By Kirsten Spilker
For the Class of 2025, giving back to Punahou wasn’t just about saying thank you – it was about beginning a lifelong identity as alumni. This year, the Beyond Punahou Committee, made up of 11 spirited seniors, helped lead their class through this important transition. As part of a new initiative launched by the Annual Giving and Alumni Relations teams, these student leaders took on the role of shaping their class’s alumni journey – one that starts before graduation and will span a lifetime.
“Our goal was to make sure our classmates felt connected – not just to each other, but to the broader Punahou community,” said Anna Sophia Dao ’25, one of the committee co-chairs. “We wanted to make it easy and exciting to take that first step as alumni.”
From promoting ticket sales for the Alumni Lū‘au – the class’s first official alumni event – to coordinating a design for their class sweatshirt, gifted by Alumni Relations, and finally selecting their class correspondents for the Punahou Bulletin, the Beyond Punahou team created traditions that were as meaningful as they were memorable.
Anna Sophia Dao ’25
and Ella Alexander ’25
Natalie Caldeira ’25
A highlight of their work was the launch of the Class of 2025 Legacy Fund, an endowed fund that will one day help future Punahou students access the same opportunities this class cherished. With 32% of the class making a gift – a remarkable participation rate – the Class of 2025 proudly joined the legacy of senior classes that have helped shape Punahou’s future through philanthropy.
“I gave because I’ve been given so much,” said Natalie Caldeira ’25. “From all of the camps, Holokū, to incredible teachers and lifelong friends – this gift is a way of saying thanks to everyone who made that possible.”
These new alumni understand that while their time on campus has ended, their journey with Punahou is far from over. And they’re not walking alone. They stand on the shoulders of thousands of alumni who came before them – whose gifts of time, talent and treasure helped pave the way.
For Ella Alexander ’25, it’s about carrying forward that spirit of community. “I know that the class of 2025 will definitely leave a legacy of togetherness, spirit, and community. We all have an undeniable love for both Punahou and for each other that I know we will carry into our future lives as alumni!”
Through their leadership, the Beyond Punahou Committee helped ensure that the Class of 2025 entered the alumni ‘ohana with intention, gratitude, and a strong sense of purpose. Their legacy, like their love for Punahou, will live on well beyond graduation.