Waianae Intermediate Los Angeles Trip 2014

What this trip is about...

Waianae Intermediate School is a Title 1 school, isolated from the rest of the island of O’ahu and the mainland U.S.A. With only one road in and out of this rural town, many of the students remain sheltered from and unaware of their opportunities. The Waianae community is predominately native Hawaiian and although its location appears to be paradise, some students and families want brighter futures. Families within Waianae are extremely generous and proud of who they are. Many parents work two or three jobs just to support their children. These students and this community deserve so much more. They need a catalyst to show them opportunities exist, goals are attainable, and they can make a difference. The students need to be able to see their possibilities then bring back their experiences to Waianae.

The Los Angeles Trip 2014 provides 12 motivated students with this opportunity. Their trip will include college visits, financial aid advice, and company tours that will prepare them for their future goals. The outcome for this trip is to introduce, inspire, and ignite the students towards their possibilities of college and beyond.

Any donation will help these 12 amazing and deserving students to their destination. This experience will instill a lasting impression and continue their relentless pursuit towards achieving their goals. All donations will go directly towards funding the students' trips; the chaperones have graciously volunteered their time and money to pay their own way.

“When people look at Waianae they see a bad reputation and kids who can’t do what they put their minds to. But we pushed through all of those rumors and look at us now.” - Britnie Cardus, 8th Grader attending LA Trip 2014

Get to know the 12 students and their dreams!

Thalia Alaga, 13, is a mature student who has grown into an inspirational leader. She is wise beyond her years and serves as a role model to many of her peers. After high school Thalia dreams of going to Brigham Young University followed by a career in the United States Air Force. With her dedication towards a better and brighter future, Thalia will achieve those goals and more.

Joshua Ambrose, 15, has grown into an ambitious student with the goal of reaching his dreams no matter what hardships cross his path. If he continues on his educational path he will be the first in his family to graduate from high school. Once he graduates, he hopes to attend college on the mainland and major in engineering. Joshua’s career goal is to become an inventor that creates machines that better the world.

Britnie Cardus, 13, is a motivated young woman who holds herself to high expectations. She only settles for doing the best of her ability, which has made her a star in the classroom and on the softball field. Britnie hopes to attend college on the mainland and major in nursing. It has been her dream to become a nurse or pediatrician and she will achieve those goals if she continues her relentless pursuit of success.

Carla Jane Fernandez, 14, is an academically and artistically gifted student originally from the Philippines. She has grown into a confident young woman who is ambitious and ready to take on any obstacles that may come in the way of her goals. Carla hopes to journey to the mainland and attend the University of Southern California. Her career goal is to become a designer.

Araia Francisco-Chong, 13, is beautiful inside and out. She has gained confidence throughout the past couple of years that has helped her become a wonderful student and person. After being the first to graduate from high school in her family, she hopes to attend the University of Southern California or Yale University. Her dreams are big; after college as she plans to go to law school and become a lawyer.  

Jayden Fuata, 13, is a motivational young man who always puts others first. His kind heart and strong work ethic make him a joy to be around. Jayden hopes to earn a 4.0 G.P.A. in high school along with a scholarship to get him into a college on the mainland. After being the first in his family to graduate from high school and college, he then dreams of going into law or engineering.

Nathaniel Kuwabara, 13, is the life of the group. His outgoing and fun personality will lead him to many great things including his dream of going to the University of Southern California. He hopes to major in science or biology and begin a career as a firefighter or police officer. 

Selena Mortensen, 13, is a trustworthy and honest student who knows what she wants to achieve and how to get there. She has matured and made a huge turnaround since the first day of 7th grade. Now that she knows her two goals are to graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and become a nurse, Selena has been working hard to succeed.

Methodist Papu, 13, has a heart made of gold. This respectful young man is always willing to put in extra hours of hard work to accomplish his goals. Methodist plans to go to the University of Southern California and play for the football team. He then hopes to play for the San Diego Chargers or San Francisco 49ers, but if that does not pan out he will become a police officer.

Kaili Robinson, 13, is a relentlessly hard worker who will strive towards her goals. She has a fun-loving spirit that is always enjoyable to be around. If she continues on her path, she will be attending the University of California Los Angeles. After college, Kaili will go on to save the world as a teacher.

Isaiah Rodriguez, 13, is an exemplary and well-rounded student with unparalleled determination and ambition. He can achieve anything he puts his mind to including attending the University of Southern California and being the first in his family to attend college. He hopes to play football at USC along with majoring in the medical field. As a backup to his career in football, Isaiah plans to go into sports medicine and become an athletic trainer.

TJ Yomes-Hooks, 13, can achieve anything he puts his mind to. He truly embodies the classroom motto to “fight on” as he continues to persevere through all hardships. TJ has a long list of mainland colleges he hopes to attend where he wants to study oceanography to become an oceanographer.