Interview with Charles

Hey Charles, how’s it going?

Fine, thanks.  You?

Great.  So you grew up here in Hawaii?

Yeah, I’m the third of three boys and both my parents worked so I pretty much lived with my Grandma and Uncles and Aunties in Waipio until the third grade.

Oh, what school?

Kanoelani Elementary.

Oh wow. I have two boys that went there last year for first and second grade.

Oh, nice.

Were you into sports growing up?

No, not really.  I had asthma so I was always at home or going to the doctor’s.

I see.  Did your parents grow up here as well?

No, both my parents and my oldest brother are from the Philippines.  My second brother and I were born in Hawaii.

Did growing up here make you feel like you missed anything concerning Filipino culture?

Not really, I can understand the language, but I can’t really speak it.  I remember my mom asking me questions in Ilocano and answering her in English.

Are you a fan of Filipino food?

Some, but not all.  I like the sweets, and desserts.

Lumpia?

Yeah, I like Lumpia.  But I don’t like what they call “chocolate” meat.

Blood meat?

Yeah, and I don’t why, but I just won’t eat water chestnuts, or kiwi.  Kiwi makes my tongue feel funny.

Possibly allergic to kiwi?

Maybe.

So, what do your brothers do?

My oldest brother is a bookkeeper for Boys and Girls Club of Hawaii, and my other brother works supply in the Air Force.  An interesting thing about all three of us is that we all graduated from Heald College Honolulu with Associates in Applied Science.

Wow, that is interesting.  So you already have a degree?

Yes, two actually, both from Heald and in applied science.

So what brought you to Hawaii Pacific University?

Well, I was working as a Field Tech in North Carolina, replacing computer parts, repairing probably 50 computers a day, when I realized it just wasn’t for me.  I thought about going back to school, talked to my counselor at Heald, and ended up at HPU with transfer credits and a scholarship.

Nice.  And what are you studying?

I’m going for my Bachelor in Integrated Multimedia.

Interesting, why Integrated Multimedia?

I like learning new things, and I wanted to explore the creative side of computers rather than the technical side.

Very cool.  What do you hope to do after graduation?

I’m not sure yet, but I hope to gain a competitive skill set that gives me an edge that identifies me as bringing something new to the table.

Awesome, and how are you enjoying HPU so far?

I like it.  I like the classes, I’m learning a lot from many different areas, and I like that you can network with students on an international level.

Alright, that sounds great.  Thank you for your time, and good luck on all of your educational and professional endeavors.

Thank you.