The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo hosted the 10th Annual Pacific Youth Empowerment for Success (PacYES) conference earlier this month. The purpose of the yearly event is to motivate, inspire, and prepare high school students of Pacific Islander heritage for college and career opportunities as well as to foster cultural connections within their own communities.

Parents were also welcomed to attend this year’s event as they, too, need to understand the educational system and be acquainted with some service providers. More than 100 parents and both intermediate and high school aged students of Pacific Islander heritage participated.

PacYES used to be known as Pacific Islander Youth Empowerment Day back when it started in 2010, sponsored by the County of Hawai‘i Office of the Prosecutor. The prosecutor at that time was Mitch Roth (now mayor of the county). Ever since then, it is only appropriate that he give the opening remarks or the closing remarks at each event. This year he gave the opening remarks, as he emphasized to the students to “Dream, Believe, Achieve.”

The PacYES organization committee decided that this year’s theme would be “Relaunching Our Canoe” as the organization transitions to an in-person format for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions. Fittingly, Tom Raffipiy, the keynote speaker, was recently awarded the prestigious rank of Pwo, Master Navigator. In order to remind the conference attendees that the Pacific Oceania binds the island cultures together, he emphasized that

“the Ocean is the highway of our ancestors, it was their home, and it is ours, too.”

Read more on UH Hilo Stories