On Monday, November 5, the students in the leadership class taught by Ms. Melanie Soares and Mr. Kirk Uejio put on their best business dress and repaired to the Wailalae Country Club for lunch with some of Honolulu's most prominent community leaders.
The teachers invited eleven local notables to have lunch with the class in order to give the students the opportunity to ask questions and hear advice from accomplished leaders from various fields.
In the weeks leading up to the luncheon, students practiced their manners, honed their conversational skills and did research on each of the leaders. They even had a dress rehearsal, complete with an etiquette training lunch in the faculty lounge last last week. Girls received advice on skirt lengths, and the boys got the "no white socks" lecture.
For most of the first quarter, the course work focussed on issues such as communication, integrity, character, goal-setting, prioritizing, time management, organization, stress management, attitude, and diversity. The luncheon gave students a chance to bring it all together in a real life setting.
According to Mr. Uejio, "Preliminary reports have been VERY positive from both students and adults." The class will review their experience in class during the week.
The eleven distinguished guests were:
Blaine Gaison (Athletic Director at Kamehameha Schools and former NFL player)
Don Horner (First Hawaiian Bank CEO)
Gail Awakuni (Campbell High School Principal and 2005 National High School Principal of the Year)
Scott Simon (Associate General Counsel, Hawaiian Electric Co.)
Mark Fukunaga (CEO of Servco Pacific Inc.)
Claire Asam (Queen Liliuokalani Trust Board Member)
Dave Shoji (Head Coach of UH Wahine Volleyball)
Glenn Furuya (President of Leadership Works LLC)
Jenai Wall (CEO of Foodland Super Market Ltd.)
Thomas Fargo (former Commander, United States Pacific Command and current President of Trex Enterprises Corporation)
Paul Higo (Hawaii managing partner for Deloitte & Touche LLP)
Earlier in the school year, the class went on a leadership retreat combining community service, bonding, and leadership activities.
During the second quarter, the class will be putting the leadership skills they have learned into action.
Thanks to a $1000 donation, the students are challenged to do something in the community to make a positive difference. They will be brainstorming, making phone calls, and coming up with a plan how best to use the money.
