Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus, A School With The 'Ohana Spirit

Located on the north shore of the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, in the city of Laie, is the beautiful campus of Brigham Young University Hawaii. It is situated between the breathtaking green mountains and the crystal blue coastal shoreline, looking out over the ocean, it offers a view that is truly a sight to behold.

With an enrollment of 2,400 students representing 70 different countries, BYUH is one of the most culturally diverse educational institutions in the world. Approximately two-thirds of the students enrolled speak two or more languages. This four-year undergraduate institution offers a curriculum that is first rate, with programs in business, education, computers and technology, the sciences and fine arts.

On January 26, 1865 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the Mormons, purchased a plantation on the island of Oahu, in the area of Laie that covered more than 6,000 acres. This property which housed more than a thousand head of livestock and a large frame house, was the future home of the BYU Hawaii campus.

In 1921, while on an around-the-world tour of the LDS missions, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder David O. McKay and Elder Hugh J. Cannon attended a flag raising ceremony in the city of Laie. It was here that soon to be prophet, David O. McKay envisioned the educational center that would become the university campus.

It wasn't until about thirty years later that the ground breaking ceremony for the campus itself saw the fulfillment of the earlier vision. It was during this ceremony that the prophet pronounced this "far-reaching glimpse" of the impact the school would have when he stated:

"We dedicate our actions in this service unto thee and unto thy glory and to the salvation of the children of men, that this college, and the temple, and the town of Laie may become a missionary factor, influencing not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions of people who will come seeking to know what this town and it's significance are."

One of the unique features particular to BYU-Hawaii is the partnership it shares with the adjoining Polynesian Cultural Center, one of Hawaii's most successful paid-admission visitor attractions.

The PCC founded by The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, gives the students who attend the college the opportunity to work and supplement their educational and living expenses. The PCC itself employs over 700 BYUH students every year. Since the opening of the center over 15,000 students have worked there as they attended the university. The PCC has also provided nearly $150 million in total financial support to the college and its students. This educational/buisiness relationship, between the university and the PCC, offers a way and means for students who might not have otherwise had the opportunity to receive an education at the university level this great possibility.

The mission of the BYU-Hawaii institution focuses on educating the minds, hearts and character of their students. It provides opportunities for development of leadership skills in a harmonious multicultural environment and helps to prepare its students to embrace one another's differences and cling to each others similarities.

As President McKay declared, "From this school, I'll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good towards the establishment of peace internationally."

The academic standards of the university are held in high regard. The U.S. News and World Report's annual "best colleges" survey has consistently ranked the campus in the top tier among "comprehensive" undergraduate institutions in the western U.S. The family or ‘Ohana spirit that is felt throughout the campus is one that is never to be forgotten.

I have had a personal interest in this beautiful university as my son has attended it for the past three years and has been culturally immersed in the "Aloha" spirit. The opportunities that he has been given could never have been matched anywhere else. He has come to love the Polynesian culture and appreciate the diversity of all people everywhere. I know that BYUH has changed his life for the better, and will have made a difference for generations to come. It truly is an institution that promotes world peace and multicultural understanding.