Highlighting Past, Present and Future Projects From the BYUH Service Center
The BYU–Hawaii Service Center has long been a hub where hundreds of BYU–Hawaii students step into leadership by serving alongside peers and community members through the center’s projects and partnerships. From literacy events and cleanup projects to food distributions and blood drives, the Service Center has built a tradition of cultivating Christlike leadership through service. Over the past year, the center has expanded its outreach by introducing new initiatives, deepening community partnerships, and preparing for another semester filled with opportunities to give back.
Winter 2025
Literacy and Learning
The Winter 2025 Semester featured a full lineup of service activities, including recurring events like the Blood Drive and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP): Bone Marrow Drive, as well as culturally significant efforts such as ti leaf lei making and the makahiki games. However, one of the semester’s standout highlights was a literacy fair, a new event designed to promote education and reading among local children.
For students, the Literacy Fair provided more than just an opportunity to volunteer—it created a chance to support keiki in their academic growth while strengthening connections between BYU–Hawaii and surrounding schools. The event’s hands-on activities, story times, and games allowed college students to inspire a love of reading in younger learners, reflecting the university’s mission to nurture communities through education.
Thresha Punzalan, the service council supervisor and a sophomore from the Philippines double majoring in anthropology and intercultural peacebuilding, shares how her own journey of service shaped her commitment to leading projects like this. “What inspired me to work at the Service Center is its mission to develop Christlike leaders by providing meaningful experiences through leadership and service,” she said. “Growing up, I saw firsthand how service can change people’s lives. It also changed me—helping me become a better person and a true disciple of Jesus Christ.”
For Punzalan, service is not simply about fulfilling a need—it is about transformation. Her background, influenced by her grandfather, who served as a barangay chief in the Philippines, and her father, who spent more than a decade as a councilor in the local barangay, instilled in her the principle of serving without expecting anything in return. Those experiences, combined with her missionary service in the Philippines Iloilo Mission,and work as a teacher at the Missionary Training Center in Manila, continue to guide her as she leads other students at the Service Center.
Spring 2025
Serving the Environment Beyond
The Spring 2025 semester took students beyond campus to the Bobby Benson Center in Kahuku, Hawaii, a facility dedicated to supporting youth and families. Service Center volunteers helped clear and clean areas around the center, improving its grounds so that residents and staff could benefit from a safer, more welcoming environment.
For students, the project was a tangible reminder of how small acts—like clearing bushes or picking up trash—contribute to a greater mission of healing and restoration. It also gave them a chance to serve alongside peers and mentors, reinforcing the idea that service is not about the scale of the task, but the spirit with which it is carried out.
Akesiu Fukofuka Ngalu, the student service manager and a senior from Tonga majoring in biochemistry, said that her own favorite memory came from a similar project called Aloha ‘Āina, held in Hau’ula with one of the center’s community partners. Before she officially joined the Service Center staff, Ngalu co-led the event as part of the Service Council. The cleanup brought together five BYU–Hawaii student clubs, around 40 students from the community, and close to 90 participants overall.
“It was my first time planning and executing something on such a big scale,” Ngalu said. “At first, I was nervous about handling all the details, but once the event started, it was incredible to see so many people come together with the same purpose. Looking around at the teamwork, the energy, and the unity made all the effort feel worth it.”
Now, as a leader, she sees projects like the Bobby Benson Center service as a continuation of that same spirit. “Experiences like Aloha ‘Āina have strengthened not only my leadership skills but also my confidence in working with others, organizing, and stepping into bigger responsibilities,” she said. “Most importantly, it deepened my belief that service is about more than just the work we do—it’s about building relationships, caring for the community, and creating experiences that bring people together.”
Fall 2025
Looking Ahead
As the new semester begins, the Service Center is preparing for a series of impactful projects that will once again bring students and the community together. This fall, the team is planning two food distribution events: one in partnership with Hauula Elementary and another with the Kahuku Village Association. These initiatives aim to address food insecurity while strengthening relationships with local families and organizations.
Additionally, from November 17 to 22, the Service Center will host its annual Giving Thanks Week, a campus tradition of gratitude and service. The week-long event will feature both on-campus and off-campus opportunities for students to get involved in acts of kindness leading up to the American Thanksgiving holiday.
Jatuphon Phakdeerat, the marketing & social media specialist and a senior from Thailand majoring in business management with an emphasis in marketing and supply chain, said he is especially looking forward to seeing the direct impact of students’ contributions. “Giving is an act of service that I deeply value, and I find the greatest joy in witnessing the impact our efforts have on those we serve,” he said. He recalled an experience when he reached out to a nonprofit partner on the mainland to confirm that they had received students’ work. The organization responded with photos, which he shared with the student volunteers.
“This not only validated the students’ hard work but also reminded them that their contributions are valued and meaningful,” Phakdeerat explained. “Being able to bridge that connection between our campus and the wider community is what inspires me the most, both as a leader and as someone who genuinely values service.”
Continuing the Mission
Looking across the past year, from the Literacy Fair in Winter 2025 to the Bobby Benson Center project in Spring and the upcoming food distributions in Fall 2025, the Service Center’s impact is clear. Each initiative not only supports the Laie community and surrounding areas but also transforms the students who participate.
Jairu Allen Buenaobra, the volunteer specialist and a freshman from the Philippines double majoring in psychology and social work, reflected on how the Service Center has shaped his personal growth. “Working at the Service Center has truly shaped me in many ways, both personally and professionally,” he said. “One of the biggest changes I have seen in myself is becoming more efficient in everything I do. The responsibilities and experiences I’ve had here have taught me how to manage my time better and find solutions more effectively.
It has also changed the way I see the world. Being in an environment focused on service has opened my eyes to different perspectives and helped me recognize the importance of even the smallest contributions.”
With a full slate of service opportunities ahead, the Service Center invites students to continue building that legacy—one act of kindness, one project, and one semester at a time.
Students interested in serving can visit the Service Center office located in Room 181 of the McKay Gymnasium building or follow its announcements on the BYU–Hawaii Student Leadership & Service channels to learn how to get involved.