WA graduates' paths converge in Hawaii
Ever wonder about the decisions high school graduates have to make after all of the pomp and circumstance is over and the roads they look down, knowing they need to follow one and asking themselves if, in the end, it will make all the difference?
Ever wonder about the decisions high school graduates have to make after all of the pomp and circumstance is over and the roads they look down, knowing they need to follow one and asking themselves if, in the end, it will make all the difference?
For 2018 Washington Academy (WA) graduates Hailey Bell and Jodie Harris Griffin the answer appears that much clearer. Following their own journey down separate paths, both former students and friends found each other again, having graduated together from Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) this past May.
"My grandmother lived in Hawaii for a couple years, so that's where I learned about HPU," says Bell. "When I applied I got almost a full scholarship, so that was pretty cool. And it seemed like a really good opportunity to see an amazing part of the word." Bell graduated with a degree in chemistry.
Bell grew up in Edmunds on Tide Mill Farm, a 1,600 acre organic farm owned and operated by her parents, Aaron Bell and Carly DelSignore. "The sense of community and the support system from that community Downeast is very strong," says Bell. "You always have people cheering you on. My parents work so incredibly hard, and they definitely taught me the value of hard work."
Washington Academy's Where Are They Wednesday update proved that sometimes one graduate's path can be prophetic when it published the following: In the 2018 WA yearbook, Jodie Harris said that in 10 years she saw herself living somewhere warm and helping people. Today, she is well on her way to that goal. In May, Harris, who now goes by her married name, Griffin, graduated from HPU with her pre med bachelor of science degree. She accomplished the degree with high honors in two and a half years. Griffin resides in Hawaii with her husband, Alex Griffin.
"We knew each other in high school and had a few classes together," says Bell. "We didn't plan to go to college together. It's always easier if you know someone when you're moving that far from home. So when Jodie decided to move it was super exciting. I had already been there a year and was really excited to have someone from high school come down."
"I was debating between University of Hawaii and HPU," says Griffin. "I ended up messaging Hailey about HPU, and she gave me all the information, and I ended up deciding to go there. It was really nice to know someone from back home, and I think it helped transitioning into a new state and school."
Griffin grew up in Perry and is the daughter of Denise and Shawn Harris. "I actually attended the University of New England for my freshman year of college," says Griffin. "During my freshman year, my husband ended up getting stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. I decided to move to Oahu to live with him."
Place for both graduates runs deep in both their decisions and outlooks on life. Sometimes that means returning home and other times it means finding a new place to further develop one's true potential. "I think growing up Downeast made me realize I wanted to go into healthcare and return to the community where I grew up to practice," says Griffin.
"I'm grateful to have grown up in the area, but it also taught me very quickly that it's not where I want to live," says Bell. "Because that sense of community is so strong it's very comforting, which then makes it hard to leave, but there's so much more to the world than Downeast Maine. It definitely wasn't easy, but it was worth it. It's hard to know what you want to do and where you want to be without seeing and trying different things. If you get the opportunity to leave your hometown, do it, even if it's a risk."
So what's next for both of these young women? "I am currently applying to dental school and studying to take the dental admissions test," says Griffin. "My goal is to attend the University of New England College of Dental Medicine and practice in Maine upon graduating." Bell is currently crossing the country to return home. On a stop at the Grand Canyon, Bell shared the following: "I'm taking a semester off but then will be applying to Johns Hopkins for a master's in energy and environmental policy and then plan to go to law school for environmental law."
Their two distinct career paths were molded over time, nourished by living Downeast, prospering at one school, leaving and then finding each other again at another school 5,000 miles away from home. For both Bell and Griffin, it has truly been a road of discovery and one they probably will never forget.