For 70 years, students from 70+ countries, mainly across Asia and the Pacific, have attended BYU–Hawaii. Sheena Fitzgerald Alaiasā, a part-Māori woman from rural Turangi, New Zealand, exemplifies how BYUH alumni shine like “genuine gold” in building global peace.

The Polynesian Cultural Center hired 1994 BYU–Hawaii organizational behavior alumnus Mark Ellis in early 2024 to fill the new position as director of voyaging experiences. Later that summer he spent 29 days captaining BYUH’s 57-foot iconic wa’a kaulua or double-hulled sailing canoe, the Iosepa, on its first open-ocean journey in the past eight years.

Ling (Elaine) Wong, born in Hong Kong, graduated from Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYUH) in December 2023 with a degree in TESOL education and a minor in psychology. Choosing the international track for her licensing, she returned to Hong Kong to complete her internship.