EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Learning not limited to location

By Sylvia Zhuang

Whether you think you're ready for college or not, a trip to various campuses can bring out one's true motives and aspirations in pursuing higher education.

A recent trip to the East Coast brought home some important questions I had not yet considered.

Raised in Hawai'i, I always envisioned a life beyond the Islands to better my career opportunities.

I was searching for a school on the Mainland, and my best friend and I decided to visit those located in the Big Apple, the City of Brotherly Love and Beantown (also known as New York, Philadelphia and Boston).

I must admit my expectations regarding these universities and their locations were not only met, but well exceeded.

My friend, who recently graduated with a degree in education, was looking for direction in her life. Should she get another degree? What about establishing a life somewhere other than Hawai'i?

All the while, I looked into graduate programs at some top universities.

Although my friend and I did not have enough time to absorb everything the universities had to offer, being there had a large impact on us both.

I could sense the commitment to higher education that these institutions projected from their historical legacy, which was much more impressive than the flashy brochures. I had suspected that these colleges might meet my expectations academically, but was not sure they could fulfill my requirements, some of which you can only find in Hawai'i.Ê

It is pretty tough to top paradise!

But it wasn't until we had the first glimpse of the Hawaiian Islands on our return that I realized that education is not a place, but an attitude toward life.

The Bible makes this point in the book of Matthew.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I believe the people we learn from and share experiences with begin with moments and continue through the events of our lives.

This cannot necessarily be limited to any one place or person.

As I finish my degree here, I hope to continue the true a'o palapala (education) Hawai'i has afforded me.

More importantly I hope that wherever I choose to continue my higher education, I bring Hawai'i and the aloha spirit with me to my new surroundings, blessing those who come in contact with me.

I can truly attest that it was not until I made the long trip to find life beyond Hawai'i that I realized that Hawai'i will always be a part of my destination.

Sylvia Zhuang is administrative assistant to Christian Science Committee on Publication for Hawaii, finishing up her degree in business administration at HPU.

Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes written works by pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality.

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