As we return from Thanksgiving break and the Season of Thanks, many of us are facing the dreaded fact that school is back in session. This can be the perfect time to remind ourselves, once again, of what we are grateful for. To gain insight into what members of the Punahou community hold close to their hearts, we asked students and faculty of all ages to tell us what they’re thankful for. Here’s what they had to say:

George Scott, Academy Chaplain

What are you thankful for?

“I’m thankful for the big things in life like my family: my four children, my four grandchildren, my wife, and then also just waking up in the morning and just breathing in the air. 

But like I tell you all in Chapel, I’m also thankful for what we may consider the small things, such as walking outside and hearing birds singing because I just love the mystery of their life, and what they’re singing about. And I’m thankful for the way that Cedar will come up sometimes when I’m feeling a little down, and how she knows how I feel without me having to tell her.

So for me, the small things are really the big things, because those are the things you can’t make. I can’t just build a dog as good as Cedar, or the smile of someone walking by. And on that note, I want to share this quote with you all:

‘Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring. All of which have the potential to turn a life around.’ -Leo Buscaglia”

How do you encourage these beliefs in your work as a chaplain at Punahou?

“Sometimes when you see a person, you may not know what they’re going through…but everyone wants to feel that they matter, and that might feel really small, but it’s the biggest thing to know that your existence matters. In Chapel, it’s really special because we are all here together  in this one sacred space; I see you, I hear you and we all have a connection…and really that’s where it starts.”

Lila Badham ‘25

What are you thankful for?

“In my senior capstone class, my teacher is Mr. Yunus Peer. I think he’ll go down as one of the greatest teachers at Punahou of all time. He always talks about really cool stuff and what’s going on in the world, and I feel like no other teacher talks about real-world stuff. Everyone’s so focused on what’s going on in America, but he makes sure we know about things going on all over the world.”

Erin Kinzer, Case Middle School PE Teacher

How do you think we should show gratitude?

“I like having the mentality of always paying things forward and finding a way to do something for somebody every single day to change the course of their day. And I think that can go anywhere, from something as basic as a smile, getting somebody’s lunch, to paying for the person’s toll in the car behind you.”

Pohaku Figueira ‘26

What are you thankful for?

“I’m grateful for God because he’s always looking out for me. I was honestly in a dark place a little while ago, but I prayed and read my Bible, and he brought me out of it. I face challenges every day with my family, with my friends, and with school, and so it’s nice to know that somebody has always got my back.”

How do you feel when people express their gratitude towards you?

“It fills my heart; I feel great. Honestly, I feel like people don’t get told enough that they’re good people. I feel like I don’t tell my friend Vijay that enough.”

Ella Churchill ‘33

What are you thankful for?

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to do my singing class, my acting class, and my dancing class — and my volleyball! Because being on a club volleyball team is really special. I really love to sing, dance, and act. It’s like one of my favorite things, so I’m really thankful for that.

I think I’m really thankful for being here at Punahou School and the opportunity that I get to experience. They do really good teaching here, so I get to learn a lot. Having my friends because they just lift you up and make you happy if you’re sad, or if you fall down and I just really like that. And I love to go shopping, it’s so fun and I’m thankful for all the malls we have here, even though they’re not that big. In Japan, their shopping malls are so big! I’m also really thankful for traveling. I’m just so thankful for my parents, without my parents this wouldn’t happen. Without my dad working none of this would happen, or without my mom picking me and my brother up from school. So I feel like the number one thing I am grateful for is my parents and my family.”

Blaze Bailey ‘26

How do you show your gratitude to the people in your life?

“Well specifically my parents, there’s not much that they ask for me, except that I do well in school, and stay a student-athlete [because I play soccer] — so just balancing those out, maintaining quality grades, and just taking in as much as I can through my learning. I feel like that’s super important even though it’s just the bare minimum that I have to do. It’s something my parents ask me for, so that’s how I show them my gratitude.”

Just as Thanksgiving can bring friends and family closer together at the dinner table, it also brings our Punahou community closer through celebrating the support, kindness, and shared experiences everyone is grateful for. Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday or a few days off of school — it is a reminder to cherish the people and things that make our community a special place and make your day just a little bit better.

As we reflect on the responses from students and faculty, it is important to recognize a common theme: our small acts of kindness can influence those around us to a profound degree. This Thanksgiving season, we challenge all members of the community — whether you partake in the Thanksgiving holiday or not — to be community members worthy of being thankful for.