LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i celebrated new additions to the Kaua‘i Fire Department, the medical field with Registered Nurses, and more as graduations mark the end of the traditional school year.
“This is a very young department,” said retired Battalion Chief Jason Ornellas who was among the crowd of supporters of the Recruit Class that produced 11 new fire fighters for the Kaua‘i Fire Department. “When we retired, we were the old guys. These guys are young, and hopefully, we won’t be needing firemen for a while.”
Another dozen Registered Nurses had their Nurses Oath administered at the Grove Farm Homestead Museum, the home of Mabel Wilcox, the island’s first public health nurse, and the spark of many of the island’s medical care.
These nurses are part of the Kaua‘i Community College commencement exercises taking place in-person following a two-year pause due to the pandemic.
More graduations from nursery schools to high schools dot the calendar for the next few weeks with one of the bigger festivities being the graduation from the public high schools who will celebrate next Friday.
All three of the high schools have been approved for their graduation sites by the Hawai‘i Department of Education after taking the most recent COVID-19 guidances into consideration.
“We are tremendously proud of our seniors for all they have accomplished to reach this milestone,” said HiDOE interim superintendent Keith Hayashi in an April 5 letter announcing less restrictive COVID-19 requirements across the state. “As our ceremonies continue to adapt to improving conditions, this year’s celebrations will be more open than the virtual and drive-through ceremonies of 2020, and the hybrid ceremonies of 2021. I’m excited to see our graduates embark on their next journey and the positive impact they’ll make for Hawai‘i.”
Kapa‘a High School will celebrate its graduates at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex stadium, Kaua‘i High School will host its graduates to ceremonies at the Antone “Kona” Vidinha Stadium, and Waimea High School will celebrate its graduates on the school’s front lawn.
Island School, with its seniors creating many school historic milestones, is scheduled to celebrate graduation on May 28.
