Senior Class Trip of a Lifetime

Destaney Bohlender captured this beautiful sunrise from the hill behind Camp Waianae."

During April home leave, the senior class of 2016 experienced the island of Oahu, Hawaii.  The group enjoyed many activities including snorkeling, hiking, and learning about Hawaiian culture.  They stayed in cabins at Camp Waianae, the Seventh-day Adventist summer camp on the island.  “Having the Hawaii Adventist summer camp as our “home base” not only made the trip possible, but it was a beautiful setting where we could relax and get away from the busyness of all of the other tourists on the island,” explained class sponsor Dean Helm.  Breakfast was made at camp, followed by a worship thought given by a different senior each day.
 
 A class favorite was the day spent at Pearl Harbor, visiting the USS Arizona Memorial and the Bowfin submarine. Senior Wesley Carle says, “It was cool being able to see the memories of what happened and memorials of the people lost.”  Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial was a solemn experience as the seniors observed the sunken ship and read the names of those who lost their lives that horrible day in our country’s history.  The seniors were also privileged to be able to explore the Bowfin submarine and imagine what life would be like living in those cramped quarters for months at a time.  
 
Another favorite activity was snorkeling in Turtle Canyon, and just as the name implies, the class was able to swim with sea turtles along with lots of fish.  After they finished snorkeling, the guide took the group on a boat ride farther out from shore to experience the ocean in a different way.
 
But more than the fact that Hawaii was full of fun activities and beautiful landscapes for the class to enjoy, they loved being together and making even more memories to keep even though they will soon be separated.  As stated by class President, Gabrielle Williams, “Hawaii was a really great way to end our high school experience, surrounded by people we spent it with and love.”  While the seniors still have a few weeks until graduation, they continue to make memories with their fellow classmates and push on toward reaching the ultimate goal: spending eternity with Jesus and the rest of their class in heaven, a paradise that will far surpass Hawaii or anything we can imagine.

Rachel Hammond and Kyle Rushold are both seniors at Campion Academy.

Seniors toured the Bowfin submarine at Pearl Harbor Memorial (Photo Leslie Bergmann)