"Friends, Pacific Buddhist Academy trustees, ministers of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii, Bishop and Mrs. Umitani, members of the temple sangha, teachers and administrators of Pacific Buddhist Academy, PBA alumni, PBA Dragons in the house, extended families of our graduation candidates, and PBA’s Class of 2026, decked out and adorned for this august occasion, insignia decorating their skullcaps and mortars, lucky charms braided in their hair, totems tucked in their pockets, with a hug before their leaving, kisses on their cheeks, and countless individuals waiting for them following these proceedings, we gather here this late afternoon into evening to recognize, to celebrate, to signify for readiness and thereby deliver unto becoming the 20th Class of Pacific Buddhist Academy candidates for graduation and the rest of their lives. Through rites, rituals, and recitations, we recast them from childhood to adulthood.  

"But before we say the words, complete the motions, and certify with signed, sealed, fancy-looking documentation, let’s take a moment and learn a little about this unrepeatable group of candidates, 24 in number, motley in their nature, somewhat wild and unrefined when first their families delivered them unto us, somewhat wild and more refined as we direct them toward their next opportunities and ventures.  

"When this very large class came to us, I won’t lie to you, the teachers of PBA did a double take. I’m so done talking about COVID-19, but in 2022-2023, the year they came to us, we were just finishing the emergency phase of the pandemic. We spent, I don’t know, half the year masked, and in the second half, the masks came off mostly, and with this group, it was a like a herd of wild beasts came uncaged. More than one faculty meeting we spent wondering how would we resocialize the group to fit in our small community, to become a part of the PBA Sangha?  

"I can’t possibly tell you exactly the way we achieved it. It was a full-time job. But what I will do, or attempt to do, is to give you, my extended family of deep appreciators of this cohort, a small notion of each candidate on this stage, and the way I will do it is to assign each of them an hour. Because this group of students was on our minds every hour of every day. 

"So let us begin. I will call each candidate by name one by one and ask them to stand and be addressed."

*** 

Please enjoy the photos and short tributes from the faculty of PBA. 

Warmly, 

Josh Hernandez Morse 
Head of School