Since the 1980s, the McKinley Alumni Association has kept graduates connected to the school community through fundraisers supporting student programs and campus needs. Now, with just over 20 members, its leaders are working to rebuild ties across generations.
The association is now working with fewer active volunteers than in years past, a change that traces back to the 2020 pandemic’s shift to online meetings and the slowdown in outreach that followed. Many longtime members stepped back during that period, leaving a smaller group to carry the work forward. Barbara Inouye‐Young (c/o 1989), who recently moved into the presidency after serving as vice president, is leading efforts to rebuild the organization’s influence and support for current students.
“The education I received at McKinley played a significant role in where I am today,” Inouye-Young said. “Supporting current and future students is our way of giving back.”
With an annual membership fee of $10, the association is working to regain its presence on campus and reconnect with alumni. Treasurer Bucky Kaopuiki (c/o 1960) said the group remains committed to strengthening that connection.
“The Association is a vital link to our past and a resource for our present,” he said.
One recent effort included a collaboration with The Pinion, which received financial support from the association to send two students and an adviser to the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association convention in Minnesota. In exchange, the student staff assisted with outreach during McKinley’s Winter Village event, where the two groups shared a booth and offered student-made pouches to alumni who signed up for membership.
“We’re always looking for fresh blood and new ideas,” Inouye-Young said. “We want to make the school better and stronger for the future.”
As the association works to rebuild, its leaders hope to bring back larger events and expand outreach to recent graduates, including those who have moved to the mainland. Recording Secretary Lisa‐Anne Mitsuka Chan (c/o 1991) said many younger alumni leave Hawaii for college or work, making it harder to keep them connected.
“Even when people move away, McKinley stays with them,” Mitsuka Chan said. “Our hope is to give them a reason to feel connected again, no matter where life takes them.”
The association is also working to clear up confusion with other school‐related groups. The McKinley High School Foundation operates independently and focuses on scholarships, distributing alumni donations through a centralized application process.
“Our role has always been to keep alumni connected to the school community,” Inouye‐Young said. “We focus on involvement, relationships, and supporting the programs that bring graduates back.”
A third group, Tiger Resources, Inc., was formed in 2013 to manage donations that require a charitable designation. It operates separately from the alumni association but was created after alumni and community members began asking for a way to make tax‐deductible contributions to support the school. Kaopuiki said the fund has supported several projects, including a multi‐year gift that provided two annual $2,000 scholarships for students attending the University of Hawaii.
“People need to be made aware that there is an alumni association, and what the alumni association does to help the school,” Kaopuiki said. “People don’t always know which group does what.”
The association’s leaders say their work still follows the goals set when the group was revived in the 1980s: keeping graduates connected, supporting school programs, and creating spaces where alumni can return to the community that shaped them. As they look to rebuild, they hope renewed involvement from recent graduates will help restore the events and traditions that once anchored the group’s presence on campus.
“Alumni are the school’s greatest asset,” Mitsuka Chan said. “We just need to find new ways to bring everyone back into the fold.”
Those interested in joining the McKinley Alumni Association or supporting its work can contact the group at: [email protected].
This article has gone through the following process: pitch, interviews, drafting, peer feedback focused on content/structure, revision, peer feedback focused on language/conventions/style, self-checked for ethics and fact-checked by sources. Student editors approve the article for publication.
