12-Years-Old

Living in Hawaii may seem like the greatest thing ever, but honestly, it is a struggle. The saying “you pay the price for where you live” is true on many levels. Hawaii homes are already expensive as it is, and if you want a three-bedroom beachfront condo, you must be ready to drop $1.2 million. What upper middle-class family has $1.2 million dollars to spend with no hesitation? No one. Families work hard to be content with their life. They have children and want whatever’s best for them. Mothers and fathers want their children to grow up being successful, so they wouldn’t go through the same thing that they went through. My mother always told me, “In order to be successful Kiana, you must have a great education.”

In Hawaii, there was a stigma of public school education being too “laid back” and “easy.” According to Huffington Post, in 2009, “Hawaii is drastically cutting the academic calendar at a time when it already ranks near the bottom in national educational achievement.” Well, on the island that I live on; Kauai, its education system was so poor. My mother who has raised two kids as a single parent,  knew she had to do something about that. At 12-years-old, my mother applied me to enroll at Kamehameha Schools, which was a private boarding school on Oahu. One of the cool things about it, is that you have to be Hawaiian to attend. This school was common for “outer-island” kids to go to, especially since the public schools on the islands weren’t as principled. As young as I was, I didn’t think twice about it as I did whatever my mom told me was right. I took a math and reading test in the 6th grade and also did an interview with two women who asked me about my hobbies, friends, family, and how I practiced the Hawaiian culture in my everyday life. I didn’t think I was going to be accepted, especially since there were so many kids who applied, and the school only took 20 students from each island.

Months later, I received a letter in the mail and opened it with my mom. We both were jumping up and down for joy and were in tears of happiness as we read the first line together, “Congratulations Kiana you have been accepted to Kamehameha Schools in the 7th grade.” My mom’s dream finally came true. I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t think anything of it until I had to let it sink in that I will be away from my mother at 12-years-old, living on a different island.

Fast forward to check in day, and I was so nervous about leaving my mom. I wasn’t ready for this change. I didn't want to wash my clothes, make my bed, do chores, take out the trash, attend study hall, and turn in my cellphone at 8:30 PM. I wanted to grow up like a normal “kid” without worrying about any responsibilities. I cried everyday for a week begging to ask my mom to go home. The school was great, the food was amazing, but I just didn’t feel right living away from home. The Oxford Royale Academy stated, “A major advantage of the boarding school experience is the fact that the learning never stops. Your child is immersed in an educational environment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and even when they’re outside the classroom, they’re still learning that they wouldn’t learn through sitting at home in the evenings and at weekends.”

Looking to the woman I am today, I would have never imagined my life being so impacted. Boarding school and becoming so independent at such a young age has put me one step further to becoming successful in my life.