Hello everyone! My name is Davina, I'm originally from 

Denver Colorado, a beautiful, yet freezing state. Blessed with the Rocky Mountains in my back yard was wonderful, however, having the ocean in my front yard isn't half bad! I do miss the seasons though, watching the colors of the leaves changing in the fall, and watching new life blossom in the spring, but I do NOT miss the snow.

I've been in Hawaii for just about 3 years, I'm a Junior here at HPU, studying Visual Communication. I came to Hawaii alone, had never been here before, and I was the first in my family to attend college, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. It's definitely been a challenge, but an amazing adventure and experience all the way. I was awarded a full ride scholarship to attend the college of my choice, all expenses paid.  I chose Hawaii, and specifically HPU because the diversity of the school amazed me. I also wanted small classes where I would be able to get that hands-on-experience and have my professors know my name. I really like HPU. We may not have all the amenities that other colleges have, like a home gym for our basketball and volleyball teams, or baseball field, or even a football team, but I feel that the students here are a lot more focused on their studies because we're not a school so focused on our sports.  

I chose to study Visual Communication because my last few years of high school were dedicated to my theatre department. I fell in love with the performing arts. Since the age of 10 I have been on stage either singing, dancing or acting. I know how to do that, I figured it was time for me to learn the production side of it, become well rounded in all aspects of it. I still have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm having fun doing just that. 

Kara Jordan, Hoping for the Best

You never know what you're gonna get when you sit down to interview someone...This past week, I was privileged to get to know a classmate by way of an on-camera interview. Kara Jordan is a 22 year old Visual Communication major in her last year of school. As she prepares to make her way out into "the real world", I asked her to reflect on her life a little bit...

Kara has lived in Texas, Oklahoma, California (where she lived before heading to college), and now Hawaii. By the time she was in 5th grade, she had been to 6 different schools. I can't imagine it being easy to make friends that way. For the most part, Kara grew up in California. This is where she learned to surf, and fell in love with the ocean. When asked why Hawaii for school she said, "I was still into surfing, and after vacationing in Kaui, I knew I wanted to come back, school opened up that opportunity." 

When it came down to picking a major, like schools, Kara jumped around a bit. She knew she loved to travel, so felt that the Travel Management Industry (TIM Program) was the right path, but that wasn't as exciting as she thought it was going to be. Next she tried International Business, still sticking with traveling in the back of her mind. She quickly realized, that she's not that into business. Then she tried Visual Communication, and loves it! When she's not spending time in the edit bay editing videos, you can find her working at O'Tooles, an Irish Pub, as a cocktail waitress. And when she's not there, she putting time into her internship with Tom Moffat, a concert promotions company. 

As graduation approaches, Kara finds herself ready to leave the island, but not for at least 6 months. Tom Moffat Productions has offered her a paid position over the summer. She says she'll stick it out, and go from there! 

That sounds like a good plan to me! Good luck Kara, and congratulations!