"Working with a large population of first-generation students seeking to pursue higher education has been a great challenge for me," says Lillian Yonamine, a counselor at Waipahu High School in Waipahu. Having made it a personal goal to help all students follow their dream of pursuing higher learning, Mrs. Yonamine has worked closely with parents, helping them to recognize the value and feasibility of higher education for their children. In response to the economic hardship faced by her community following the closure of the Waipahu sugar mill in April 1995, Mrs. Yonamine worked with parents, members of the business community and community organizations to make a number of privately- and group-sponsored scholarships available to the students. Mrs. Yonamine has also created a portfolio program that, beginning with ninth-graders and continuing through graduation, assists students in setting specific career goals and provides individualized course plans in order to aid students in attaining these goals.
