On the recordJune 11, 2024
2 weeks ago, I joined the graduation ceremony for the proud class of 2024 at Lahainaluna High School. For the 225 seniors and hundreds of family members, students, faculty, and alumni, this evening honored the resiliency of this community. From the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in freshman year to the tragic fires that struck the day before the start of senior year, this graduating class has been tested in so many ways, but they persisted. They made it. Now, these students will go off into the world to make their mark. The valedictory speaker, M. Jee Abara, started his speech by ripping it up. Life is uncertain, he said. These words hit close to home for a community all too familiar with uncertainty. Abara will now study disaster preparedness and emergency management at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu. What was a passion before the fires has only become a calling to give back to his hometown. It is a common theme for his entire class of brave, young students. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Lahainaluna's class of 2024. Their perseverance, courage, and strength give us all so much hope for Lahaina's recovery in the years to come. ____________________
