Hawaii, a paradise island known to many, is what
I call my second home. I moved to Hawaii on June 06, 1998 in hopes of discovering
a new life for myself! When I knew I was finally leaving, I was overwhelmed
at the fact my parents were going to make me live on my own, woo hoo! At
that moment, all I kept thinking about was partying and not having a CURFEW!
(Yes, I did still have a curfew while I was on Guam).
I transferred from the University of Guam to Chaminade, and I think
that is one of the best choices I ever made. The University of Guam is
a good school, but given the choice of leaving home and taking the opportunity
to attend a well-known and respected college, I could not resist.
I'm currently a sophomore attending the "BEST" college in Hawaii, Chaminade
University of Honolulu. I am double majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
I was supposedly going to take up Forensic Science. But sheesh, with all
those math courses, I couldn't stand it. So I decided to change my second
major.
Before coming out to Hawaii, my life on Guam was pretty laid back. I
didn't feel uncomfortable around strangers, went to parties, went to clubs,
and basically had fun. Now that I'm here in Hawaii, things are extremely
different. I don't do any of the things I thought I came out here for,
especially parties. The people here in Hawaii are not quite the same as
the Chamorros back home. No one can ever compare to the people on Guam.
Ranging from their attitude to how they run things, there are a lot of
differences.
And it was living here for a few months that made me realize how home
sick I was. The constant reminder of people asking if I'm a US citizen,
if we have cellular phones, or if we have paved roads irritates me the
most. I miss the atmosphere Guam had (even though I hated the weather),
the loving people, but most of all, I miss my family. Now that it has been
half a year that I've been here, I've learned to accept the "new" journey
I'm facing and the "new" ! life I'm beginning to make for myself.
At first it was very hard for me to adapt to that new style of these
locals. For instance, talking pidgin. The one thing that irritates me the
most is that after every sentence or question, there has to be a "yea"
in it. Trust me, I was freaking out because it sounded worst than hearing
'chods' on Guam talk (no offense) and at that moment I said to myself,
"okay, Guam isn't so bad after all."
I am very fortunate that my parents gave me the opportunity and privilege
to attend an off-island college in hopes that I become someone in the world,
never forgetting where I came from "The island where America's day begins--GUAM
USA."
My advice for potential college seekers on Guam is simply this: if you
want to be a step ahead in life, you should take the advantage of attending
an off-island college. Don't stop to think about missing home. Guam will
always be there, geographically speaking. What matters most is to keep
Guam in your heart! From there, you will realize what a wise decision you've
made.
In the end, when you have your degree from the school of your choice,
you can go back to Guam a better person and prove yourself to the people
that your off-island education did something for you. Now you're ready
to get hired because of your credentials and not because of the 'pare-pare
system'. You'll be glad you took that extra step forward!
Without the never-ending support and guidance from my parents, I wouldn't
be typing this to you right now. I'm also thankful my two older sisters
played a major role in my life while I was growing up. They guided me and
were that extra force in my steps towards success!
Have a great Year!
Jennifer L. Manglona
jus4kixx@pixi.com
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Offisland Webmaster
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Olympia, WA 98513
Thank you.