It took Kamehameha The Great over 20 years to unify the Hawaiian Islands. Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded. A newspaper editor for lack of ideas fired Walt Disney. Disney also went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. I guess what I’m saying is, just like these honorable gentlemen, I am destined to do great things.
On September 2, 1983, my journey through life began. Born to Benjamin and Hazel Zablan, I was raised in “Gods Country” Waimanalo. My parents had three children including myself, and they stressed the importance of faith, family, and education. Eventually, I started to rebel and my life took a turn for the worst. I do not intend to bore you with my crazy past, nor do I intend to praise myself for any of my accomplishments. Lets face it! I’m not writing to give you any sad stories about me, but I write in regards to the benefits and resources that may be reduced or even extinguished.
The
TRiO SSS program has helped guide me on my journey throughout my academic
career. They have been amongst the most
important assets toward providing the resources I need in pursuing my
education. I have received a certificate
in Hawaiian Studies due to the resources provided by the program. I have maintained
an average GPA of 3.2 or higher throughout the duration of my career, and have
acquired the position of VP of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society. The free tutoring program offers has been
beneficial to me, and my fellow students.
The academic advising has led me to become a Peer Mentor for the TRiO
SSS program, and I have seen the direct effects of how important the program is
to the students. The students and I are
already comfortable with the services provided and the healthy family environment
insures academic achievement for those in need.
I
am currently attending Windward Community College. My reasons for attending WCC were to educate
myself in the Hawaiian Language, and to gain more knowledge about my culture
and its history. I have been attending
WCC for five semesters, and I plan on transferring to UH Manoa in the Fall
Semester of 2013. My career goals are to
provide Native Hawaiians with the facilities and resources for those in need. I would like to help them acquire necessities
such as academics and provide the necessary aid toward achieving success. I
intend to achieve these goals by educating myself, working with the community,
building awareness, listening and responding, application, and adaptation.
My
intention is to dual enroll at Mānoa and get my B.A degree in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi,
and ʻIke Hawaiʻi. I intend to get my
M.A. in Environmental Studies, but not sure of what my dissertation will
be. I would like to help WCC become a
four-year college, and because they’re building a new facility for HWST/HAW, I
would like to pursue a teaching career there at the college level for Hawaiian
Language, and Hawaiian studies. I would
like to create a 9-credit course through work-studies that will be based on
traditional Hawaiian practices through utilizing the ahupuaʻa system.
Imagine
your kids, or grandchildren being derived of education even at your
stature. I believe severe measures would
be taken, an if you feel that everything I have just stated is not important,
then please discard of my destiny.
If
you even get the chance to read this, There is a saying,“He lawai'a no ke kai papa'u, he pokole ke aho; he
lawai'a no ke kai hohonu he loa ke aho.” Translation: A
fisherman of shallow seas uses only a short line; a fisherman of the deep sea
uses a long line. (You
will reach only as far as you aim and prepare yourself to reach)
I
am a fisherman of the deep sea with a long line! My hook has been bitten, but another
fisherman anticipates cutting my line.
If the line is cut, then my family will not be fed. If I cannot provide for my family, then I
have failed to maintain my position. Many
students including myself will suffer critically in the event of fund
deduction. I humbly ask you to
reconsider your intentions, and give us students a chance at fulfilling our
destinies.
Ke aloha no,
Benjamin Zablan
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