[intro music]  HIKI NŌ, Hawai‘i's New Wave of Storytellers.

Aloha and mahalo for tuning in to this episode of HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

My name is Landon Espritu and I'm a recent graduate from James Campbell High School on O‘ahu.

On this special edition of HIKI NŌ, we're celebrating our annual Student Voice Awards.

If you've been a longtime HIKI NŌ fan, you know how students can inspire, delight, and move all of us with their stories.

On May 20th, 2026, students, families, and educators gathered at the Ala Moana Hotel on O‘ahu to celebrate these storytellers, and I'm honored to be among them.

PBS Hawai‘i and Mental Health America of Hawai‘i have partnered for six years to celebrate these students and showcase how their storytelling is a powerful tool for mental health and well-being.

These storytellers are both courageous and creative, and their stories, whether they be personal or about someone in their community, can resonate with everyone.

But before we watch this year's awardees, let's take a look back on the experience.

Today, we're actually celebrating the 2026 Mahalo Awards.

We put it on every single year, and we really want to spend time honoring the work that's done in our community.

We have some really incredible, talented young people here, and this lowkey is my favorite part of the awards.

Receiving the mental health award was very surprising.

Being in that big room gave me kind of anxiety, but knowing that they relate to my story, it comforts me.

This means a lot to me, my team, my school, and most importantly, my mom.

[applause] I think that everyone loves this part of the programming, because it's about youth having a venue to talk about what they're experiencing, to share the wins that they're having in the community, such fantastic stories, and really different perspectives that are so fresh and new.

Not everyone gets to share their stories, and I'm just really glad we got to share someone's story.

Like, we get to inspire people through the stories that we get to make at school.

We're so grateful for this recognition.

It means a lot, not just for me, but for my family, and especially my grandma.

Thank you for listening and thank you for honoring stories like hers.

[applause] As storytellers, we want the things we make to make people feel, and not just on the surface level, but on a deeper level as well.

You know, mental health conversations matter, especially for young people, and we are so grateful that we got the chance to contribute to that through storytelling.

That's what HIKI NŌ does so well.

It gives students a platform to share experiences that connect with us as people, as students, as community members, and hopefully make them feel a little bit, just a tiny bit less alone.

So, thank you again.

It means so much.

[applause] Now, for this year's 2026 Student Voice awardees.

The first Student Voice Award was given to Highlands Intermediate School students on O‘ahu.

They produced a very touching portrait of their grandmother navigating life after the loss of her husband.

Oh, this past year has been a real bummer.

My husband passed suddenly a year and a half ago.

Change is something everyone experiences, but for Rosie, change came all at once.

My whole legal name is Rosietta Yaeko Ramiro, and I was married to Eddie for 50 years.

We met a long time ago when I was 13, and he was 16 at the time, and he waited, very patient guy.

He waited for me until I graduated, and then we got married.

After we married, we lived in our family home in Mānoa and had two kids.

But about 15 years ago, we moved out to Pearl City and purchased our own home.

And those kids have their families, so I've got tons of grandchildren.

But we had a really wonderful relationship.

You know, he was good to me.

So, it was really hard going from ‘we’ to ‘me.’ When I lost my dad, that was pretty traumatic.

That was probably the worst day of my life.

We didn't think it was going to happen, so we weren't really prepared for that.

Nighttime is the hardest.

That's when you feel the loneliness the most.

It's hard to see someone that you love go through something so sad and tragic, but she's the strongest person that I know.

While the losses deeply affected her, Rosie didn't let grief stop her from living.

Instead, she found ways to move forward by staying busy and surrounding herself with things and people she loves.

I found myself immersing myself in more activities that made me happy.

I tried to do more fun things to kind of cope with the loss and the sadness.

My mom keeps very busy.

She goes to the Senior Center.

She does crafting there.

She teaches a couple classes like ‘ukulēle, she plays ping pong, she's in a chorus.

She goes on trips with her friends.

I hope she continues to do the things that bring her joy and continues to heal and live a happy life.

Change is inevitable, whether it's good change or bad change.

But the neat thing about changes is you can decide whether that change will be for the better or not.

Yeah.

So, you've got to go through the process with the mindset that things are going to be better, you know, I'm going to make it.

I mean, I'm a strong person.

You got to tell yourself, I'm strong person.

Yeah, I'm independent.

I can do this.

Rosie proves that even through loss, it's possible to live through change no matter what.

This is Maila Muraoka reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Students at Hilo High School on Hawai‘i Island beautifully captured a student's experience moving to a new home.

You'll see why it earned them a 2026 Student Voice Award.

Let's watch.

Oh, hi.

How are you doing?

I’m good.

See you after class.

Hi, I'm Van Anh Nguyen, a senior at Hilo High School, reporting on February 1st, 2026, and let me tell you something, I was not always like that.

I used to live in Vietnam and was happy, carefree and confident.

I also had many friends and family that I was surrounded with.

Then one day, my parents told me we were going to move.

[Speaks Vietnamese] This felt suddenly and devastating.

I would be away from all my friends that I once had, having to be in this entirely new environment.

Making friends was hard because I didn't know English well enough to communicate, I lost my confidence and became shy, so I wasn't able to reach out to others for help.

But then, over time, I learned English, joined new clubs, and slowly exited my comfort zone.

One of the clubs I joined was the Environmental Agents of Change.

I was starting to regain the confidence that I once had in my own home.

This introduced me to many new people, made new connections, and learned new skills.

Though my English has gotten better, I'm still improving on it.

And I'm slowly becoming more comfortable in my new home here in Hawai‘i.

This is Van Anh Nguyen from Hilo High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] The next story was one I co-produced with my classmate, Ryan Alacar, at James Campbell High School.

We decided to spotlight someone we know who inspires us, not only with his entrepreneurship, but his resilience.

At just 17-years-old, Marshall Polito, a senior in high school, started his very own food business Uncle M's Smash Burgers.

I'm Marshall Polito.

I love cooking for people and providing a service.

I've been cooking since I was in like, freshman year selling musubis, sophomore year selling mac and cheese, and then I escalated to doing like food vending.

I saved up my money to be able to do like outside night market events and catering for other people.

From selling musubis at school to running his own burger business, Marshall's story started through family.

It's been a passion in my family for cooking.

My dad's side of the family always cooked Italian food and Hispanic food.

I always saw how good and how much joy food brought to our family, and how it would bring people together.

Seeing my dad's side of the family chef it up was always really cool, how they throw things together, not measuring anything, but everyone would still enjoy it.

When Marshall was six years old, he had lost his mom to cancer, and food became his escape.

When my mom passed when I was six, there was a court battle for my custody.

I feel like I couldn't make decisions.

There was already premade assumptions about me and who I was because of the attitude that I brought around because I was hurting so much, and I didn't know what to do with my feelings because I was so young.

After my mom passed, my grandma, she would just like, constantly cook.

It would help us get through the rough times, honestly, together just eating.

But in a new home surrounded by new flavors, Marshall found a new joy.

When I had moved here, I found a lot of joy in eating, because the food here is so good.

I moved here, I gained weight.

I gained a lot of weight, and I was like, wow, this is really good.

I want to start cooking more.

I love trying to cook new things.

It became my like, second escape.

Every burger I smash, or that they smash, I make sure that it's out of passion and not out of oh, this is another sale.

I'm going to make money off of it.

But it's more of oh, I have the joy of being able to serve other people and show what we're about.

Today, Marshall is starting a new business, Let's Go Bananas, making new memories, doing what he loves with the support of those around.

Hi, I'm Reimi.

Today I'm here helping support Marshall's banana bread business.

I met him at the church through my husband, Von.

It just makes me so proud to be able to know Marshall and just be here to support him through what he's going through, because this is a huge thing for a 17-year-old to be doing on his own, you know?

Yeah, sorry, crying.

Through his food, Marshall hopes to bring people together one burger and banana bread at a time.

I never thought that food would be so impactful to me and my life, my friends around me.

I've always loved how food brought people together.

Cooking for people has been my opportunity, in a way, of bringing my friends and family together.

I know that cliches of like, how grandparents and parents say, "Oh, it was made with love," and when people say that, now, and when I say that, it really does mean something.

Like, cooking food isn't just cooking food.

It's a passion and love for it that bring people together, and that's what I remember.

This is Landon Espiritu from James Campbell High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Let's take a look back at some of the most memorable Student Voice Award winning videos.

First up, we go back to 2022 during the COVID pandemic to see it through a fifth grader's eyes at Waikīkī Elementary School on O‘ahu.

Isaiah Matsunaga, and I'm recording this at Waikīkī Elementary School on April 22, 2021.

It's been an interesting year.

Now that we’re back in school, I've been thinking more and more about what class was like online, what it was like before the pandemic, and how things have changed since then.

One of the first things I noticed when we came back to school was how much taller my classmates look.

Some even older, or just different than they do on Zoom.

I feel like I'm seeing the real version of themselves.

I wonder why that is.

When I first got back, everyone was pretty quiet and didn't say much.

Mr.

Marvel would ask us something, and I was one of the only people to answer.

I think we are all a little nervous and ma It's hard making friends online, so I didn't really have any friends in our class.

Most of my friends are in a different group in another class.

But this past week, we got pool noodles, so we can play tag during recess without touching one another.

It's been lots of fun, and sure enough, I've started making some new friends.

It's funny how friendships are made.

So being back in school has its pluses and minuses.

Yes, we can't play certain games like we used to, like the ones that involve touching one another, but we can think of new ways to play together, like the noodles.

It was nice not to wake up so early to get to school.

It was nicer not to look at a screen all day and be sitting now for so long.

Now we're standing up and moving around more often, doing Zumba, and PE, and working in the garden.

Being back in school has been, well, different, but I'm grateful.

I'm grateful to get a chance to come back to Waikīkī Elementary School and have one last time with my friends and teachers before I graduate on to middle school and begin the next part of my life.

Things change.

Change is good.

If you hope, let it be.

[ocean wave] You never know if someone's struggling, says Kailua Intermediate School eighth grader Emi Nishimura, who shared her experience in this 2023 Student Voice Award video for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

Hello, my name is Emi Nishimura and I'm an eighth grader at Kailua Intermediate School on the Island of O‘ahu.

I once knew someone.

They were around my age and had their whole life ahead of them.

They died by suicide.

They were the type of person who I would have never even suspected to be hurting inside.

I thought that they're the very definition of okay because they always seemed so happy and were social and would tell jokes to make people laugh.

But it turned out that they were not alright, and I never knew that until it was too late.

I saw them every single day, until suddenly, just like that, they were gone.

Knowing someone my age and then losing them was shocking.

It was painful and it hurt.

I had never thought something like that would happen to someone I knew, but it did.

What happened has made me more aware of how much mental health matters and how it can affect everyone, even people you might not think it would.

It's made me realize how important it is to check up on your friends, make sure that they're doing okay.

And if they're not, being there for them and letting them know that you care.

So, if you are feeling depressed or even considering self-harm or suicide, or know someone who is, please reach out for help by talking to someone you trust, like your friends, teachers, coaches, or anyone you feel comfortable talking to.

You can even call a suicide prevention line, which is anonymous and confidential.

It can be difficult to be honest about how you are feeling, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Every situation and person is different, but always know that there is hope and there are people who are here to help.

Most of all, know that you matter, and you are worth so much more than you think.

[ocean wave]  This next 2025 Student Voice Award-winning personal tribute to a father will really stick with you.

It was produced by a student from H.P.

Baldwin High School on Maui.

Dear Dad, I wish I could talk to you in person, but I wanted to thank you for everything you have done for me.

You've taught me many things, and you were the best role model for me.

A lot has happened while you were gone.

You got me into soccer from when I was five, and it's still a big part of my life.

Oh yeah, I also wear a number for Baldwin.

I made a pass to Tsubasa and we scored in the last minute.

Pretty cool, right?

Both of your sons making goals on the same team.

But a couple of weeks later, I fell off a cliff doing dumb stuff with my friends, like you always used to do.

But the friends I have are the best friends I could ever ask for.

And I can really consider them my brothers.

I can be myself when I'm with them, and I don't need drugs or alcohol to have fun with them.

Of course I love spending time with the family as well.

It's really fun, especially when Tsubasa and Sakura don't argue all the time.

Me and Tsubasa have been going to the gym together, which is good.

We push each other to become stronger, and overall, it's just really fun.

Ka‘ili has been looking cute as always.

I love taking him on walks or the valley like you used to.

We miss you a lot, and I know Ka‘ili does as well.

I have a girlfriend now who I wish you could meet.

She's really amazing, and I love spending time with her.

The truck looks the same as always.

I've been taking care of it as best as I can.

Once in a while I'll have fun with it, of course.

I'm about to graduate high school soon, and I'm planning to go to college to play soccer.

I have many goals for my future.

One of the big ones being that I want to be as good as a father, husband, friend, coworker, and person as you were.

There's many more things I want to tell you, but I'll just tell you when I see you.

Thank you.

I love you.

And I miss you.

[ocean wave] The final piece from a Pearl City High Schooler on O‘ahu will sweep you into the world of hula.

It received a student voice award in 2024.

Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.

I can’t describe the aloha I feel for it.

Ever since I was five, making this now almost ten years dancing, my passion for hula instantly became a lifestyle rather than a hobby for me.

When I was five, I grew up watching my mom dance in our small bedroom trying to copy her.

I was too young to comprehend the love I felt for hula, but I always knew it was a way of expressing myself.

I started dancing for Hālau Nā Maka o ka Laua‘e with my Kumu Hula Laua‘e Yamasaki, and it's basically where I grew up.

It's my second family.

My journey through life was all through there, through victories, hardships, blood, sweat, and tears, all of it.

Speaking of, let's talk about hardships.

We have competed in competitions like the hula Onea hula festival and the Queen Liliuokalani keiki hula competition.

Training for competition is no time for nonsense, and you need to put in your everything.

You need to know what you're dancing about.

You need to work hard physically.

You need to show up ready for practice on time and prepared.

Practice lasts for hours almost every day of the week, and the yelling gets intense.

“Sway your hips, bend your knees, chant louder.” This is what people misunderstand.

Hula is more than just dancing.

But the best part is I get to bond with people I love most, where we can understand each other's happiness and pain through our labor.

It’s a place where I can embrace my storytelling, a place where I can develop as a person, and so much more.

Hula will always be a reminder for me to be myself.

It may be intense, but my love is unconditional for it.

If I had one place to be I would always choose to dance with my halau over anything.

[cheering] [ocean wave] Congratulations to all of the 2026 student voice award recipients, and mahalo nui loa for telling these stories.

From what I've learned as a filmmaker myself, we are all human, and sharing these experiences can fuel hope and make people feel less alone, no matter their struggles.

We'd also like to thank Mental Health America of Hawai‘i for all their staff does, and for their partnership with HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i to promote the healing power of storytelling.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more at pbshawaii.org.

Keep up with PBS Hawai‘i on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Tune in next week for more proof that Hawai‘i students HIKI NŌ, can do.

Shoots.

[outro music]