Yu-Chieh Sung is a senior from southern Taiwan, graduating with a bachelor's in accounting this spring. When asked why she chose to attend BYU–Hawaii, she talks about being drawn to the Holokai program and having the flexibility of trying different courses before deciding upon her major. However, after two failed attempts to pass the English proficiency exam, Sung wondered if BYU–Hawaii wasn't meant to be a part of her journey and decided to prepare to serve a full-time mission. After serving in the San Diego, California mission for about a year, her mission president encouraged her to retake the English proficiency test for the third and, to her surprise, the final time. Finally, she was accepted to BYU–Hawaii after tests of grammar and faith. "Putting the Lord first and finishing my mission brought me here," now, Sung gets to fulfill her dream of graduating from college this weekend.

Regina Shumway is a graduating senior from Laie, Hawaii. When initially deciding where to attend college, BYU–Hawaii was an easy choice since Shumway didn't want to leave home. She enjoyed the familiarity of life here and loved the spirit and culture found in this community. Although she planned to transfer eventually, she ended up staying due to the closeness she felt to others while attending classes. "Some people see the campus size as a weakness, but I love it. Professors here know my name; they know how to help me and have time to get to know me. Also, getting to know my classmates and having time to participate in class has been an important part of my journey here at BYU–Hawaii."