About 400 Polynesian high school students, including 30 from Hillcrest and Jordan high schools, attended the Aspire to Be PolyStrong leadership summit, where they were inspired, educated, and empowered to pursue future careers.

Hillcrest sophomore Grady Lavea initially joined his friends for what he thought would be a fun day away from class.

“To be honest, I thought it would be a free day from school, but when I heard successful Poly people outside of sports speak, which isn't very common, that gave me ways to be in their shoes looking at careers,” he said. “We were challenged to introduce ourselves to speakers, to network and make connections. It was easier to connect with the successful people there because they are part of my culture.”

One speaker, graphic artist Sam Mangakahia, left a strong impression on Lavea.

“He’s Māori (indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand) and carves Māori designs; he did the hook for ‘Moana’ for the promotion for the movie. When he started, he took his dad’s ukulele and a butter knife from the kitchen and started carving it. After he spoke, I introduced myself, and we talked about our roots. I’ve always liked drawing, so he explained to me how to make it a career path,” Lavea said.

The summit also sparked Lavea’s interest in entrepreneurship, a subject he’s now considering studying.

Before the event, students completed aptitude tests to match them with potential career paths. For Hillcrest sophomore Dannica Langi, her results aligned with her existing interests in law and health sciences.

She attended workshops in those fields and already is enrolled to take debate and earn her CNA.

“This inspired me to look what my future might be like, what I want to pursue,” she said. “I learned we’re all here for each other; we're built on the foundation of us being Polynesian. It was cool to see people of my culture be successful in life.”

Hillcrest counselor Pauline Tuitavuki-Smith said that’s exactly what the conference aimed to offer. 

“A lot of students don't see people who look like them in successful positions, so this gave them an opportunity to learn how to use their voice, to build relationships and to learn to have humility and confidence at the same time,” she said. “These speakers want to mentor students to succeed.” λ