PART 1
Ms. Watterson and Her Experience in Waimea
Angela McDonald
In Waimea, you’ll see how small of a town it is. It’s a community with people who have known each other for a very long time as everyone is connected easily. I spoke with Ms. Watterson, who has lived in Waimea for most of her life, about her life’s journey.
She moved to Waimea, Hawai’i in the second grade from San Francisco, California. She went to Waimea Elementary and moved to Kohala when she was in high school. She mentions, “People are really nice here. I feel like people who live in Waimea are really kind, super connected to their place, like I remember making friends with most of the people in my school and really loved my teachers. Especially Mr. Brown. (Math Teacher).”
Another big part of living in Waimea, Hawai’i is being in a Halau. Ms. Watterson joined a halau to be more connected with Hawai’i itself, she notes. Halou is a practice in which you learn how to do hula. In 2015, Ms. Watterson wanted to learn more about hula and perform it as well. She states, “My Kumu for Halou was just amazing. She’s the type of person who walks into the room and everyone can feel their presence and sense it.” She also mentioned that learning to dance in her halau helped her feel more connected with the place she lives, Hawai’i.
Ms. Watterson’s motivation to become a teacher all started when she still lived in San Francisco. She was a teacher at a high school there but heard about schools in Hawai’i. She later found out that Parker School was looking for a Spanish teacher. She wasn’t necessarily looking for a private school but she stated that she fell in love with the school when knowing she had a small child and seeing a lower school was a perfect opportunity for Ms. Watterson and her family.
In 2015, Ms. Watterson started at Parker School Hawai’i as a Spanish teacher. She took a break in 2021 and came back during the middle of 2022. She mentions that teaching at Parker has been a great experience. She has made friends with new teachers and reconnected with colleagues she has known from her teenage years. It’s great to be able to go to work knowing that you trust and are close with everyone around you in your community. As Parker is a small school, everyone is connected in a way like an Ohana.
Now, in 2024, Ms. Watterson is proud to be living in Waimea, Hawai’i knowing that her ‘ohana is here around her. She is able to have her kids grow up like she did, and enjoy the lifestyle of living here. As she said “So I really love being here, it definitely feels like a second family to me.”, it's important to follow your heart; for Ms. Watterson, it’s being in Hawai’i with everyone.
Part 2
The Waimea Experience of Mr. Naj
Max Paris
Mr. Najita has been a part of Parker School for 29 years and in those years he has taught several different classes. He started out as a middle school teacher, where the only building for middle school was the Annex. He has been a Senior English Teacher. He was the first AP English teacher. He was the 9th grade English teacher for 19 years, and is now working part time, teaching Songwriting, Philosophy, and AP Language and Composition.
Throughout the years, Mr. Naj has gone through many classes, but he was here way back when the middle school was two rooms in the Annex, one for 8th grade and one for 7th. There were only two teachers. He was the Humanities teacher, and there was a STEM teacher as well. This middle school was a project based Schooling experience. They did lots of community work and hands-on learning. A whole different way of learning than what we have now. “Blah Blah Blah”. How amazing would it be to have gone through middle school, the supposed “worst years ever” and loved it so much it still had an effect on you even so many years later. I would want to remember it too.
Mr. Naj has a very unique and, I believe, fun way of teaching english. It is all project based. You get to come up with what you want to write about and in what format you want to write it. However this wasn’t always the case. It wasn’t until Mr. Dunn became the Headmaster that Mr. Naj got to start teaching in that way. “Blah Blah Blah”. He wanted to teach this way and was given the opportunity, and took it.
Asking Mr. Naj the Question, “Over your many years teaching here at Parker, what is one of the biggest changes you have experienced?” His response was something I had not expected. He said, “Blah Blah Blah” . That is an incredible thing to be able to say. Over the years Parker’s atmosphere has changed so little, it has and will always be Parker school. From the teachers to the students to the administration to even the land, Parker is Parker. This is a community and not just a school.
PART 3
The Voice and Thoughts of Waimea by Aunty Kelly
Angel Croix and Bella Carmona
From Colorado to the Big Island, Hawaii is a big change. It took lots of time for Aunty Kelly to adjust to a whole entirely different way of living. Aunty Kelly works at Waimea Country School as a kindergarten teacher. She is a mother and a parent to exchange students internationally. She ended up having mixed feelings about the community in Waimea. Waimea is a very small town where everyone knows each other. The community and population used to be smaller 20 years ago than it is now. In 1992, the population was about 7,000 citizens. Now it's just over 10,500. The people of Waimea are very helpful. There are a lot of things to volunteer in and help out in the community.
We talked about Waimea and how it changed with Aunty Kelly. Aunty Kelly, her husband, and her son first moved from Colorado to Waikoloa for 13 years. Then in 1992, she moved to Waimea and has lived there for 30 years. After she moved to Waimea, she became a kindergarten teacher at Waimea Country School. She is now very familiar with the weather and community in Waimea. We asked her to describe how the weather in Waimea has changed over time. She told us she was shocked by the change. When she first moved here, the winters were misty, drizzly, cool, and there was lots of overcast. Over the years , it became much hotter and dryer. She mentions that “There's a very big shift in the weather.”
We ended up asking if she noticed any bad changes in Waimea or the community. Her response was that she has “noticed a trend in humanity in general, that when people find a beautiful or wonderful place, they say, ‘this is fantastic and I love it, nobody else should come here.’” She says that there is no question that a lot of people have moved to Waimea, and it is a natural inclination. It is not that great when people move here and want to keep places to themselves, but Aunty Kelly thinks that everywhere in Waimea is beautiful and we should all share these wonderful places.
Aunty Kelly has contributed to the Waimea community in a lot of ways. She's done a lot of community volunteer work. Another way Aunty Kelly is contributing to the community is by hosting exchange students. This can be great for a lot of kids because Waimea can benefit them in many ways. When she was younger her family hosted an exchange student.She is still in touch with the exchange student her parents hosted from Germany and we both thought that was really cool. As she got older, she realized how much she loved that experience and wanted to give the same for other kids and show them around Waimea.
Aunty Kelly’s husband is a really big introvert and it took her a lot of convincing to host a foreign exchange student. So far she has hosted several kids in her house and has introduced several others to the community of Waimea.While living in Waimea, Kelly says that her current student, who is used to cold weather, absolutely loves the hot beaches. Aunty Kelly can’t blame her because she also loves the hot beaches too. They bond together every week by going to a different beach.
Aunty Kelly enjoys living and working in Waimea and has no second thoughts about moving here. To her, Waimea is a special place to connect with different people and communities.
PART 4
Welcoming Waimea: An Interview With a Recent Transplant
Selah Vigil
Introduction
Hawaii is often referred to as a melting pot of different cultures which, for some,is a major reason to move here. Waimea specifically is a very welcoming place to people of any origin, even those from other countries. Horlando Monteiro, a professional fighter in jiu jitsu who won tournaments all around the world, moved to Hawaii from Brazil. He started working at a gym in Kona called Foundation BJJ, which he now owns and runs. As a resident of Waimea, he wants to share his experience with our community, and to improve the level of jiu jitsu that we have in hawaii.
Horlandos views and thoughts really showed throughout this interview. He gave impactful comments that really shows how much effort he puts into his gym. Writing out what he said into an article wouldn’t have shown just how much he cares for his gym and the wellbeing of those who train there so make sure to read the whole transcription!
Interview
When did you move to Hawaii and why?
I moved to Hawaii about five years ago, for a job opportunity and because I really like the lifestyle and the culture and all the beauties that this place has to offer. The people here are so nice and welcoming. And it's very similar to the place that I come from, which is Brazil. And the weather – the weather is amazing!
What other places have you lived in, before you moved to Hawaii?
I lived in three different cities in Brazil. I was born in a city called Imperatriz, and I moved to Natal when I was six months old. And then I moved to João Pessoa when I was six years old. And then I moved back to Natal, and then I moved to Rio De Janeiro.
WOW, that's a lot.
And then from Rio, I moved to Texas for a short period of time, three months. And then I moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
And then you moved here?
And then I moved here. I’ve been living here for six years.
Did you move that much because of Jiu Jitsu?
Because of Jiu Jitsu, yeah.
How was the transition from Brazil to Hawaii?
The transition was hard in the beginning because I didn't really speak English, so I struggled with that a little bit, with the language barrier. But I adapted fast because I was very young, I was 17, 18, and I adapted fast because I study English. I had a hard time understanding and conjugating the verbs, still now haha, but I've come a long way. Because I studied, like I said, I watch a lot of TV shows with subtitles in English, so I could read and listen to them. So that really helps a lot with my understanding. My wife helps me a lot with English too. But overall, the transition went smooth. I feel like I'm well adapted and my whole life is here now.
How is jiu jitsu in Hawaii different from the Jiu Jitsu you had in Brazil?
It's very different. I feel like here in Hawaii, the Jiujitsu committee is like a family, you know, everybody knows each other, they cross train a lot and you know, they support each other. They have fun. The level compared to Brazil definitely needs some work, you know? It's getting there, but it's come a long way so far since I moved here. Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, it's very competitive. We have a lot of people that train for hobbies, but there's a lot of tournaments, Jiu Jitsu is big. So, it's a lot more competitions, a lot more people training, and it's just part of our culture, you know? Like Brazilians, when you grow up, you either surf, you either fight or either play soccer. So it's a big part of our culture.
And do you plan on staying in Waimea?
Yes.
For forever?
Yes, I would say so. I don't see myself moving anywhere else.
What are your future plans? Like tournaments, MMA, and what's your future looking like with Jiu Jitsu?
So, right now I'm 29 years old. And I still feel like I can compete at the highest level for a few more years. I would say at least four or five more years. I can compete at the highest level, that's the adult black belt division. So I want to compete in that, I still want to have a couple MMA fights, not sure how many, but I still want to jump in the cage again. I want to focus on helping the students to grow. Help them learn the technique, help them to learn their philosophy, lifestyle, jujitsu. Help each other outside of the mats, help them grow as a human being, as an athlete. And build my academy more and more, you know, try to get more students, really respectful and good people. I think the crowd of people is more important than the number. So I feel like right now we have a solid group of people and I want to keep that way.
PART 5
Interview with Kumu: Waimea’s Cultural Essence
Georgia Kasameyer
The strongest voices of our community are not always those you hear first. In my interview with Kumu Lani Isaacs, she took me through her story; growing up on the Big Island, moving to Maui to raise her family, and moving back to the Big Island. The first question I asked was “how would you like me to refer to you?” and she answered by turning the question on its head and asking me how I’d like to refer to her. We discussed the effects of Westernization on Hawaii's youth, and how many children are losing and forgetting traditional aspects of respect in Hawaiian culture. “They don't understand how to address local people… When you’re addressing someone older, rarely do you call them by their name. It’s a sign of respect.” I asked if I could call her Kumu, and she responded that “While I am not your kumu, I am a kumu to many others in the community. So yes, you can call me that.”
She has been teaching hula for years, from stages on Maui to fields and pavilions in Waimea. After moving back to the Big Island, she was offered a job teaching hula at Waikoloa Elementary School. She taught there for years, showing students what hula means to her and helping them find its impact in their own lives. When she told me this, I truly began to understand the effect that she’s had on keiki for years. I grew up learning hula at Waikoloa Elementary (from a different teacher), and when I look back at my years there I truly realize the impact that it had on me. The lessons I learned about Hawaiian culture, while surrounded by an excess of Westernization, helped me understand why we need to remember stories and history.
Kumu later started her halau, Polynesian Dance Academy. She began with a core group of 12 dancers, and while the members shifted, “those who truly want to stay always come back.” Today, she still leads the halau. My mother is one of her dancers, and that was what inspired me to ask to interview her.
As we talked, I began to see Waimea’s growth through her eyes. She watched the town shift and change, newcomers arriving in waves and culture ebbing and flowing as the town grew into the melting pot Hawaii is known to be. I realized that there is a fine line between simply a variety of cultures and the dissipation of true Waimea culture. Kumu reminisced on the times when she could walk down the street and see a horse trotting next to her. The live music playing in the center of town, surrounded by a wide variety of places to eat that served real, healthy food. “Never been a fan of Mickey D’s,” she said. “Or the King.”
The third facet of Waimea’s fading cultural essence is affordable education. This is a touchy topic, especially in our town. “Hawaiian style is to observe,” she said. Kumu has seen the privatization of education firsthand, and it has its good and bad sides. We talked at length about the mindset of “if I can afford to learn, I’m better than you.” As a student attending a private school, I can say that I haven't been exposed to this level of stigma, and I recognize the pitfalls of expensive education and have seen where this comes into play in the culture clash.
For Kumu, hula is a way to keep her culture alive. Her halau is not just a place to dance, but to learn language, drumming, and mo’olelo. The stories her students tell in their hula are stories that Kumu has endeavored to keep alive through her song, dance, and fierce protection of her culture.
PART 6
Interview with Bailey and her experience in Waimea since moving from Oahu
Bella Wine
Bailey moved to Waimea in 2022 with her Mom and sisters from O’ahu. Since then, She has found some really fun activities in the community. Bailey says she loves to thrift at the local thrift shops right here in town, as well as go to the farmers markets too. She and her mom have also given back to the community by both working at Parker School since they've moved. Bailey works at the elementary school and, sometimes, at the front desk with her mom doing attendance. I personally enjoy having both Bailey and her mom work at Parker because they are always very sweet and welcoming when signing people in every morning.
Compared to O’ahu, Waimea is a big change. Bailey said that in O’ahu everyone is inspired to “Be like the Kardashians” and is very focused on keeping up with the trends. However, in Waimea, she says the environment and people are more relaxed and live with more of a country vibe, which she prefers. Bailey also mentioned the weather differences. Bailey says that when she used to live in Kapolei on O’ahu, it was way hotter and more dry than in Waimea. Now she lives on the wet side here and she loves it. She says “I prefer Waimea 100%”.
Bailey mentioned that her lifestyle in Waimea is totally opposite her lifestyle in O’ahu. She said that Waimea has really changed her, obviously for the better. She shared with me a little about her past. She said that while living in O’ahu she used to party a lot. Although that was partially enjoyable for her, she mentioned that she “wasn’t doing well”. She says that she has found peace since moving to Waimea, and lives a much better lifestyle now. I found this to be really inspiring because a lot of people can get caught up in the city lifestyle, but Bailey was able to turn over a new leaf.
Bailey mentioned she hasn’t been able to find a lot of friends in the community, even though she is welcomed. She's been more focused on finding herself. I feel like finding yourself in Waimea is so easy since it's such a calming/personal experience. I tend to feel like the activities I do in Waimea with my friends like thrifting, going to farmers markets, and going to parks to appreciate nature, could be just as enjoyable doing them alone. Waimea is perfect for finding yourself compared to places like O’ahu. There’s a sense of safety and cleanliness in Waimea. Everything is surrounded by nature and friendly people, making it a great place to live and an inspiring place. Bailey and her mom, Aunty Uluwehi, have both been great contributors to Waimea, especially the Parker School community. I hope they continue to love Waimea and stay here as long as possible.