For me, the best part about going to the mainland for college was getting out of my comfort zone and challenging my values and beliefs. It was really important for me to expand my worldview and grow as a person and as an athlete. I thought, and found, that the easiest way for me to do that was to go to college off-island. 

Leaving Maui would have been important to me even if I wasn’t an athlete. It is rewarding to become your own person in a different place, to mend different values into your own to decide who you want to be and how you want to actualize your dreams.

The hardest part about being away from home is your values being tested and being in challenging situations and becoming your own person, away from the comfort of home and your culture.

The best part about playing sports off island are the teammates you get to play with all over the country.

Going away for college helped me grow up and learn about myself in ways that I wouldn’t have if I stayed home.

The hardest part about being away from home is not being able to see my family for extended periods of time. I can’t drive home on the weekends if I wanted to like my teammates do.

The best part about leaving the island for sports is that you get to experience a new culture, meet new people, and get to play the sport you love at the same time. It is difficult adjusting at first to the new environment and people but in the end I believe it helped me develop as a player and a person.

Specifically at UP, the best part would probably be the food. Portland has so many good eateries and restaurants. So many different ethnic foods that are hard to find back home. However, college in general has helped me grow to be so much more independent. You get to decide specifically what you do outside of classes which is a lot of time. In this time, you learn to build your own schedule and learn what is best for you.

The hardest part about being away from home is the weather. Having to adjust to the cold sucks and I wish it could be warm all the time like it is at home. Another hard part is the culture, although coming and experiencing this new culture, nothing beats the culture at home. It’s a hard adjustment that I wish wasn’t necessary.

There are so many opportunities to get better. You have more access to training facilities, coaches, camps, and non-collegiate leagues. The resources on the mainland in comparison to Hawaii are unmatched. You can train at a high level all year round.

You are exposed to an entirely different way of life, new perspectives, new cultures, new connections, and new opportunities. Hawaii is a speck on the world map, a very special speck, but there is so much more to explore and experience. You really start to understand that when you move away from home.

I felt misunderstood at times. My perspective, my humor, my style, the way in which I spoke was “different” and it was hard to relate to new people at first.

The best part about going to college for sports off island would be the opportunity you have to not only represent who you are and where you come from, but also the chance for you to broaden your horizons and grow.

The best part of being away is the learning moments that come with having the opportunity for great experiences.

Missing your family. Of course it is easier now with technology, but nothing can substitute like being with your family.