuild.

I am one of the Lahaina residents who had to  evacuate my home.

I live in a neighborhood   of 68 houses.

63 of them burned to the  ground.

I really had to think about like,   what could I give to my neighbors?

They  were devastated.

They lost everything,   and I just felt like I couldn't give them anything  of value or meaning.

And then it occurred to me   that the one thing I could actually give in that  moment was my experience as an educator.

I knew   two things: I knew how to teach, and I knew how  to love kids, and I knew that that was needed.

We needed to get a school for these kids.

They missed their friends, they missed being   with each other, and if we could figure out a  way to get them back in each other’s company,   that would mean so much to our community.

Yeah, I think more than anything, kids,   especially kids, were looking for some sense of  normalcy, some sense of routine in their lives,   which school provides.

And immediately after the  fires, most kids in the community didn't have   that.

So, I think it definitely, what we did,  it opened up doors for kids to come together.

You know, kids need to be together.

So that's  what I think we provided right after the fires.

We were up and running by September, the third  week of September.

So, kids needed something.

They   needed that stability as quickly as possible.

And I'm proud to say, HTA delivered on that.

Despite the wildfire tragedy, HTA has helped  countless students like Enari through this   hard time.

This is Arianna Romualdo reporting  from Hawai‘i Technology Academy for HIKI NŌ,   on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave]   And now coming in first place in the middle  school division of the 2024 HIKI NŌ on PBS,   Hawai‘i Fall Challenge is, Maui Waena  Intermediate School on Maui.

Congratulations.

This story is about how a school community came  together to support a young student's robotic   dreams, no matter what stood in her way.

Christine, a sixth grader at Kalama,   love for robotics started two years ago at  Pukalani Elementary, where she found her passion.

Two energy awards and one inspire award.

We got the energy awards by showing our   passion for robotics and like, having so much  enthusiasm in it.

And we got the Inspire award   at the Japan Cup by inspiring other teams.

This success in elementary school and her   desire to follow in her brother's  footsteps had her geared up to   join her middle school robotics team.

What inspired me in robotics is when I   saw my brother, Jeffrey, he succeeded a  few years before, and he got to Worlds.

And I was like, “I wanna be like him.” Unfortunately, when school started,   she found out that her middle school would not be  offering robotics.

Luckily, the robotics community   stepped up and offered a way onto the field.

It's been Kalama.

Kalama’s been our nemesis,   and we push each other to get better.

And it was a  shock to me, when this school year came around, I   was told that unfortunate circumstances happened,  and Kalama was not going to have a robotics team.

So, we discussed it, and we decided we’ll  create a community team, and we'll invite   them to come down, practice with our Maui Waena  students, and become like one big family here.

You know, it was one of those things where, you  know, it was like a perfect storm.

They just,   they got hit with a hurricane, and, you  know, they stood strong.

You know, they   were looking for solutions, and just fortunate  enough, you know, we were able, we were there,   to be able to help them out in a time of need.

Then when I found out that Maui Waena had open   spots and they could make a team for me, I decided  to show up and to try out.

And it just was like,   the best decision ever.

With the help of Maui  Waena, Christine was able to pursue her love   for robotics.

In the years to come, she hopes  to build her dreams and drive toward her future.

This is Mari Sado from Maui Waena Intermediate  School reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Receiving first place in the high school division   of the 2024 HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i Fall Challenge  is Wai‘anae High School.

Congratulations.

Let's meet a teacher at Wai‘anae High School  who has weathered his own storm to become a   great role model and teacher for his students.

Wai‘anae High School teacher Frank Marcantonio   has a genuine passion for teaching.

Teaching is literally like,   it doesn't feel like a job to me.

It feels  like I am doing what I'm meant to do.

Teaching AVID and health classes  while also being the class of 2026   advisor has helped Mr. Marcantonio build  a strong bond with all of his students.

One word I would describe Marcantonio is  optimistic, because he always looks on the bright   side of things, never looked at the negative.

Mr. Marcantonio values being honest and vulnerable   with his students in order to foster a safe  and open environment.

This has led him to   opening up to his students about his rough past,  including sharing that when he was growing up —   Drugs were always around.

My dad was a drug  dealer in and out of jail, and growing up,   it was around so it gets normalized.

When  opportunity came and there was stuff in   front of me, I wasn't hesitant to try it.

After undergoing a surgery in the seventh grade,   Mr. Marcantonio was introduced to opioids, marking  the beginning of his own battle with drug abuse.

What people don't tell you is 14 days of  taking them, your body literally starts   craving.

These other pictures, this one is me in  the Dean's office.

Why my buddy took a picture,   I don't know, but I guess we got in trouble and  we're in there.

Then this one I chose, because   you could clearly see in my eyes why I chose it.

Other than that, I don't really have much to say.

One day in history class, I still remember  it.

I overdosed.

I didn't really see a future   at that time, but I just knew that I  needed some kind of change, because   I was not gonna be just like my birth parents.

While a junior in high school, Mr. Marcantonio put   in the work to get himself sober, and he has been  ever since.

Having weathered his own storm, he is   devoted to being an umbrella for the students.

Mr. Marc has helped me grow as a person by always   telling me the positive things or to look at  the positive things instead of the negative,   because the negative only brings you down.

I just try and be honest.

I be vulnerable, so   the students understand that I genuinely am here  to hope that they get the skills and tools and   tricks and tips that they need to bring out their  best selves and not make the same mistakes I did.

Mr. Marcantonio’s story is not defined  by his past, but rather how he helps   students write their own narrative.

He also made me realize that I want   to be a teacher out of high school as well,  because I just see the way that he talks to   all of his students and tries to be there for  everyone.

And I just look up to that a lot.

I want them to know that no matter what  they've done, no matter where they've been,   no matter what they've been through,  their story is still being written,   and they're the ones with the pen.

So, they  could either take control and continue writing   their story the way that they want it to be.

This is Natasha Ma‘afala from Wai‘anae High School   for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave]   At HIKI NŌ, we're proud when students  take the challenge to discover stories,   conduct interviews, and edit professional  pieces to the best of their ability during   these whirlwind Challenge competitions.

As  you can tell, sometimes production doesn't   always go your way.

We heard from HIKI NŌ class  of 2024 about how much of a learning experience   Challenges can be and what lessons they'll  take with them for the rest of their life.

[ocean wave] My first introduction to HIKI NŌ was   the 2022 Fall Challenge.

We made a profile  story on Hawai‘i Plantation Village in Waipahu.

Located in the historic town of Waipahu,  this must-see family friendly museum   narrates the story of immigration in Hawai‘i and  highlights our unique multicultural society.

My first interaction was also the same Challenge,  except me and Tamar were in two different groups,   so we did a How-To on the kukui nuts,  how you can turn those into candles,   and we basically just talked about the history  behind it, and like, how to do it yourself.

There's also a saying that the  Hawaiian candle is lighting the way,   as well as being seen as a way, spiritually.

Yeah, I think especially on shoots where you   have a limited amount of time, there's a lot of  things you have to think about, like how your   teammates take criticism, how you take criticism,  and how like, playing to students’ strengths.

Collaboration is super important.

It's definitely  not all about the technical skills.

Honestly,   one of my favorite things about my time with HIKI  NŌ is just how much more we've bonded when we work   together.

And I think like, how we communicate  with each other on shoots is definitely a   lot more smooth than how it used to be.

I myself learned what my own strengths were   when working with a group, and I also got to learn  more about my group members and how they work,   and I was able to take that knowledge and  apply it to future group competitions.

Just last year, at the STN national  competition, me and my partner got first   place in our category nationwide.

So that was  like, a really big moment for me.

So, I would   say that I improved, definitely, technically.

My first ever HIKI NŌ Challenge was in the year   2022 when I was a junior, and it was for the music  store, Request Music, a little music store in the   midst of Wailuku and its impact on the community.

So, we are a music store, but we are, you know,   a comic store.

We have a lot of  things that you would not expect.

That was a big learning curve for me.

I grew  so much from that one Challenge.

I learned from   all those mistakes I made.

Making those big  mistakes really helps you cement in your mind   the process that you're supposed to go through,  and really going down your checklist to make   sure you don't miss anything.

And I feel  like that was, that was really big for me.

Organic Farmer Michael Marchand  of Olinda Maui, found his love   of farming after suffering a great loss.

The first challenge I did, it was about a farmer,   Michael Marchand.

That day, I didn't know what  I was getting myself into.

It was still foreign.

This story definitely pushed me to be in the HIKI  NŌ standards from shooting to editing.

Editing   definitely was difficult.

We had to cut up that  interview and find the sound bites that definitely   made the story what it is and make it compelling.

A little bit of dirt.

That’s the healthy part.

It was very cool to see a story that we created on  TV, at least, that I was a part of.

I used to tell   my parents, “Oh, I remember filming that shot,”  or “I made that cut.” It was just something to be   super proud of.

I learned so much from HIKI NŌ.

It really taught me that, like, there's no one   way to do things.

I think storytelling is one  of the most important skills that I learned.

I grow food because I believe it's the most  important thing we can do on this planet.

I would have never imagined and thought I would  be creating stories with all my closest friends,   and it would go and be shown like statewide,  and then all of a sudden go out and be   like be nationally presented.

And I think  those opportunities are just insane to me.

So, I first heard about HIKI NŌ when my  teacher, he brought up, he was like, “Oh,   do you want to do a HIKI NŌ Challenge?” And I was  like, “Duh, I want to do a HIKI NŌ Challenge.” So,   we ended up competing in the Winter  Challenge and the Spring Challenge.

The Winter Challenge was, we had a prompt,  Disruption Sparks Change.

When we were   interviewing one of our math teachers, Keith  Kitamura, we found out that back when he was   younger, he got into this driving accident.

In 1997, Keith was in a car accident   that forever changed his life.

That happened to him when he was a high schooler.

He's paralyzed, and things that we don't think  about every day, like driving even, like, that's   a challenge that we don't really think about.

I just felt really impacted by his story,   because that's like, stories that we don't really  hear about day to day, challenges that we don't   think about.

Like, it's definitely very eye  opening and something that we can learn from.

Well, anybody can teach math, you know, but I want  to do more than that, and inspire or help them in   some way beyond math.

We found the classroom.

So, we got first place.

Yay.

First ever HIKI   NŌ Challenge, and we got first place.

What these HIKI NŌ challenges taught me is   a lot about being independent, because things  aren't going to go your way all the time.

Andre Pulido, father of four, does  what he can to help out the community.

One of my most memorable projects was working on  the HIKI NŌ challenge story, Faith Moving Forward.

It features Andre Pulido.

His story is unreal.

Well, it started um, 12 years ago, I was on drugs   and trying to get money for my meth habit.

So,  I got electrocuted when I was cutting the copper   wire.

I didn't think I was going to make it, so I  just cried out to God asking God to save my life.

And as soon as I cried out, the  transformer machine I was in, it exploded.

Now he has like, four daughters, and,  yeah, him and his wife are doing great,   and just to see him be such an amazing  father and a husband is so rewarding.

To   see where he was and then where he is now,  it's just like, it changes something inside   of you.

It's so inspiring and it's so heartfelt.

If I was still on drugs right now, I can guarantee   me and my wife would have been divorced,  my kids would have been without a father,   and my you know, I wouldn't have my family.

I remember when we won, I ran to his house,   I knocked and I was like, “Uncle Andre, we won!”  Because we got to feature him and his amazing   testimony and story, it got to be heard by so  many people and change their hearts as well.

A lot of people might be going through the  same things, the same battles.

And you know,   seeing someone whose story, like, turned their  life around, that's going to inspire people,   that's going to motivate people, and we  want to see good things.

And HIKI NŌ,   being like, a platform is such a great tool  for people to learn about others, and then   want to do things in their own lives as well.

I guess people look at Gen Z and they're like,   “Oh, they're lazy.

You know, all they do is just  sit on their phones and all these things.” But I   think doing things like HIKI NŌ, their Challenges,  and actually using that as a stepping stone to   build stories, it really gives the Gen Z and the  newer generations such an amazing voice to see   like, look, our generation can do something good.

You're definitely way more connected in a way.

You   do things that impact people.

And I feel like  we bond over that, being able to make change.

Congratulations to all of the student teams  who worked so hard under the pressure of a   five-day deadline.

They really stepped up to  the challenge.

We hope you've enjoyed the work   of Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Don't forget to subscribe to PBS Hawai‘i   on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

You  can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more   at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more  proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

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