Chase Barlet

Several years before Sanchez would ever step foot on the beautiful tropical campus of Brigham Young University – Hawaii, her life already began to steer her in a direction that would ultimately lead her directly here. Now a senior in international cultural studies focusing on communication, Sanchez’s unique story and vibrant cultural past provided the foundation and passion that now shapes the future path she intends to take.

One does not have to look far to recognize the international diversity at Brigham Young University – Hawaii. Here, multiculturalism reigns. Students from around the world bring their beliefs, traditions, and languages with them when they come to study at BYU-Hawaii, sharing their perspectives with students from every corner of the globe.

With a contagious smile and a passion for her work, Brigham Young University – Hawaii student Carla Rada, a native of Bolivia, works hard to infuse her passion for media and cross-cultural communication with her international cultural studies major focusing on communications. She explains that her interests for television and communication stem deeply from her own personal experiences, long before she set foot on campus. “My father is a journalist so when I was young I had the opportunity to actually have a national teenage-themed television show that brought in music and culture.” This opportunity, Rada says, helped to provide the foundation for her educational goals.

Ask a student or faculty member at Brigham Young University – Hawaii what makes the university such an inviting and unique place to study, chances are the answer will resonate in the collegial community found on this campus. The welcoming, accessible, and intimate atmosphere of respect and collaboration here echoes through every classroom, department, and individual. The fervent drive members of the BYUH community share manifests itself in the form of dedicated, progressive, and passionate action. When BYUHSA Vice President Janelle Cabacungan arrived at BYUH, she too soon found her own niche and got involved.

At Brigham Young University – Hawaii, students hail from nearly every corner of the globe. Some of them, even, seem to have traversed most of it themselves on their own. It is of little surprise, then, that students like Nick Beezum, pictured at left, a senior and international business major originally from Adelaide, Australia, have come to BYU Hawaii to share and further their own unique and dynamic global perspectives.

In a fast-paced, globalizing world, technology rules. From online virtual meetings to instant online communication, a strong foundation of new digital media and innovative technology emerges as a forefront prerequisite for success. On October 30, 2008, Brigham Young University Hawaii students welcomed Nathan Henderson, the Chief Operating Officer of the Global Service Partner Management to hear his counsel, insight, and the realities surrounding modern business technology. Henderson’s premise: Business Technology: Challenge and Opportunity. His promise to students: “This is going to impact you big time.”

On the surface, Erika Kuta (pictured at left), a BYU-Hawaii interdisciplinary major from Minnesota might seem like your typical college senior. Like many of her peers, she balances her schoolwork, job and numerous extracurricular activities while still maintaining a much-deserved social life. Yet, just underneath her clever intellect and contagious smile, Kuta offers an eclectic past that puts a whole new spotlight on her own compelling journey to BYU-Hawaii.

One glance at the Brigham Young University Hawaii campus, and it is easy to see that our students hail from around the world. We fly across oceans, deserts, and rainforests to this university to learn, to serve, and to share and explore our experiences with others. It is truly impossible to attend BYU-Hawaii without developing a new perspective. As we come to discover and appreciate better our global understanding, we form a tightly-knit, caring, and trusting community, uniquely and appropriately positioned in the cross-roads of the Pacific. Yet, despite the differences between us, we come to realize and celebrate that we often have more in common than not.

Perched atop the Mount of Olives overlooking the Holy City itself, Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies dominates the eastern skyline of perhaps the world’s most sacred cities. The center boasts beautiful arches that adorn its buildings constructed from Jerusalem limestone. An olive and wine press are nestled in gardens of flowers, olive trees, and vineyards, while an abundance of windows within gives way to terraces featuring breathtaking views overlooking the steep Kidron Valley, the Old City, and beyond to modern West Jerusalem. A fountain pouring water echoes across the marble floors, empowering mind and spirit, the center itself an inspiring beacon of cross-cultural understanding and tolerant peace.