In this episode of HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i, the second of two special episodes, meet seven exceptional graduates from HIKI NŌ’s Class of 2025 as they share their experience being part of HIKI NŌ productions and reflect on what they learned.
From Hilo High School, Clara Steele shared how HIKI NŌ became a stepping stone toward rewarding work in the community, and sharing stories from her hometown of Hilo, Hawaiʻi to a wider audience.
“For me, the whole hands-on learning aspect is so crucial,” she says. “I learned so much about teamwork and how to be creative.”
Steele is headed to University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to study political science.
Gavin Brown and Kelsey Litz, graduates from Hawaiʻi Technology Academy on Oʻahu, discuss the adventures of entering HIKI NŌ Challenges and navigating the pressures of HIKI NŌ deadlines for PBS Hawaiʻi.
They both traveled to a sister HTA campus on Maui to do reporting work after the Lahaina wildfires in 2022. Litz produced a profile story about a dedicated music teacher who brought joy to students who were affected by the tragedy, while Brown focused on the creation of a new school campus for displaced Lahaina students.
“I think I went through like 10 or 11 iterations; it got really frustrating near the end, but it turned out to be a really good story and I’m really glad for the help,” said Litz.
Litz will attend Ithaca College in New York to study film and animation, and Brown will attend Savannah College of Art and Design to study film and audio.
At Kaʻū High and Pāhala Elementary school on Hawaiʻi Island, Edward Wirtz and Jazalle Amps reflect on their Personal Narrative HIKI NŌ projects. Wirtz speaks about his love of the ocean and bodyboarding, and Amps shares her original poetry and how it helped her through tough times in middle school. Amps’ video was awarded with a Mental Health America of Hawaii and HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi Student Voice Award in 2025.
“Storytelling was something that was definitely very important while filming HIKI NŌ, and it’s definitely something that will help with that in the future,” says Amps, who will go to University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo in the fall.
Wirtz will head to Colorado State University to study engineering after taking a gap year.
The show closes with interviews with graduates of H.P. Baldwin High School on Maui.
Emma Jane Roy and Kylie Cardenas reflect on their media studies which began in middle school. Roy recalls being hesitant at first, but ultimately gave video production a shot at the encouragement of her mother, who is a media teacher at H.P. Baldwin High school. Both students developed into talented filmmakers throughout their high school careers and were awarded with Student Voice Awards from Mental Health America of Hawaii and HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi in 2025.
“It was really nice to see that we are all more alike than we think,” Roy says.
Roy will attend Chapman University to study film and television production with an emphasis on editing in California, and Cardenas will pursue diagnostic ultrasound studies at Seattle University in Washington state.
==
HIKI NŌ 10|14|25: 1622