Name: Myron Arakawa
Age: 49
Position: Counseling department head, Kamehameha Schools
Education: Lewis and Clark College, UH-Manoa
"Kamehameha is not what it was 30, 20 or even 15 years ago," said Myron Arakawa, who heads a 10-member counseling department for nearly 1,800 students in grades 9-12.
"We are a college-prep school, although it has been hard to change the perception of some in the community that still see Kamehameha as a military or vocational tech institution.
"You're going to begin seeing our graduates of the '80s and '90s in decision-making positions in the community within the next decade."
Arakawa was honored by the College Board's Western Region as the eighth recipient of its Distinguished Service Award, which acknowledges significant contributions on behalf of students.
Arakawa, a counselor at Kamehameha Schools since 1977, became a college counselor in 1981 and head of the counseling department in 1989.
"No student has a too-low test score or grade-point average. If you have the goal to go on, there's an appropriate place," Arakawa said. "It's the counselor's job to find the appropriate match."
School counselors work closely with parents.
"Quite a number of our students are first-generation college bound," Arakawa said.
"So we work as a team with families to lessen the intimidation of college and the financial-aid process," Arakawa said.