As communities and institutions everywhere work to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic with social distancing, HPA, too, is making the switch to continuous learning and remote work so that students, teachers, and other employees can shelter in place. This transition to online engagement isn’t limited to HPA’s academic realm; as in-person gatherings are suspended for the time being, HPA’s alumni office is shifting its energy to keep Ka Makani connected throughout these difficult times on social media platforms, over email, and through video conferencing events. Young Alumni Engagement Manager Sheri Salmon ’03 fills us in on what’s happening online, what to keep your eye on, and virtual aloha.
What content have you shared so far, and what can people look forward to seeing soon?
So far we’ve featured Max Solmssen ’97 in our new #KaMaKANIkapila series (inspired by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series), Genai Robinson ’04 ran through an easy and affordable dinner option, Chelsea Morriss ’05 offered a free Zoom yoga class to all HPA ‘ohana last week, and Pōʻai Lincoln ʻ07 added to our #KaMaKANIkapila series with her rendition of Ho’onanea by Lena Machado. More alumni to look forward to seeing are Chrissy Castillo ’02 with a workout circuit, Ippy Aiona ’06 will be running us through one of his personal recipes, Kaikea Nakachi ’11 will take us through a day in the life with some underwater go pro footage, Samantha Emmons Wilson ’08, Ryan Fontana ’04, and Nani Anderson ’05 will also contribute to our #KaMaKANIkapila series, and Cecily Kimura ’08 will treat us to a fusion fare recipe.
Wow. That’s an impressive lineup! But what was that hashtag again?
#KaMaKANIkapila. It’s a mash-up of Ka Makani and kanikapila which means to play music together; to have a jam session. We’ve also been using the hashtag #kaMakaniSTRONG to showcase our alums. We have so many talented and good-hearted alumni out there and it’s been so fun and humbling to be able to share what they’re all about on our newsfeeds.
How can other alums out there contribute?
Send us an email at alumni@hpa.edu or tag us (@hawaiiprepalumni) in your Instagram posts!
Social media often gets a bad rap… but it’s certainly playing a large role in making us all feel less alone right now. What are your hopes/goals for this virtual engagement campaign both now and after we’re on the other side of this?
I hope this engagement campaign builds and strengthens lasting relationships among Ka Makani alumni of all generations. We received comments and dms from alums from the ’60s through the 2000s vibing and reminiscing over the same post. It’s incredible to see the common threads that hold us all together! We have musicians, cooks, artists, architects, small business owners, etc. from across the years and they are all networking and sharing ideas with one another!
How are YOU spending your quarantine days?
I continue to work remotely from home with our amazing advancement team and am in the process of finding that beautiful balance between video conferences, emails, and facilitating distance learning with my 5-year-old son. For fun, we try to get outdoors as much as possible. We just spent the afternoon setting up a makeshift waterslide in our backyard. It didn’t hold a candle to HPA’s Big Waterslide, but there were lots of laughs!