Hawaiian Electric Speakers Bureau leaves long-lasting impression
by Chase Ogoshi | Aug. 6, 2020
As teachers and students get ready to start the school year, I’m reminded of my first couple weeks working at Hawaiian Electric when I heard of the company’s “Speakers Bureau.” In short, this program was designed to help educate keiki about electricity and safety. I was interested as soon as I learned about its outreach to keiki. I love being around kids!
Our employees are heavily involved in the community. This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to work at Hawaiian Electric. I’ve always wanted to give back and it’s imperative to remember where you came from and the people who’ve helped you along the way. I’m bummed that COVID-19 put a pause to this program and much of our volunteerism.
I got my first crack at being a part of the program back in February — and at the time I didn’t think that it would be my only opportunity for the year. On that particular day I was paired with a crew from Waiau Power Plant to speak at Seagull School Ocean Pointe in Ewa Beach. It was a perfect opportunity to educate keiki and represent our incredible social media team, and I was able to get a lot of great photos and video clips to use for a future social media post.
I recall waking up early after a night of restless sleep; I was a little anxious but thrilled and wanted to make sure I represented Hawaiian Electric appropriately. And, of course, I wanted to make a long-lasting impression on the little ones. After the long drive to Ewa Beach, I finally found myself at a small, but well-kept preschool. The crew from Waiau arrived shortly thereafter. At that moment, I honestly felt like a kid again. Seeing the crew pull up with their bucket truck, it felt like I reverted back to being a preschooler. I was as excited as the keiki to meet the crew!
Before we started our presentation, I spoke with the crew, which included supervisor Paul Gaspar and two apprentice linemen, Brian Tabion and Kila Reis-Moniz. Instantly, I established new relationships with my co-workers and had the utmost respect for them. I can see how the linemen are considered the superheroes of our company, working out in the community in severe weather and dangerous conditions. I made sure to say that when I introduced them to the preschoolers.
My four hours at Seagull went by quickly. We talked to four different classes and children ages 2 to 5. The keiki got the chance to touch and feel personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves — and even saw a rat trap. (Yes! Rats do get stuck in our equipment, so the rat traps are necessary.) The keiki learned the five points of electrical safety and were told not to play on those “green boxes” or transformers that you see in neighborhoods. They also learned why they shouldn’t fly a kite by our power lines.
If I put myself in the children’s shoes, the three highlights of the students’ day were:
- Receiving hard hats to take home
- Watching Brian climb a tree to demonstrate what it takes to climb a pole
- Observing Kila as he got into the bucket truck and lifted himself high above us
As much as the visit was unforgettable for the keiki, I think it was just as memorable for me. Whenever this coronavirus pandemic ends, you can count on me being part of the next Speakers Bureau event!
Chase Ogoshi is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric Company.
