HIKI NŌ 403 Next, on HIKI NŌ, stories from across the island chain.

From Maui, students from H.P.

Baldwin High School introduce us to a competitor from the Paralympic Games.

From Kauai, students at Waimea Canyon Middle School as the question: What qualities do you look for in a U.S. President?

From Molokai High School, we learn how to throw a Hawaiian fishing net.

On Oahu, Kalaheo High School introduces us to an amazing student who is battling a life- threatening illness.

Wheeler Middle School students delve into the history of a real-life picture bride.

Campbell High School celebrates its 50th anniversary, and students from Sacred Hearts Academy draw inspiration from one of their senior instructors.

From Hawaii Island, Waiakea High School highlights the amazing career of swim coach, Bill Sakovich.

Also from Hawaii Island, this episode of HIKI NŌ comes to you from Konawaena High School, home of the Wildcats.

That's next, in the nation's first statewide student news network ... HIKI NŌ, can do!

Hi, I'm Billy Gebin.

I'm Randi Williams.

I'm Justin Uchimura.

I'm Amber Allies.

And I'm Alex Miyashiro, reporting from Konawaena High School.

Today, we come to you from the heart of Kailua Kona, where students and visitors alike like to gather for recreational activities.

Now, back to Billy Gebben.

I'm here at the Kailua Kona Pier, site of the annual Ironman event.

This event consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of biking, and a full marathon at 26.2 miles.

This is where it all begins and ends for those who are willing to compete against those who are the most determined.

Thousands of Big Island residents and students from Konawaena High School volunteer their time to make this a world class event.

Our first story comes from Kalaheo High School on the windward side of Oahu, where we learn about an amazing student whose name happens to be Grace.

High school, a time for carefree adolescence.

It's a time for parties, friends, mistakes, and triumphs.

You never expect it to disappear.

Grace Hika is not your average high school student.

Sure, she loves surfing, animals, cooking, eating Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and the color purple; but, her adolescence hasn't exactly been carefree.

May 9, 2009, I found that I had cancer.

The doctor told me that, like, I have leukemia.

Both of my parents are in the military; none of them ever left during the whole treatment because, you know, I could have died, and they wanted to be here for me.

Now you're gonna make me cry again.

Grace had to undergo various medical procedures to help clear her body of the cancer.

Taking them out, like, depressed my immune system, so I'd get sick really, really easy.

Grace's suppressed immune system was unable to fight off many diseases, resulting in her contraction of Swine Flu.

The first thing that happened was, I got a back abscess from the lumbar puncture they gave me.

They had to, like, give me surgery and flush out my whole back to clean my spine.

I was in a coma for, like, a month.

Not only did Grace's body go through hardships, but her heart and mind did too.

I didn't know what was going on when I was in a coma.

I was on that life support machine.

The doctor was like, Oh, you're about to die.

You know, telling my parents that.

And they were, like, calling like their family from out of state, and everybody was, like, flying in.

Due to her chemotherapy, Grace's weakened immune system struck again.

She caught the stomach flu, and had to go on a specific type of medication to clear it.

But it had disastrous side effects.

Over, like, a couple more months, my hearing got worse, and worse, and worse.

I started feeling like I was going deaf, and I told the doctors, and they were like, Oh, no, no, no, no, you're fine, you're fine.

And I'm like, Um, okay.

With the help of her family and the support of Tripler Hospital staff, Grace conquered her cancer.

With that, she could get the surgery that would ultimately help her hear again.

I talked to my doctors, and they were like, Oh, you can get the implant.

And I was like, Oh, cool.

You know, those things, like, help you hear.

Her happy outlook on life is what saved her, and life finally started turning around.

Grace is now a junior at Kalaheo High School, and has big dreams for a teenager who once thought she might not make it past graduation.

We're back in Kailua Kona on the Island of Hawaii, about fifteen miles from our school, Konawaena High.

In addition to the Ironman, the annual Liliuokalani Canoe Races and the International Billfish Tournament are held here at the Kailua Kona Pier.

In 1966, and 809-pound blue marlin was caught, setting the record for the biggest fish ever caught in billfish tournament history.

The Liliuokalani Canoe Race is the world's largest long distance outrigger canoe race.

The race begins in Kona, and ends at Honaunau.

From Kona, we take you to Waimea Canyon Middle School on Kauai, where Student Voices respond to the question: If you could vote, what qualities would you look for in a U.S. President?

In a president, I would look for somebody who is nice, does the right thing, and makes the right choices.

In a president, I would look for somebody who is fair and can listen to both political parties.

Someone who can listen to the people, and boost our economy.

I would look for someone who can reduce taxes, because people are having a hard time paying bills and enjoying life because they can't travel or buy things, due to not enough money.

Someone that will take care of the economy, and listen to the people that have hard problems to take care of, and to stop crimes.

If you would like to comment on this story, or anything you see on HIKI NŌ, join the discussion at facebook.com/hikinocando, or send us a Tweet at twitter.com/hikinocando.

We're here at Kamakahonu Beach, right next to Kailua Kona Pier.

People enjoy recreational activities such as paddle boarding, snorkeling, skin diving, and fishing.

I've come here before with my Konawaena teammates to enjoy the outrigger race and enjoy a nice workout here.

We take you now to H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui to meet a math teacher who competed in the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

[CHUCKLE] All right; I'm gonna serve to you, Derek.

You ready?

I personally believe that each one of us have a purpose in life.

And when I was playing wheelchair tennis competitively, I knew that that was my purpose of where I was supposed to be.

I became injured in 1991 after riding an ATV four-wheeler.

I've been injured twenty-one years, and I was twenty-five when I got injured.

So, I have actually been injured almost as long as I was walking.

It was really, really difficult to deal with the transition, and to accept being in a wheelchair.

To be honest, the day after my accident, I never thought I was not gonna be able to walk again.

I worked on walking with my braces for three years, before I finally realized that I can get around and be much more independent in my wheelchair.

I actually started playing tennis after my injury.

I was watching the U.S. Open on TV, and so, I was all excited to go out and check it out.

To be selected to be on the U.S. team for the Paralympics was quite a challenge.

You had to travel a lot, you had to go to a lot of tournaments, and you had to get your ranking to a certain level.

And I was one of two women that represented the United States of America.

I went in seventeenth in the world, and I came out in the top eight in the quarter finals.

So that was a pretty exciting grand finale of my tennis career professionally.

Mayor Arakawa actually dedicated a day to me, and it was called Beth Arnoult Day, because of my success in wheelchair tennis.

It's part of my identity, and to be honest, I can't even imagine walking.

It's part of who I am.

We're back in Kailua Kona at the Ahuena Heiau.

This religious temple served King Kamehameha the Great when he returned to Hawaii back in 1812.

He worshiped at this site from 1813 to his death in 1819.

The heiau was recently damaged from the March 11th tsunami in Japan, and is being rebuilt.

Our next story takes us to the other side of Hawaii Island, as students from Waiakea High School introduce us to another inspirational coach.

From local high school meets to the Olympics, competitive swimmers need a few essentials to stay afloat: hard work, determination, and a coach that can motivate them to achieve more than they think they can on their own.

Personally, I think swimming is a sport that ... it's an individual sport.

You make it what it is.

Coach Bill Sakovich knows about training Olympic swimmers.

His son competed for Guam in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Global competition is nothing new for Sakovich.

He's been coaching youth swimmers around the world for over thirty years.

Went overseas to Indonesia and Morocco, came back here, and worked training programs, and then got a job in Micronesia, where I spent thirty-one years, and returned here to Hilo.

One of his regular stops is the Southern Pacific Island of Saipan.

My wife Jean and I had coached swimming in Saipan.

We started a club, and it continues on today, and that's one of the reason I go back every year.

Things are running smoothly now, but at the beginning, the waters were rough for Coach Bill and his new students.

But as far as coaching, we really didn't know that much.

And to start a program without a pool in Saipan was [CHUCKLE] a real challenge.

Finally, several years later, a pool was built and we were okay.

Challenges like these are minor ripples when Coach Bill reflects on the impact he's on his students.

One of the best feelings that I get is ... former swimmers who come back to you and say, I really learned a lot 'cause of my swimming.

While coaching maybe considered a job to some, for Sakovich, it is his lifelong passion, one he's not ready to retire from just yet.

At some point, yes, but ...

I'm having too much fun.

From Waiakea High School, for HIKI NŌ, this is Jayna Jobes.

Now, we travel to the Hale Halawai, less than a mile south of the Kailua Kona Pier.

I'm standing in front of the Birds of Paradise Mural, painted by the students of Konawaena High School ... under the direction of artist and teacher Michelle Obregon.

Other community murals painted by students and volunteers is the Honu Mural, also located at the Hale Halawai, and the decorative paintings at the Kailua Kona Pier.

Next, we check in with Waimea Canyon Middle School for more Student Voices responding to the question: If you vote, what qualities would you look for in a U.S. President?

If I could vote for a president, I would want somebody responsible and able to communicate with others.

For example, getting along with others in the community and being responsible and organized.

Also, I would want somebody with good passion towards other people.

I would want a president who listens and understand what changes are needed for our country.

I'd probably vote for someone who could make a promise in an advertisement and keep them is someone who I would personally believe would make a good president.

The qualities that I'm looking for as a president is a president that can boost our economy by lowering taxes and getting more jobs so people could earn more money.

I would want someone who gives a lot of job opportunities, 'cause right now, my dad is having a hard time finding a job and paying the bills.

We're back on the western coast of Hawaii Island.

Perched at the edge of Kailua Bay and beautiful Kailua Kona is the Hulihee Palace, a former vacation home for Hawaiian royalty.

Built in 1838, the palace was passed down through generations of Native Hawaiian families, and finally sold to King Kalakaua in 1885 when it was completely re-plastered for a more modern look.

Today, it is a museum operated by The Daughters of Hawaii, and is a showcase for beautiful furniture and intricate artifacts.

We take you now to Wheeler Middle School on Oahu for a story about a woman inspired by her grandmother, who came to Hawaii as a Picture Bride.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] No matter what life throws her way, Wheeler Middle School teacher Edie Kiroi meets them head-on.

As of now, I am living on my own, and I am raising my son on my own.

I am independent, and I feel like I'm strong.

What keeps her motivated?

The life and legacy of her late grandmother, who also faced many hardships.

My grandmother is Kikue Kanno, and she came from Japan in 1919.

When Kikue Kanno left Japan, she found herself adjusting to a new county and a new husband.

She, along with many other Japanese women in the early 1900s, were picture brides, sent to marry male immigrants here in Hawaii.

They had a matchmaker send pictures of themselves to Japan, and these women would come and be matched, just through pictures.

Unfortunately, Kikue Kanno's husband died at the mere age of twenty-five in a fallen tree accident, and that's when Kikue Kanno's life got even harder.

Because she was not able to speak English, and only Japanese, it was hard for her to go out on her own and do things on her own.

Yet, with hard work and determination, Kikue Kanno persevered and raised her children and grandchildren to be just as strong.

My grandma has taught me so much about family, and how important it is to be there for one another.

It's an important life lesson that Edie Hiroe now passes down to both her son and her students.

I'm Thorin Jean from Wheeler Middle School, for HIKI NŌ.

We're back in Kailua Kona on Hawaii Island.

On March 11, 2011, our friends in Japan witnessed a tragic tsunami, resulting in over 15,000 confirmed deaths.

Luckily, no one on the Big Island was hurt.

But right behind me, the Kona Pier and surrounding coastal areas were severely damaged.

Sidewalks were ripped apart, canoes were severed in half, and barriers were moved around.

The tsunami was a reminder to all Hawaiian residents that our coastal regions can change in a moment's notice.

We travel now to Kaimuki district of Oahu, where students from Sacred Hearts Academy introduce us to the one and only Sister Louise.

Sister Julie Louise Thevenin's commitment to Sacred Hearts Academy began in 1922, when there were eighty-five boarders.

I was three and a half years old when I came to boarding school.

In those days, we had no junior K's, nothing but first grade or kindergarten maybe.

I think I was just tagging along with the pre ... class.

I don't want to be a sister, I know I can't because they come that way already made.

I thought they just came that way.

You know, it was something that came in a package.

And God put that little seed in my heart, right down there.

She wanted to be just like the sisters.

The sisters, you know, were very kind.

I'll tell you, that is what has meshed with me all of my life.

They were strict.

You had rules, you had to keep 'em.

But there was a goodness and kindness, especially many of these elderly sisters, you know.

They were really examples and models of what somebody good is.

You know, they'd take care of the whole yard all the time, and weeding, but going around with a rosary in her hand and a hose in the other, watering the plants, you know.

We had mango trees in the yard by the gutter, and one girl would be up in the tree.

And Sister's ... Helen, what are you doing up in that tree?

Oh, I'm watching her, so the girls don't hit the mangoes down.

She began teaching in 1940, and retired in 2001, having taught every subject and staring the Girl Scouts and sports programs.

Although retired, Sister continues to adhere to the principle of prayer and work, Orare et Laborare.

The spirit of ohana is what I think holds the school together.

And that comes from ... love and sacrifice, and something that's taught to you by our motto, the school motto, Orare et Laborare.

And that's given with a great deal of love and spirituality.

And that's important for your lives, that you have spiritual basis.

Work after; pray first.

Reporting from Sacred Hearts Academy, this is Jill Baxter for HIKI NŌ.

If you would like to comment on this story, or anything you see on HIKI NŌ, join the discussion at facebook.com/hikinocando, or send us a Tweet at twitter.com/hikinocando.

We take you now to the Friendly Isle, where students from Molokai High School present a 'how- to' on a traditional Hawaiian practice.

Aloha, and welcome to Molokai High School.

Today, we'll be showing you a five-step tutorial on how to throw a fishing net.

Step one: Hold the piko, or the center of the net, in your left hand, then coil it at least two times.

Then reverse the loops to the front, as you can see.

Step two: Grab about a quarter of the net, and throw it over your left shoulder.

Most importantly, throw it under your left arm and then over your shoulder.

Step three: Keep pulling the dangling lead over your right knee until you get at least half the net.

Then, grab the bunch on your left with your left hand.

Step four: Make sure to grab the lead string that crosses your right knee with your pinky, and grab the rest of the net with your hand.

When you throw, you must throw using your hips, extending your arm and letting go your pinky last.

And then, you should have a perfect opening.

From Molokai High School, thank you for watching.

Mahalo.

We're back in Kailua Kona.

Just north of the pier is the old airport, locally known as Old A. I'm standing in front of the new skateboard park recently constructed here at Old A.

We want to give a big mahalo to the Kona Skate Park Association for the vision and for fortitude in making this amazing skateboard park happen for the youth of West Hawaii.

Skateboarders from Konawaena High School are anxious to break in the new bowl.

We travel now to Ewa side of Oahu where students from Campbell High School look back at the 5-year history of their school.

For the last few weeks, a small army has been gathering in Ewa Beach.

They've been inventing the fliers ... And canvassing the neighborhood.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION] Even the local Pizza Hut and the Starbucks have been converted into makeshift war rooms.

But just who are these dedicated soldiers, and what is their mission?

James Campbell High School 50th Anniversary, golden celebration.

James Campbell was an Irish immigrant who became a successful business entrepreneur in Hawaii.

His daughter married Prince David Kawananakoa, making Campbell's bloodline now one and the same with Hawaii's royal family.

James Campbell High School was established in 1962 on the grounds that now house Ilima Intermediate School in the heart of Ewa Beach, a thriving plantation community.

Campbell has changed a whole lot.

For one, the landscape of the school.

When I was there, there was no school, there was no classroom building in the middle of the courtyard.

It was just an open field.

I hear good things now, that the academics have really gone up, and there's a lot of support within the community.

In the last few years, Campbell has adopted some aggressive programs aimed at increasing student achievement; programs like AP, IB, and AVID.

And the readiness to pilot these programs have made them something of a pioneer and model school in Hawaii.

We have SLCs, which although it's academic courses, it helps students take electives.

And so, they're able to take classes associated with their interests, what they want to pursue, and their hobbies.

These small learning communities allow students to take advantage of classes in career skills like digital media or business.

But even with all these changes, alumni of every era agree that they wouldn't have changed a thing about their experience.

I really loved Campbell for what it was when I was there.

I don't have any regrets.

I made good friends, was part of good things, and it set me on a good path for what I would do later.

You know, if I could go back fifty years and change, I'm not sure if I'd want to change anything.

You know.

I'm really proud to be a part of this and say that I'm an alumni of Campbell High School.

As they plan a celebration of the school and community they love so much, they hope to create an experience that you won't soon forget either.

So let Noland now talk about entertainment!

I just want people to have fun, and to enjoy the music that they're gonna hear, and to appreciate that all that talent came and was produced from Campbell High School.

The 50th anniversary celebration will be a great opportunity to celebrate the future of this 21st Century school, while taking a nostalgic look back at the community of students that it has served.

For HIKI NŌ, I'm Roberto Rodriguez.

That's our show for today.

We hope you enjoyed stories from Hawaii Island, as well as other stories from HIKI NŌ students across the chain.

This is Alex Miyashiro for HIKI NŌ.

Can do!