Aloha From Presidents Shumway and Orgill

As we move forward in our “voyage of faith,” the partnership of BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) might be likened to a double-hulled voyaging canoe such as the Iosepa. Both institutions, “equally yoked,” have been built with the faith, sacrifice, and consecration of people who love both the Lord and the people of the isles of the sea. We are joined at the heart spiritually, riding the waves of the future together in faith.

Based on our mutual heritage, we now stand poised to move to new levels of cooperation in providing a unique, first-class educational experience for the students who come to us from Asia and the isles of the sea.

The PCC international work-study internship program is currently assisting hundreds of BYU–Hawaii students who might not otherwise have the means to obtain a university education.

Students in this program are able to study at BYU–Hawaii and then, in the “living laboratory” of the PCC, apply in a meaningful way what they are learning in the classroom. These students become the heart and soul of the center, vibrant and radiant. We seek to expand this one-of-a-kind work-study opportunity to even more students who are prepared and worthy to come.

We also envision expanding our ability to deepen and enrich the experiences of both the students and PCC guests as we move forward with the construction of a home for the Iosepa and, eventually, a learning center in the Hawaiian Village at the PCC. We are grateful for the willingness of the faculty and staff of the Hawaiian Studies Program and the PCC Hawaiian Village to explore new ways of working together. We foresee great benefits and blessings, both academic and spiritual, as a result of the united efforts of the faculty and staff in this project.

Plans for a Concert Choir tour to China in May 2007 are moving forward with the help of many former participants in the PCC/ BYU–Hawaii Asian Executive Management Internship program. The tour will celebrate 25 years of friendship and cooperation with China and 15 years of friendship with Mongolia.

We see and acknowledge the hand of the Lord at the helm of our “voyaging canoe.” We continue to be filled with gratitude for the generous support we receive from our friends and invite you to continue this remarkable voyage with us.

Mahalo nui loa,
President Eric B. Shumway, Brigham Young University Hawaii
President Von D. Orgill, Polynesian Cultural Center