More than 40 alumni gathered at the Sky Lounge at Media3 in midtown Manhattan in late January for PAA New York’s (PAANY) “Pau Hana with the Pros” event. They networked with alumni who have forged careers at such top-notch companies as Nike Communications and Venmo.
Jarret Yoshida ’86 of Jarret Yoshida Interior Design told the many young alumni in attendance that alumni professionals “want to help you, so please come talk to us.” Each professional took the time to share what they took from their Punahou experience that helped them in their careers.
Some talked of forming close relationships, and others talked about such extracurricular activities as Punavision, which helped the evening’s host, Damon Haimoff ’85, start his career in the broadcast television arena. The attendees also heard from Lia Smith ’02 Bartha, Maile Dyer ’08, Nelli Kim ’95, Ross Matsubara ’03, Landon Morgado ’06, Alicianne Rand ’03, and Michelle Yoshida ’08.
The event was designed to allow for organic connections to take place between alumni and professionals in an informal setting. Alumni shared that they are seeking more mentoring and networking events in our recent alumni survey, and this event and others to come are a direct result of hearing from and responding to our community.
The views from Damon’s spectacular event space at Sky Lounge proved to be a magnificent backdrop for the lively conversations and connections that were made that night!
– By Doug Rigg ’84