Summer — 2009

Jon Bolosan

Education/Music

“I couldn’t get directly into a university, but my primary goal is to go to UCLA. And I know that SMC is the ‘bridge’ leading over there.”

As the old ironic question goes: When you’re from Hawaii, where the heck do you go for a vacation? For Jon Bolosan, the answer is SMC, though it’s hardly meant a lot of relaxation for him. “Yeah, I worked two jobs back home to save up enough money to get to the Mainland,” says Jon. “A lot of kids back home just never go anywhere. They just go to work and never do anything with their lives. So if I can become a teacher, I can help a lot of those kids to get off the island and go out to make something of themselves elsewhere.”

Jon says that—without a doubt—a teacher was one of the greatest influences of his life. “My high school teacher back home just stuck with me through Piano and Chorus and whatever else came along. She made me want to learn, and I still keep in touch with her. And I think she feels pretty proud of what I’m doing now. You just don’t forget people like that. And mainly because of her, I’m going to get my Master’s in Education.”

Though he’s left the islands behind, Jon’s in no danger of forgetting where he came from. “I’m going out tonight to listen to a sort of Hawaiian reggae concert. And there’s a big group of Hawaiians here, so I’m never completely out of the culture, food, and music.” And as a current Music major, Jon reports steady progress at SMC. “Basically, I want to use my music as an educator. And my Number One teacher right now is Dr. Goodman. He teaches music theory, and I think I’m doing even better in his advanced class than I was in the beginning class. Hopefully,” adds Jon, “I’ll be able to pass along all that I’m learning at SMC to kids looking for bigger horizons.”

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