Over the summer, twelve outstanding HIKI NŌ graduates from the class of 2018 gathered at PBS Hawai‘i to discuss their HIKI NŌ experiences and how they feel the skills they learned from HIKI NŌ will help them in college, the workplace and life. Their insightful and refreshingly honest conversations can be seen in four HIKI NŌ Class of 2018 Specials.

This first special features Brooke Kanna, who graduated from Kaua‘i High School in Līhu‘e and is now majoring in Cinema and Media Arts at Biola University in Southern California; Yasha Ronquillo, who graduated from Maui High School in Kahului and is now majoring in Applied Business and Information Technology at the University of Hawai‘i Maui College; and Grace Benton, who graduated from Kalāheo High School in Windward O‘ahu and is now majoring in Data Science at the University of San Francisco.

To start each episode, each graduate shows a HIKI NŌ story that they worked on and discusses what they learned from the experience of working on that particular story. Yasha presents her story “I Am Able,” about a middle school student with spina bifida who won’t let his handicap keep him from pursuing his dreams. Grace shows “Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop,” about the closing of a landmark Windward O‘ahu bakery. Brooke shows her story “J-1 Visa Program,” about a program run by McDonald’s that gives teenagers from foreign countries hands-on work experience.

This program encores Saturday, Sept. 22, at 12:00 pm and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 3:00 pm. You can also view HIKI NŌ episodes on our website, www.pbshawaii.org/hikino.