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| | PBA Resumes the West Coast College Tour as a Regular Part of Its School Experience
Dear readers of the What's New,
Anyone that’s known me any length of time knows I am a big fan of Mexican food. It’s a family trait: when my parents were still in their traveling years and would visit me from Oregon once or twice annually, they typically set about finding every Mexican restaurant they could, then complained it didn’t compare to the Mexican fare they could get back home. “Let’s go for lau lau, Mom,” I replied. So when Dean of Students Liane Viloria, seven PBA sophomores and juniors and I landed at the Long Beach Airport for the first leg of the California College Tour the day after the wrap of our 20th Annual Festival, I had my eyes peeled for the taquería closest to the home we’d rented for our first week in southern California. Fullerton, CA did not disappoint. After depositing the students and Mrs. Viloria back home to enjoy their midnight Popeye’s dinner, I made a quick jaunt for the flashing lights and long line outside Tacos las de Allison, the first of several burritos I enjoyed while in California.
| Of course, burritos were not the main event. Our tour of college campuses was. In southern California and the Bay Area, we visited a large group of them. By order of visit in So Cal: Loyola Marymount, UCLA, Claremont McKenna, Pomona, Dodge College, Chapman; in the Bay Area, we visited: Berkeley, USF, San Francisco State, and Stanford. Somewhere in the middle we spent a day at | 
| Disneyland and drove the scenic route from LA to Berkeley. (Though the students slept through much of that drive, touring the coastline of southern California was a much more interesting drive for this chauffeur.)
This year’s college tour was the first we’ve taken since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s great to bring it back. Since PBA has settled our calendar to feature the Taiko Festival right before Spring Break, our intention is to alternate college tours and Gratitude Tours as regular features of the student journey, though next we year we intend to tour Pacific Northwest schools, playing catch-up on the calendar of college visits. | | | That this year’s tour followed right on the heels of the wonderful 20th Annual Taiko Festival meant we had more than a few extra peps to our step the whole break. Every student at PBA made a big contribution to the Taiko Festival. Of the seven sophomores and juniors on the college tour, two were members of Hyaku Sen Ki Kai, two were members of the PBA Rock Band, and all seven danced the Soran Bushi. | Each student made contributions to the tour as well. From sharing good moments together at the dinner table, to taking care of each other during the college tours, to finding ideal omiyage for friends and family back home, sophomores Ambree, Amy, Ethan, and Jonah, and juniors Kieran, Miyaka, and Teo proved wonderful traveling companions: adventurous, curious, funny, not a little mischievous in just the right way.
On a trip of this nature I learn as much as the students do. I learned, for example, that to “crash out” means something different in present day slang than it meant when I was in high school (“crashing out” used to mean falling asleep for a nap or at bedtime, today it means having an intense emotional reaction). And it was great revisiting college campuses I had seen before as well as seeing several colleges for the first time.
| | Along the way, Mrs. Viloria and I learned quite a lot also about our PBA students – their hopes and interests, their thoughts about possible colleges and careers, their music tastes, and favorite Disney princesses. I did not succeed in persuading Kieran there are better burritos to be had than Chipotle can make. I had to resolve myself, rather, with new wisdom: let no one come between a person and their preferred burrito. The main thing is, let’s keep enjoying burritos together. Permit me to express my gratitude to Dean of Students Liane Viloria for her incredible trip planning, to the PBA student adventurers who made the great California trek with us, and to their wonderful parents for entrusting us with their children and doing such an awesome job raising great kids. The journey was unforgettable, and the opportunity to share | 
| those indelible moments together was precious. Warmly,
Josh Hernandez Morse
Head of School. | Join Us Tomorrow for the Artist Showcase! The Artist Showcase serves multiple purposes: it highlights the talents of PBA students in both visual and performing arts, recognizes outstanding work through the Dragon Artist and Judge’s Choice awards, supports the senior class’s Cycle 5 projects through a food and craft Maker’s Market, and gives back to the broader community through student-generated revenue.
This year, seniors in the Economic Origins of Inequality peace core class will donate proceeds from their Maker’s Market to the Hawaiian Council’s Kākoʻo Oʻahu initiative, supporting residents harmed by the March 2026 flooding across the island. | The Hawaiian Council’s coordinated effort to deliver ongoing support has set a goal of raising $411,500, $200,000 of which has already been matched by corporate partners. Each year, PBA’s Maker’s Market donates its | 
| profits to a community cause, reflecting the senior seminar’s essential question: how have systemic factors created inequity over time, and what changes could help create fair opportunities? Students have covered new topics each week, including the cost-of-living crisis, race and economic inequality, housing and redlining, the wealth gap and labor, and generational wealth and education. In their final week, they will explore the question: what changes could make economic opportunity more equal in the future? In the context of a natural disaster, students will consider how their own passions and skills can be applied thoughtfully and responsibly to contribute to broader community efforts, recognizing that recovery is a collective process and that supporting one another is essential to a resilient community.
Posters of the students’ booths can be found below. They showcase a wide range of talents, from Ryn Hirai’s Little Shop of Wonders to Kodi Wuchang bringing his after-school job to campus with sushi handrolls made from fresh ingredients sourced from Kats Sushi.
“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into the Maker’s Market, learning how to budget for a small business,” said Collin Hanney, who will be selling 3D-printed fidgets with classmate Emma Ishida. “We are all glad that some of our talents can be used to give back.”
“The seniors participate in this project each year, so it’s rewarding to finally experience the process ourselves, just as our friends who have graduated before us did,” said Jolie Rapoza, a member of Shoreline Sips.
And the seniors are just one part of the Showcase. The evening will also feature performances by PBA Rock Band and Oubaitori, student work from photography, acrylics, mixed media, and drawing classes, as well as alumni-owned businesses that have previously participated in past Maker’s Markets. We invite you to join us in supporting student work, voting for your favorite displays, and exploring the creativity of our community as we enter the final phase of the school year. | | I am writing to you today in my role as the Site Coordinator for the upcoming Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin - Hongwanji Mission School Blood Drive. As a valued part of our broader Hongwanji ohana, I wanted to reach out to see if Pacific Buddhist Academy might be willing to help us spread the word to your students and families.
Our goal for this drive is to collect 40 pints of blood, which has the potential to save up to 120 local lives. Currently, we are working hard to fill our 66 available appointment slots, and we would love to welcome any eligible PBA students (ages 16+ with consent), staff, or parents to join us. | 
| | Event Details: - Date: Saturday, April 4, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Location: Hawaii Betsuin Main Social Hall
- Registration Link: [Link] (Sponsor Code: 2107)
If you are open to it, we would greatly appreciate it if this could be shared in your school newsletter or via a student announcement. Thank you for your continued leadership and for considering this opportunity for our schools to work together for our local community. With gratitude, Charlyne Tom Site Coordinator Hongwanji Mission School | | OFFICE HOURS
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Closed
April 8 - Buddha Day
April 10 - Teacher In-service Day | | |
