>> HIKI NO, LIKE CONSTANTLY GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES, IT PROVIDES ANOTHER ASPECT AND ANOTHER LAYER THAT YOU CAN'T GET FROM THE CLASSROOM.

>> I THINK THAT REALLY PREPARES YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FACE.

>> IT WAS JUST LIKE, SO REWARDING.

LIKE IT FELT WORTH IT, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT FEELING.

>> WHAT WE DO MATTERS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE PERPETUATING THE HAWAIIAN CULTURE.

>> I'VE ALWAYS REALLY LOVED CAMERAS AND VISUAL STORYTELLING.

THERE'S OLD CLIPS THAT MY PARENTS WOULD ALWAYS BRING UP, AND IT'S JUST ME WITH A LITTLE CAMCORDER RUNNING AROUND.

LIKE, MY COUSINS ARE PLAYING IN THE GARAGE, AND I'M JUST RECORDING LIKE THEM DOING THAT.

AND THEN I GO OFF, AND I JUST TALK TO THE CAMERA ABOUT MYSELF.

IT'S LIKE FULL CIRCLE MOMENT, KIND OF.

MY NAME IS NATASHA MA'AFALA, AND I'M A CLASS OF 2025 WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE.

SO, SEARIDER PRODUCTIONS, IT'S OUR VIDEO AND DIGITAL MEDIA PATHWAY AT WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL.

WE DO A LOT OF NEWS SHOWS.

WE PRODUCE A LOT OF FILMS.

WE ALSO HAVE LOCAL CLIENTS THAT OUR DIGITAL ARTS STUDENTS WORK WITH.

IT JUST SEEMED REALLY INTENSE, LIKE EVERYONE WAS ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING.

EVERYONE IN THE CLASS LOOKED LIKE THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

EVERYONE LIKE, LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD A PURPOSE, AND THEY WERE MOVING WITH PURPOSE.

AND JOHN WOULD JUST, LIKE, PUT A TASK OUT THERE, AND THEY GET STRAIGHT TO IT, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

SO, AS A FRESHMAN, THAT, LIKE, REALLY SCARED ME.

>> WHAT DO MY STUDENTS CALL ME?

ALL OF MY STUDENTS CALL ME JOHN.

ONE OF MY BIGGEST THINGS IS LIKE, WORKING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, NOT ME STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO.

>> HOW WOULD YOUR STUDENTS DESCRIBE YOU?

>> PRETTY CHAOTIC, STRICT.

KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS, AND I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD SAY CARES.

>> MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VIDEO ROUTE, AND IT WAS A STN CHALLENGE IN THE FALL, AND THAT WAS MY FIRST COMPETITION.

SO, ME AND MY FRIEND ENDED UP DOING A STORY ON A LOCAL FOOD TRUCK IN WAIANAE, AND THAT WAS THE WORST STORY I HAVE EVER PRODUCED.

AND JOHN MADE SURE THAT WE KNEW THAT.

COMING BACK, WE SHOWED HIM THE CLIPS AND EVERYTHING.

AND HE WAS LIKE, "THIS IS REALLY BAD.

THIS IS REALLY LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN FILMING HERE?

WHAT EVEN IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS SHOT?"

HE'S LIKE, "THIS IS YOU HAVE TO GO OUT TOMORROW AGAIN AND RESHOOT EVERYTHING."

THAT WAS MY FIRST LIKE, THAT'S LIKE, MY FIRST CORE MEMORY IN THAT CLASS.

I'M LAUGHING ABOUT IT NOW, BUT AT THE TIME THAT WAS LIKE, I FELT LIKE, LIKE, MY WORLD JUST LIKE, CRUSHED.

AND I THINK HAVING THAT LIKE, HARSH MOMENT REALLY DID HELP PUSH ME TO WANT TO DO BETTER, TO WANT TO PRODUCE WORK THAT NOT ONLY OTHER PEOPLE LIKE, BUT SOMETHING THAT I WAS PROUD OF.

>> ...LIKE A LITTLE PARROT, YOU KNOW.

>> 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.

>> MR.

MARCANTONIO VALUES BEING HONEST AND VULNERABLE WITH HIS STUDENTS IN ORDER TO FOSTER A SAFE AND OPEN ENVIRONMENT.

>> IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES I PRODUCED, AND WE ENDED UP PLACING FIRST FOR THE HIKI NO FALL 2024 CHALLENGE.

WHEN THE PROMPT WAS FIRST DROPPED, WEATHERING THE STORM, WE KIND OF HAD, LIKE, A ROUGH TIME GOING INTO THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BE RESPECTFUL OF IT.

SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST BE LIKE, "OH, WHO WENT THROUGH SOMETHING AND CAN WE USE YOUR STORY?"

WE DIDN'T WANT TO, LIKE, INTRUDE ON ANYONE'S VULNERABILITY.

THE STORY WE ENDED UP ON WAS A TEACHER AT WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL, MR.

MARCANTONIO.

>> ONE DAY IN HISTORY CLASS, I STILL REMEMBER IT.

I, 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 GOING TO BE JUST LIKE MY, 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.

>> THE WHOLE PROCESS OF FILMING, INTERVIEWING AND JUST WORKING WITH HIM.

IT WAS, IT WAS LIKE, REALLY, IT WAS LIKE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE, ONE OF MY FAVORITE EXPERIENCES WITH A STORY I'M FILMING.

WE WEREN'T JUST EXCITED FOR THE WIN, WE WERE JUST EXCITED THAT LIKE, MARCANTONIO HAD HIS LIKE, SPOTLIGHT.

>> LEGEND OF THE SEARIDER WAS FOR ANOTHER FALL COMPETITION.

NONE OF US KNEW WHAT OUR ORIGIN OF OUR MASCOT WAS.

WE WERE ASKING TEACHERS, WE WERE ASKING STUDENTS, WE WERE ASKING RELATIVES IF THEY KNEW WHAT THE SEARIDER WAS LIKE, HOW IT CAME ABOUT.

HOW DID THEY CHOOSE THAT MASCOT?

>> THIS IS A STORY THAT YOU CAN'T FIND BY JUST GOOGLING IT.

IT'S ONE THAT IS SPECIAL TO THE WEST SIDE AND ITS PEOPLE.

THE WAY THE MO'OLELO GOES IS THAT- >> THERE WAS AN UNNAMED VALLEY WITH A YOUNG AND HANDSOME CHIEF, AND HIS NAME WAS MAKAHA.

>> HE IS RIDING ON THE BACK OF THE TIGER SHARK, SPEAR IN HAND, PROTECTING THE AHUPUA'A AND THE PEOPLE ON THE WEST COAST.

>> AND IT'S SAID THAT HE'S THE FIRST SEARIDER.

>> THE SEARIDER IS SAID TO BE AN IKAIKA WARRIOR RIDING ON THE BACK OF A TIGER SHARK, DONNING A HELMET AND GRASPING HIS WOODEN SPEAR AS HE PROTECTS THE COAST OF WAI'ANAE.

THE SEARIDER IN THE VIDEO IS ONE OF MY REALLY GOOD FRIENDS NOW.

IT'S LIKE, A RUNNING JOKE NOW THAT HE'S LIKE OUR SELF-APPOINTED SEARIDER.

THAT WAS, LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES TO DO, BECAUSE THAT JUST LED ON TO, LIKE A WHOLE NEW TRADITION FROM OUR SCHOOL.

>> THIS IS NATASHA MA'AFALA FROM WAI'ANAE HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO, ON PBS HAWAI'I.

>> HIKI NO LIKE, CONSTANTLY GIVING US OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTANTLY PUTTING THESE CHALLENGES AND THESE COMPETITIONS OUT THERE, IT PROVIDES ANOTHER ASPECT AND ANOTHER LAYER THAT YOU CAN'T GET FROM THE CLASSROOM.

THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN LEARN WHILE GOING OVER LESSONS, WHILE WATCHING EXAMPLES AND LIKE PRACTICING, BUT ACTUALLY BEING IN THOSE HIGH STRESS AND TIME LIMITED SITUATIONS, IT CHANGES THE WAY YOU THINK.

>> FRESHMAN YEAR, I HATED SPEAKING.

I HATED GIVING PRESENTATIONS.

I LIKE, I NEVER SPOKE A LOT IN ELEMENTARY.

I BARELY SPOKE IN INTERMEDIATE.

>> HI AND WELCOME TO HIKI NO ON PBS HAWAI'I.

>> NOW BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT I HOSTED A HIKI NO EPISODE, IT'S EYE OPENING OF HOW FAR I'VE COME.

THERE WERE TIMES WHERE I REALLY WANTED TO, LIKE, I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE UP, LIKE A VIDEO WASN'T GOING RIGHT, OR I JUST, I FELT LIKE I DIDN'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC RESOURCES TO PURSUE SOMETHING, AND IT FELT SO BIG IN THE MOMENT.

I WAS ABLE TO OVERCOME IT, AND THAT WAS JUST LIKE A LITTLE, IT'S JUST A LITTLE MOMENT I LOOK BACK ON TO COMPARE HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN.

I'M GONNA ATTEND UH MANOA.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE AWARDED A LOT OF SCHOLARSHIPS BY THEM.

I'M GONNA MAJOR IN JOURNALISM AND MINOR IN COMMUNICATIONS.

HOPEFULLY AFTER I GRADUATE WITH MY MASTERS IN THOSE, I'D BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND WORK LOCALLY AT A NEW STATION, EITHER POSTPRODUCTION, MAYBE ANCHORING.

JUST HAVING THAT MENTALITY OF STILL PRODUCING MY BEST WORK, NO MATTER THE SITUATION, I REALLY THINK IT'S GONNA HELP ME AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, NOT ONLY IN MEDIA, BUT JUST IN LIKE LIFE IN GENERAL.

>> I GOT MY FIRST CAMERA, I THINK I WAS FIVE, MAYBE.

ALOHA, MY NAME IS RAPHAEL STARK, AND I AM A HOMESCHOOL GRADUATE.

I AM THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED CHATS, WHICH MEANS CARING FOR HAWAI'I TEENS WITH SPEECH CHALLENGES.

I'M A VERY VISUAL PERSON, AND ALSO, WHILE HAVING A STUTTER, I OFTEN CHOOSE VISUAL STORYTELLING, SO I REALLY, REALLY LOVED HIKI NO BECAUSE IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL STORIES THROUGH VISUAL MEDIA.

SO, FOR MY FIRST HIKI NO PROJECT, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE WHAT THE SUBJECT WOULD BE, BUT DURING THAT TIME, MY NONPROFIT PARTNERED WITH A LOCAL YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC THAT WAS CO-FOUNDED BY A TEEN ALSO.

>> WE GIVE SINGLE THERAPY, GROUP THERAPY, AND IT'S JUST ALSO A PLACE TO HANG OUT, BECAUSE WE HAVE, LIKE, VIDEO GAMES.

WE HAVE BOARD GAMES AND A FOOSBALL TABLE.

>> I AM HOMESCHOOLED, SO FOR MY CLASS, IT'S A CLASS OF ONE, WHICH MEANS I AM THE ONLY PERSON ON THE PROJECT.

SO, IT WAS PRETTY CHALLENGING.

BUT ANOTHER THING I LOVE ABOUT THE HIKI NO PROGRAM IS THEY ALSO OFFER MENTORSHIP, AND SO THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL TO TO ME.

AFTER I MADE THAT HIKI NO STORY, PBS HAWAI'I INVITED ME ONTO THEIR INSIGHTS PROGRAM.

>> I FEEL LIKE COMPARISON IS LIKE, THE LEADING CAUSE OF SO MANY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FACING YOUTH TODAY.

>> RAFAEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR PARENTS OUT THERE WHO ARE WATCHING ON MAYBE THE WORD CHOICE OR WHAT THEY CAN SAY TO CHECK IN ON THEIR, THEIR KIDS?

>> HONESTLY, JUST THE BARE MINIMUM IS ALL YOU NEED, TO JUST SAY, "HEY, HOW, HOW ARE YOU?"

AND THEN LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THAT LIKE YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR ANSWER.

>> I'M GONNA LET EVERYONE HAVE A LAST FEW WORDS, BUT I HAVE TO READ THIS WONDERFUL COMMENT THAT A VIEWER EMAILED IN.

IT'S NOT A QUESTION, IT'S A COMMENT FOR RAPHAEL.

ACTUALLY, THIS VIEWER SAYS, "RAFAEL IS IMPRESSIVE.

HE IS AN INSPIRING YOUTH LEADER AND VERY INSIGHTFUL, HOPING HE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENCES.

ONE OF THE BEST PANELISTS OVER MANY INSIGHT SHOWS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED."

>> AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BE ON PBS.

>> ALOHA AND WELCOME TO KAKOU HAWAI'I'S TOWN HALL.

LET'S TALK TO A YOUNG PERSON.

WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE ONE ON OUR PANEL TONIGHT.

RAFAEL STARK.

>> THE MOTTO OF MY NONPROFIT IS BE DIFFERENT TOGETHER, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENCES, WHETHER THAT'S HOW, HOW WE LOOK OR TALK OR JUST LIVE, AND THE IMPORTANT THING IS FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY AREN'T ALONE.

SO, FOR MY SECOND HIKI NO VIDEO, WELL, I HAD TO FOLLOW MY FIRST ONE, WHICH I FELT WENT AMAZINGLY.

>> MEET PETE JONES, A HUSBAND, FATHER OF TWO, A HONOLULU POLICE OFFICER FOR 27 YEARS, AND A CANINE HANDLER FOR THE SPECIALIZED SERVICES DIVISION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

>> THE MOST CHALLENGING THING THAT I FOUND WAS GOING THROUGH THOSE HOURS OF INTERVIEWS, AND FIGURING OUT WHAT SOUND BITES TO USE, AND THEN MAKING SURE TO PUT THEM IN AN ORDER THAT MADE SENSE AND THAT WOULD CAPTIVATE THE VIEWERS.

>> I ALWAYS WANT TO BE AN ANSWER TO SOMEONE'S PROBLEM, AND THAT I CAN USE THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THAT I HAVE.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST HAPPIEST I AM, AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE FULFILLED MY JOB.

>> THAT ACTUALLY HELPED ME FROM HIKI NO FOR COLLEGE APPLICATIONS.

THE SHORT FILM THAT YOU GAVE THEM, IT COULD ONLY BE A CERTAIN LENGTH, AND SO REALLY CUTTING IT DOWN, I DID USE WHAT I LEARNED FROM HIKI NO TO HELP ME KNOW WHAT TO LEAVE IN AND WHAT COULD BE TAKEN OUT.

COLLEGE WILL BE MY FIRST TIME ACTUALLY GOING TO A SCHOOL AND HAVING A CLASS SCHEDULE AND ALL, AND ALL OF THAT.

SO, I HOPE I'M NOT LATE TO ANY OF MY CLASSES, BUT I AM SUPER EXCITED.

I WILL BE ATTENDING THE, THE SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN.

I WILL BE MAJORING IN FILM AND TELEVISION.

ALL OF THE SKILLS THAT I HAD TO USE, AND ALL OF THE ONES THAT I'VE LEARNED, I THINK THAT REALLY PREPARES YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO FACE.

>> ONE OF MY VERY FIRST LESSONS WAS BETWEEN WHERE THE CAMERA FRAME ENDS AND WHERE YOUR TALENT'S HEAD IS, YOU HAVE TO FIT ONE MUSUBI ABOVE IT.

AND THAT HELPED ME IN EVERY SINGLE FILM AFTER I LEARNED THAT RULE.

>> AND THEN WHEN IT WAS FRAMED WRONG AND THERE WOULD BE LIKE, A BIG GAP, WE WOULD GO, "HO, WHERE YOUR HOUSE?

I COME GRAB MUSUBIS FROM YOU.

THAT'S ONE BIG MUSUBI."

>> MY NAME IS MORIAH AMUIMUIA.

I'M A RECENT GRADUATE FROM WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL.

>> HOW'S IT?

MY NAME IS KAMA PAULO-GALSOTE, A RECENT GRADUATE OF WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL IN HILO, HAWAI'I.

>> HOW I GOT INTO MEDIA WAS KIND OF BY CHANCE.

I WAS ENTERING HIGH SCHOOL AND I WANTED TO DO ANIMATIONS, ACTUALLY.

I WAS INTO DRAWING, AND I ACCIDENTALLY CHOSE UNCLE DONN'S CLASS BY MISTAKE, THINKING IT WAS LIKE AN ANIMATION KIND OF THING, AND IT WAS VIDEOGRAPHY.

AND I FOUND THAT WITH PLAYING AROUND WITH STUFF AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE STUFF THAT I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD BEFORE, IT SPARKED AN INTEREST IN ME, AND IT WAS ALL BY RANDOM CHANCE.

IF I HAD NEVER GOT INTO UNCLE DONN'S CLASS, I WOULD HAVE NEVER FOUND THIS NEW THING I WOULD WANT TO PURSUE FOR MY LIFE.

>> I ACTUALLY FIRST STARTED IN LIKE, MEDIA BROADCAST IN THIRD GRADE AT KEAUKAHA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

WE HAD, LIKE, CANON CAMCORDERS, THE SMALL ONES, AND WE'D SPEND A WEEK DOING ONE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT IN THEM.

WAIAKEA IS A CAREER ACADEMY SCHOOL, SO THEY TOLD ME, "KAMA, YOU GOT TO PICK A PATHWAY."

AND I SEEN, OH, CREATIVE MEDIA.

I TRIED THAT.

AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW I GOT INVOLVED WITH UNCLE DONN, OUR TEACHER.

I GOT HIS CLASS 10TH GRADE.

DIDN'T DO NOTHING.

I WAS ONE OF THE LAZIEST KIDS IN THE CLASS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER DOING SOME STUFF IN THE CLASS, I REALIZED, "OH, THIS IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT I DID BACK AT KEAUKAHA."

SO THAT KIND OF REALLY, JUST LIKE REIGNITED MY INTEREST.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF THE TURNING POINT FOR ME IS LIKE, SEEING A BUNCH OF LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE JUST WORKING LIKE, IT'S LIKE A BIG UNIT.

YOU CAN SEE EVERYONE'S MOVING WITH A PURPOSE.

EVERYONE'S PLAYING THEIR PART, THEIR ROLE.

AND IT'S KIND OF SHOWED ME LIKE, WOW, I COULD PROBABLY FIT IN IN THIS.

AND I REALLY LIKE THE CHAOS.

IT'S LIKE CONTROLLED CHAOS, THOUGH.

SO IT WAS FUN.

>> I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT ATTRIBUTE OF A SUCCESSFUL HIKI NO STUDENT WOULD BE FLEXIBILITY.

THERE'S NO ONE RIGHT WAY OF DOING THINGS, AND THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO THINK ON THEIR FEET AND ADJUST.

>> WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ROTATE AROUND, TRY DIFFERENT ROLES IN A PRODUCTION CREW AND LIKE, SEE WHERE WE FIT IN BEST, OR WHERE WE REALIZE NO.

SO, WE CAN WORK AROUND THAT AND FIND OUR STRONG SUITS.

>> AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS REALLY INTO THE CAMERA AND I LIKED RECORDING AND STUFF.

BUT ONCE I KIND OF LIKE SWITCHED AND ROTATE, KIND OF GIVE OTHER PEOPLE CHANCE WITH CAMERA, I WENT TO EDITING, AND I WAS LIKE, I ACTUALLY LIKE THIS A LOT MORE.

>> I KIND OF FIND MYSELF A LOT, A LOT OF TIMES GRAVITATING INTO A LEADERSHIP POSITION.

IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE MY VOICE IS LOUD AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ABLE TO BE, I'M ABLE TO GIVE COMMANDS, BUT ALSO HELP OUT, BECAUSE I'M ABLE TO SPOT WHERE THE WEAK LINK IS.

AND IT'S NOT LIKE, TRYING TO CALL THEM OUT, IT'S TRYING TO HELP SUPPORT THEM TO GET TO WHERE WE'RE PUSHING FORWARD TOGETHER.

>> THIS IS MARIAH AMUIMUIA FROM WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO, PBS HAWAI'I.

>> THE PROMPT FOR THIS HIKI NO STORY WAS COMMON GROUND.

AND WE HAD TO THINK LIKE COMMON GROUNDS, LIKE, WHAT DOES IT MEAN, METAPHORICALLY, PHYSICALLY?

AND WE WERE THINKING, WELL, HILO, HILO'S TRACK TEAM IS ON OUR FIELD BECAUSE THEIR FIELD IS GETTING RENOVATED.

SO, WE'RE RUNNING ON COMMON GROUND.

AND WE'RE SUPPOSEDLY TWO RIVALS.

>> WHEN HILO FIRST STEPPED ON THE FIELD, SOME ATHLETES FELT UNEASY.

>> WE HAD A COUPLE BOYS, "WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?

WHY ARE THEY HERE?"

TYPE OF THING.

BUT SO FAR, THERE HASN'T REALLY BEEN ANY ANIMOSITY.

>> IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST AMOUNT OF MISTAKES I HAD MADE, BUT THEY TAUGHT ME LIKE, EVERYTHING I KNOW NOW.

I MADE THE MISTAKE OF INTERVIEWING SOMEBODY AND NOT REALLY GETTING THE ANSWERS WE WANTED.

AND THEN MY TEAMMATES WERE LIKE, "ALL RIGHT, IT'S UP TO YOU.

YOU HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER INTERVIEWEE."

AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

IT WAS PRACTICE.

[OCEAN WAVE] >> AND NOW COMING IN FIRST PLACE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION, WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL ON HAWAI'I ISLAND.

CONGRATULATIONS.

>> I TOLD MY PARENTS, AND I TOLD MY SIBLINGS.

I WAS LIKE, "I WON THE HIKI NO WINTER CHALLENGE."

AND THEY'RE LIKE, "OH, THAT'S SO GREAT.

LIKE, PLAY IT FOR US!"

ALL THE HARD WORK AND LIKE, JUST EVERYTHING WE DID, RETAKES, SHOOTING, SCRIPTING, LIKE, LONG HOURS WE WORKED BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL.

WE WOULD COME IN LIKE, WE WOULD DEDICATE OUR OFF HOURS JUST TO PLAN IT.

IT WAS JUST, LIKE, SO REWARDING.

LIKE, IT FELT WORTH IT, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT FEELING.

>> AT WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS IN THE KA LEO WAI, OR OUR HAWAIIAN CLUB, FROM MY FRESHMAN YEAR.

I WAS ONE OF THE MUSICIANS.

WE'RE IN THE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE VERY HANDS ON.

WE'RE A PERFORMING GROUP.

EVEN THOUGH WE'RE JUST A HIGH SCHOOL CLUB, YOU KNOW OUR PERFORMANCES, WE GO ALL OVER.

WE CAN GO INTERNATIONAL.

>> IN THE PAST, KA LEO WAI HAS KIND OF COLLABORATED WITH OTHER GROUPS, AND WE HAVE GONE TO TAHITI.

WE'VE ALSO HAVE DONE OTHER EXCURSIONS AROUND THE ISLAND TOO, WHICH IS SUPER COOL.

IT'S REALLY JUST A HOME FOR STUDENTS TO FEEL COMFORTABLE LEARNING MORE ABOUT OUR CULTURE, KEEPING IT ALIVE, PRACTICING AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

>> HAWAIIAN CULTURE WAS A MAINLY AN ORAL TRADITION, RIGHT?

IT WAS PASSED DOWN THROUGH LANGUAGES, THROUGH CHANTS, THROUGH MELE, AND IT WAS CRAZY TO THINK THAT WE COULD HAVE GENERATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE, AND IT WAS ALL PASSED DOWN ORALLY.

AND I GUARANTEE THERE'S MORE SCHOOLS ACROSS HAWAI'I THAT HAVE CLUBS FOR, LIKE, HAWAIIAN CULTURE.

BEING ABLE TO SHARE THIS STORY OF OUR CLUB AND HOW WE DO THINGS, HOPEFULLY, THAT'S KIND OF, LIKE INSPIRING TO OTHERS, AND LIKE SEEING THAT, WOW, WHAT WE DO MATTERS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE PERPETUATING THE HAWAIIAN CULTURE, AND WE'RE SHARING THIS STORY TO THE STATE, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ON HIKI NO'S WEBSITE, SO POTENTIALLY THE WORLD.

THIS IS KAMA PAULO-GALSOTE FROM WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL FOR HIKI NO, ON PBS HAWAI'I.

>> I'M KIND OF AIMING TO BE AN EDITOR.

I'VE COMMITTED TO A COLLEGE, HCC, HAWAI'I COMMUNITY COLLEGE, IN HILO, AND I AM GOING INTO THEIR CREATIVE PROGRAM FOR TWO YEARS FOR MY ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.

FROM THERE, I HAVE TRANSFERABLE CREDITS SO I CAN CHOOSE WHAT KIND OF COLLEGE I WANT TO GO INTO.

>> I PLAN TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT HILO, STUDY OVER THERE, MEDIA OR EVEN TEACHING.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE LEADERSHIP ROLES THAT I'VE HAD IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF GOT ME THINKING ABOUT BECOMING A TEACHER OR AN EDUCATOR.

WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP MEETING UP WITH ANOTHER HILO SCHOOL, E.B.

DE SILVA.

THEY'RE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

AND WE GOT TO TALK WITH THEM, AND WE REALIZED, OH, WOW, THESE GUYS ARE PRETTY GOOD FOR THEIR AGE.

THEY WERE MAKING STUFF WELL, TO ME, THEY WERE MAKING STUFF THAT I WOULD HAVE MADE IN NINTH GRADE.

BECAUSE, YEAH.

SO, YOU KNOW, SEEING THAT HIKI NO IS LIKE, A PLATFORM FOR MANY DIFFERENT STUDENTS OF ALL AGES, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE FUTURE HAS FOR ALL THESE YOUNG KIDS COMING INTO HIKI NO.

>> BEFORE I EVEN STARTED NEWS WRITING, I WENT UP TO MY TEACHER AND TOLD HER THAT I REALLY WANTED TO PARTICIPATE IN HIKI NO.

>> HIKI NO SHOWED ME LIKE, LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GAVE SOMETHING A SHOT.

>> YOU'RE ON TV, AND PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW ARE WATCHING THE VIDEO YOU MADE, NOT JUST LIKE YOUR PARENTS OR YOUR FRIENDS.

AND IT'S SO COOL.

>> I THINK IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO TELL ALL THESE SMALL STORIES, THESE THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT.

>> I WAS ABLE TO LEARN HOW TO TAKE SHOTS, HOW TO REALLY MAKE A STORY.

>> THE BIGGEST THING I'VE LEARNED IS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE STORIES, EVEN IF THEY'RE LIKE HIDDEN.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

>> IF MY VIDEO HELPED AT LEAST JUST ONE OTHER PERSON FEEL, LIKE, SEEN OR MORE HEARD IN THEIR SITUATION, I THINK IT WAS WORTHWHILE.