By the Oahuan 2023 yearbook student staff
Punahou’s 13+ Club includes students who have remained a part of the community from kindergarten until graduation. This year’s newest 13+ Club members were the inaugural class to enter the Omidyar K – 1 Neighborhood in 2010. Completed in the summer of 2010, the Neighborhood included the construction of five new buildings and the renovation of Wilcox Hall. The beautiful new facility shaped the Class of 2023’s Punahou journey. Members share their fond memories from the beginning of their Punahou experience.
“I remember having so much fun making the Omidyar mural with my friends. It is so special that our class will be able to leave behind this remnant of our experience and that it will continue to greet students for years to come,” Harlequinn Wolters ’23 said. “By using our imagination in the rock river, singing on top of the rock, and pumping water by the playground, we developed a love for the outdoors at an early age,” Kylie-Ann Smith ’23 added.
With opportunities to plant new crops in Omidyar’s garden, the 13+ Club members experienced the growth of new beginnings. “The most memorable activities for me as a kindergartner were recess and art time. During recess, we were able to wander around the bridge and the windmill. It allowed all of us to connect and explore our creativity with games, which in the end allowed us to stay friends as 12th graders,” Kyra Lung ’23 said. These students learned to excel within and beyond the community alongside each other.
The 13+ Club members will navigate through obstacles with the skills they cultivated over the years. “Watching my peers grow into the people they are today is truly a blessing,” Connor Allen ’23 said.
