Day 5

YALE 

Mental Health Awareness survey

Lunch at the Commons

Group Interview

Cultural Exchange

Native American Pow-wow

Day 4

What did you see or experience today?
How can you apply what you experienced today to your future life?

Today a group of five of us were given the opportunity to see Barclays Bank in New York.  It was truly an enlightening experience; we had entered the huge building and were instantly hit with a sense of professionalism. Everyone wore a suit and walked with a sense of purpose. We presented and held conversations with a room of successful individuals that held stable jobs at the investment bank. We shared our experiences and formed relationships with them. They explained their roles at the bank and how they were important. I was amazed by how diverse each of their college degrees were, considering how they all worked for the same company. After our conference, we were exposed to an office life that I thought only existed in the television shows. There was an entire floor filled with computers, chairs and tables. The office workers were extremely friendly and shared with us their personal life there at the office. For example, one of the workers had dressed up in their cheerleading outfit to raise money around the building. When it was time to leave, I felt like I left with an authentic perspective of life working in a big investment company.

Instead of getting interviewed by the volunteers, we interviewed them. One of our questions was "What is one piece of important career advice would you give to us?". This gave the most surprising answer: don't be afraid of change. They told us to keep an open mind and to not get our hearts set on a certain field in order to find happiness in the future. It was shocking to hear how many times they had changed their majors in college. This taught me to make sure I am well rounded and remember that the world is not over if I don't find a passion for the field I choose in high school. As long as I show a willingness to learn and work, there will be opportunities for advancement. 

Alexandria Simon

Today I saw what it was like to work in an office building.  The Barclay building that we visited today had many different floors, so many that some of the workers didn't even know each other even though they had been working in the same building together for multiple years.  There are many workers in one office and each is busy with several computer monitors at once.  I’ve learned that business building has many diverse working groups to make one company successful.

I learned that being original in a big business like the one we visited (Barclay) is very important.  Better opportunities can come more easily from being original; it can help you be noticed by people.  People who notice you might appreciate you and consider hiring you. I feel that this will be important because I'm from Hawaii and having an original and unique personality is a very crucial quality that I can take advantage of.

Sebastian “Kahale” Ramos

Something interesting I saw or experienced today was learning about the architectural firm Stamberg Aferiat. Stamberg and Aferiat live right next door to their office in a loft. Also, their apartment is so unique because they actually designed their own house to their own liking. The loft has many different art like ceramics, paintings, drawings, and models. Peter and Paul actually designed some of their own furniture, that I thought was unique because I never saw anything like it before and it was mind blowing. Another, thing that I experienced was the huge windows around the apartment that let in natural lighting.

What I can apply for my future life is that it's a good idea to look at different options or a back-up plan and not just one career so I don't get stuck in a career that I don't enjoy. Also, it gave me a different perspective of looking at things that I never considered possible.

Linaka Akutagawa

Something that I experienced today at the Fashion Institute Of Technology was that the dorms provided everything for you except for your own computer and a tv. All students have lockers. We also came across a perfume lab they do a lot of experiments to test all different types of bottled perfumes. When students finish FIT they have a 96 percent chance of actually getting a job. If you're an international student you’re not allowed to work outside of school so your best hope is working at the college as a librarian or a tour guide. Our Canadian guide mentioned that her parents were afraid to let come to New York because they thought it would be dangerous.

How can you apply what you experienced today to your future life?

I can relate to the Canadian guide because my parents also believe that it wouldn’t be safe for me. I also learned that it’s a good idea to get a part-time job because college is very expensive and some people actually go broke by the end of their college year. You want to find a place that is looking for your major because then you would have a better chance at getting a job with a high salary.

Jennifer Costales-Sanchez

Day 3

What did you see or experience today?

How can you apply what you experienced today to your future life?

New Yorkers walk with a purpose. During our visit to Columbia University, we were given a task to engage in a conversation with the students. We dispersed into groups and looked for possible candidates for our conversation. It was difficult to find students to speak to because they all looked busy. I saw various students walking hurriedly to their classes and I didn’t want to interrupt their missions. It seems like most of the occupants in this city walk with a purpose. The streets are busy with people heading off to work, school, or just simply in a hurry. They have a destination, a goal to fulfill. As we spoke to graduate students, they talked about their application process in such a calm way. It was as if they already knew they were going to get in. They had such determination and confidence when they applied that it inspired me to do the same with my application process in the future. The people of New York have incredible ambition.


Giesha Nunez

Something I saw or experience today was that on the weekdays it is really busy compared to the weekends. Back home the time starts different in Hawaii they start a little later around 10am then we do back at home around 8am. It's really crowded riding the subway, and space is limited on the weekdays such as more people being on the street less spaces on the subway. Cars, buses, taxi's are going left and right. In the community there are limited space to walk to and from the subway. New Yorkers have no time to waste and have places to go in order to earn their living. I can apply what I have experienced today to my future life by getting up a little earlier so I can get to my destination on time and won't have to worry about the subway having little space available. I will also try to get to my destinations on time and not waste time because time flies by faster in New York compared to us back in Hawaii.

Hiilani Mollena

Day 2

Daily postings:

What did you see or experience today?

How can you apply what you experienced today to your future life?

“No day shall erase you from the memory of time.” This was a quote that had a significant impact on me. This was the first piece of art in the 9/11 memorial museum that caught my attention. The whole museum was about honoring the deaths of all those who perished in the terrible incident but also it was made to help America recover and move on for the better. This impacted me because it made me value every moment of my life. It helped me understand that bad things do happen to you and it is okay to grieve but you do eventually have to learn to move on.

Oceana Madani

     

Visiting the 9/11 memorial was a profound, transformative experience that connected the tragic events we have heard of with a rekindled sense of patriotism. 
China Town and Little Italy were very intriguing because they gave me an idea of the ethic segmentation that was highly prominent during the years of mass immigration. 
The New York Outrigger Canoe Club members offered lots of helpful advice as well as a special, and rare connection to a small number of New Yorkers. They were very generous in not only offering their valuable guidance, but also in treating us to dinner!
Our day was jam-packed with adventure and eye-opening experiences. 

      Momi Afelin

At the 9/11 museum there was a video that showed numerous calls that were being made from Flight 173. The call that impacted me the most was from a group of passengers that was willing to storm the cockpit to stop the Al Qaeda from crashing into another building. This video had a significant impact on me because it showed the patriotism of America’s citizens, and what they would willingly do to stop others from hurting our nation.

Tai Yamamoto

Day 1

What did you see or experience today?

How can you apply what you experienced today to your future life?

The trip from Molokai to Newark was tiring, but it was also fun. We got the opportunity to pre-board  United Airline with a little introduction about us "Molokai Farmers" then well we were on the plane we got to preboard seats watch movies and look at the United States from the sky.  The  ride was both fun and educational as I got to see the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains and we were walking on the plane so our bodies don't fall asleep. Plus I think being stuck in one area for 9 hours, really let us connect.

Jayce "Ko'i" Davis

Today,we visited the Rockefeller center. The Rockefeller center is a complex of commercial  buildings such as NBC and ABC news today. This was a good opportunity for us to get a chance to witness how things are done in the real world. It applies to our future life because if someone wanted to become an actress or anchor person on the news, seeing the Rockefeller center would give them an idea of what to look forward to.

Ekolu Greenleaf

Across the Madison square plaza is the the underground Apple store. The store fascinated me the most today. It's the first time I have ever seen a crowded store underground. It's amazing how people would line up and wait for a long time in order to enter the store and keep up with the latest electronic trends. There were approximately 30 people in line outside while more than 50 were underground. According to our tour director Danielle, when pre-orders of iPhone 6 came out, people camped a week before the release date. Beside Apple, there were other big companies such as Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, and many more. When I saw a number of homeless people at night sleeping in the streets, I became disappointed. It's disappointing how there's a lot of large companies in NYC but yet there are still homeless people. This scene inspired me to work even harder to achieve my future goals. 

Edel Mae Alvarez

As we walked through the streets of 5th avenue, I noticed a diversity in the community. There were a variety of different stores (which most we couldn’t afford) that glamorized the sidewalks and many different types of people. This helps me become accustomed to the differences that I will face in my future when I set off on my own for college. I will have to get used to the different personalities and environment.

Misty Parker

The First Leg!

Congratulations to all our kids on their way to New York!   May this experience open their eyes to the different and possible opportunities available to them.