{"id":146078,"date":"2021-08-09T08:00:06","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T18:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=146078"},"modified":"2024-08-07T13:19:24","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T23:19:24","slug":"inaugural-leeward-cc-graduate-comes-full-circle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/08\/09\/inaugural-leeward-cc-graduate-comes-full-circle\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural Leeward <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr> graduate comes full circle with invaluable gift"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_95550\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vc-CtejJaRI?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Leeward CC Alumni Spotlight - Harvey Ouchi, Class of 1970\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Being among the first students to attend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leeward.hawaii.edu\/\">Leeward Community College<\/a> in 1968 was challenging for <strong>Harvey Ouchi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;My high school teachers put a scare into me (about going to college),&rdquo; Ouchi recalled. The legitimacy of the new college also came into question. &ldquo;Since we were the first students, we didn\u2019t know if the credits would transfer (to the <a href=\"https:\/\/manoa.hawaii.edu\/\">University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at M\u0101noa<\/a>), but I decided to stay and take a chance and I\u2019m glad that I did.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_146092\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146092\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-family-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Harvey Ouchi and family\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-146092\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-family-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-family-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-family.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-146092\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A proud day for the Ouchi family as Harvey graduated from Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr> in 1970<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Ouchi initially wanted to be an engineer and had been accepted into <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa\u02bbs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eng.hawaii.edu\/\">College of Engineering<\/a>. But with classes offered closer to his home in Pearl City at just $25 per semester, Leeward <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr> was too good to pass up. And the college provided the perfect opportunity to begin his higher education journey in a comfortable environment.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The teachers were fantastic. They were very nurturing and committed\u2014they gave that personal touch,&rdquo; Ouchi said. &ldquo;I think I would have had a hard time if I went straight to a university.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I sat right in the back of (former newscaster) <strong>Emme Tomimbang<\/strong>. I didn\u2019t know who she was at the time, but even back then she was such a nice person.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He graduated from Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr> in 1970, the same year he realized that his true passion was in education. Ouchi enrolled in the <a href=\"https:\/\/coe.hawaii.edu\/\">College of Education<\/a> at <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa and earned bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees. He enjoyed a long career as a math teacher, counselor and eventually as a vice principal and principal for schools on <span aria-label=\"Oahu\">O&#699;ahu<\/span>, and on <span aria-label=\"Kauai\">Kaua&#699;i<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Ouchi achieved another milestone when he retired from the Department of Education\u2019s Office of Special Education Programs, where he had worked for 17 years. His successful career in education, devotion to supporting and shaping the lives of thousands of students, and wish to continue to give back to the community are all gifts.<\/p>\n<h2>Back to the future<\/h2>\n<p>Ouchi is currently planning to enroll in Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr> classes through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.leeward.hawaii.edu\/registration-types\">Senior Citizen 糖心Vlog官方or program<\/a>. He believes the college continues to serve the community and help others like himself.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I like to think that it\u2019s a hub so that people from all walks can have the opportunity&#8212;I like to think that Leeward is that vehicle that helps people reach their dreams,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_146093\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146093\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-presentation-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Harvey Ouchi and Wayde Oshiro\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-146093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-presentation-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-presentation-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-presentation.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-146093\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harvey Ouchi hands over his collection of Leeward historical records to Wayde Oshiro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As a member of the first class at Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr>, not only did Ouchi witness the campus\u2019 historical milestones, including watching the formation of the first student government, the building of the library, and the move to Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr>\u2019s current home, he was also the happy amasser of many printed documents, including newsletters, brochures and course catalogs. This year, Ouchi decided to make history again by donating his collection of printed artifacts to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www2.leeward.hawaii.edu\/library\/\">Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr> Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He delivered a binder full of the prized historical records to Interim Learning Commons and Library Coordinator <strong>Wayde Oshiro<\/strong>, and sat down to talk story about his experiences.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It was exciting to be part of the beginning of something I thought would be really, really big. That\u2019s why I kept the newsletters to keep a record for me and to pass it down,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Ouchi\u2019s life is a record of the kind of history that can be made by attending a <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> community college, and his gift to the Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr> Library will serve as a witness of the college\u2019s impact on him and others.<\/p>\n<p>The materials Ouchi donated will be archived and soon be made available for public viewing, a legacy from someone who was there from the beginning.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_146091\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-146091\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-stage.jpg\" alt=\"Graduates on a stage\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-146091\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-stage.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-stage-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/leeward-alumni-ouchi-stage-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-146091\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Harvey Ouchi receives his diploma at Leeward <abbr>CC<\/abbr>&#8216;s first commencement ceremony (1970)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Harvey Ouchi is returning to college 50 years after graduating.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,679,95,65,207,271,71,9,56],"class_list":["post-146078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-college-of-education","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-library","tag-uh-alumni-association","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-manoa","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=146078"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146098,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146078\/revisions\/146098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}