Page 9 - MidWeek - August 10, 2022

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The best part of my job is having a plat- form to shine a light on outstanding people in the community, and I’m con- stantly blown away by all the things people accomplish when they’re passionate about something and work hard to improve. One of those indi- viduals is recent high school grad Chelsee Sawai, who was recognized as the Hawai‘i High School Journalist of the Year this spring.
by Nicole Monton
Sawai Proves She’s Got The ‘Write’ Stuff
Sawai led Mid-Pacific In- stitute’s Na Pueo newspaper as co-editor-in-chief her se- nior year, after working her way up from being photo ed- itor when she first joined the staff as a sophomore. Taking what she learned along the way, she compiled her port- folio and sent it in to judges from the national Journalism Education Association.
not something most people would find enjoyable. But, as Sawai’s proved with her re- cent accolade, she’s not most people.
“But I plan to be involved with journalism in college,” she notes, adding that her love of writing will always remain with her.
Chelsee Sawai
her to come out of her shell and interact with people and taught her leadership, writing and management skills. All those traits will help her as she prepares to start her freshman year at Chapman University in Orange, California, where she’ ll double major in bio- logical sciences and business administration with an empha- sis in accounting. Her eventual goal is to pursue a career in the medical field as an allergist or pediatrician.
“I like writing for news be- cause the timeliness fits my style of trying to get proximity in there as much as possible,” she says. “The longer you wait, the less newsworthy it is. It pushed me to write with the best of my ability and get people’s input of what should be contained in the story — all within a short amount of time.”
And, for those trying writ- ing as a hobby for the first time, Sawai offers a few sug- gestions.
“It took a lot of time,” she recalls. “It was every single piece I’d written, followed by a description of each piece.”
“Write whatever is going through your head, even if it sounds ridiculous said out loud,” she says. “What I do is jot down my thoughts or feelings about something and from there I can usually com- pose something I can be proud of at the end.”
Also included in her award-winning portfolio were essays on everything from ethics and news literacy to marketing/engagement and a commitment to diversity. Hard work pays off, and Sawai’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed by the judging panel.
She notes that joining the newspaper staff at Mid-Pa- cific Institute also encouraged
nmonton@midweek.com
Book Pick Of The Week
The other week, I went on a Sara Ackerman reading frenzy. I heard great things about her book Radar Girls (inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense), and was lucky to find most of her
novels on the shelf at my local library. I breezed through Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers, The Lieutenant’s Nurse, Red Sky Over Hawai‘i and Radar Girls — all of which take place in the
islands around the time of World War II. They’re fantastic reads, and locals will love how Ackerman, who was born and raised
in Hawai‘i, shares tidbits about her favorite spots on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. Now, I have to get my hands her latest book, The Codebreaker’s Secret, which came out earlier this month.
“I couldn’t believe I had come so far as a journalist,” she says. “I was very much an amateur when I started, but it was exciting because I had an opportunity to look back on how far I’ve come.”
She has fond memories of deadlines, editing and all the pressure that goes with producing a publication —