Each year since the Golden Jubilee celebration in 2005 the BYU-Hawaii/Church College of Hawaii Alumni Association honors former students who represent the characteristics President David O. McKay envisioned when he founded this university. At the groundbreaking ceremony fifty-three years ago this month he said:
One man said the world needs men who cannot be bought or sold, men who will scorn to violate truth, genuine gold. That is what this school is going to produce. More than that, they will be leaders... You mark that word, and from this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally.
At the first-ever student-alumni assembly in the Cannon Activities Center on February 14, the following were recognized as the 2008 Genuine Gold Award representatives (in graduation order):
Les Steward ('73), Assistant to the President of the Polynesian Cultural Center and a former two-time president of the Alumni Association's board of directors:
Steward has served in executive management positions at the PCC for many years. Originally from Australia, he graduated from the Church College of New Zealand before attending CCH. He has also served for many years as a bishop, stake counselor and president, mission president in California-Arcadia, and is currently Patriarch for the BYU-Hawaii 1st Stake.
In my travels throughout the world and visiting with the alumni, I've been able to see the actual fulfillment of David O. McKay's prophecy in the lives of students throughout the world.
Elder Pita Foliaki Hopoate ('73), Area Authority Seventy and Church Educational System Country Director for Guam and Micronesia.
After graduating from CCH, Hopoate returned to Tonga and at age 29 was called as a stake president. He has since served as mission president in Tonga, president of the Tonga Missionary Training Center and regional representative.
I never dreamed when I grew up in a humble upbringing in Tonga, that I would have the experience to be a part of that prophetic statement from the prophet of God," he said. "I learned to appreciate other cultures and other people. Who knew that I would end up serving with a Korean and a Japanese where I am now. I'm an Area Authority Seventy working in the Asia North Area. We cover all the Micronesian islands and Guam, and also South Korea and Japan.
Rosita "Sita" Ah Ching Jasper ('74), President & CEO of Quality Distribution, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
"Sita" Ah Ching Jasper, who grew up with a strong work ethic in her family's small business in Samoa, is today the founder and owner of a distribution company based in Utah with almost a half-million square-feet of space that does business throughout the U.S. and Canada.
I have a very soft heart. I think I developed that here, and whenever I see a student or those that are less fortunate, my heart opens up to them; and I know that it's the Lord's wealth that I'm a steward over. And my obligation and my desire is to use that wealth to help others.
Elder Stanley Tak Chung Wan ('76), Area Welfare Manager, Asia, and Area Authority Seventy
Elder Stanley Wan, as the Area Welfare Manager for Asia, works with Latter-day Saint country directors, approximately 100 missionaries, governments and NGOs or non-government organizations in 23 Asian countries on employment, humanitarian services, emergency disaster relief and family counseling.
Words cannot express how much I appreciate BYU Hawaii, I treasure my experiences over there, not only because of my education, but also it has provided me with so many beautiful memories, spiritual experiences, and a lot of things in my life, so I owe BYU Hawaii a lot.
Debbie Hippolite-Wright, Ph.D. ('78), LDS Family Services practitioner, Salt Lake City, Utah
As a social worker and former BYU-Hawaii social work professor for 17 years, Dr. Hippolite-Wright has worked with people and helped train social workers throughout the world.
I think my sense of purpose professionally is connected to the testimony that I gained at BYU-Hawaii. They're so interconnected: We're the Lord's children. We have a responsibility while we're on this earth to help each other, and that really dovetails nicely into my professional background.
William Swain ('86), Latter-day Saint Marshallese translator
Will Swain, who was born on a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands and served his government as a diplomat in the Middle and Far East, and for two additional years in the United Nations, is currently helping translate the Doctrine and Covenants into Marshallese.
After BYU-Hawaii I went back to the Marshalls and worked for the government as a desk officer overseeing East and Far East. I was primarily looking at economic advancement with those countries, and, and forging diplomatic relations with most of them. In fact, Japan, Singapore, Egypt — of all places, Turkey — that was part of my responsibility... Then I got a call, and that's when things changed. Elder L. Tom Perry, his office called me.
President Yoon Hwan Choi ('88), Second Counselor, Asia North Area Presidency, Seoul, Korea
After a successful career in information systems and Korea-Taiwan venture capital investment, President Choi went to work for the Church in 1989. He was recently called into the area presidency, with responsibilities in South Korea, Japan, Guam and Micronesia.
We pursue our life with our great effort, and then just living in the gospel, and then just doing what the Lord asks us to do, those things that we learned from the school, we are achieving little by little. Sometimes it's surprising: Did I do that? Did I accomplish that much?
Kevan Dean Bradshaw ('89), Senior Partner, Price Waterhouse Coopers, San Diego, California
As a senior partner for Price Waterhouse Coopers, Bradshaw worked in Taiwan and China; but he already had a strong international background by the time he transferred from Provo to BYU-Hawaii: He was raised in Canada, lived in Nigeria as a teenager and served a mission in Thailand.
When I was at BYU-Hawaii, you know, my best friend was a guy from Japan; you know, the guys that I worked with in the Accounting Lab were from Taiwan and China; and obviously a lot of Pacific islanders that I worked with as well. So it was one of those United Nations experiences.
Lloyd Keung ('70), Principal of the Church College of New Zealand, and his wife, Lynette "Dolly" Keung ('70), received the Alumni Association's Family Service Award.
The Keungs returned to New Zealand shortly after he graduated and have spent his professional and their family life at CCNZ.
BYU-Hawaii prepared me for what came after: One, I received my qualifications to come and to work and to be a teacher. That would not have happened had I not been at BYU-Hawaii. Two, it gave me the strength, the testimony of the gospel that since then has never wavered. And three it taught me the value that education is a must for all youth — and every youth is capable of achievement. They just need the nurturing, they just need the guidance, the encouragement, such as Dolly and I received at BYU-Hawaii.
The Alumni Association also periodically bestows Distinguished Service and Honorary Alumni Awards.
:: For the list of past Genuine Gold honorees...