The Big Island District Debate Qualifying Tournament was held on March 5 at Parker School in Waimea.
Parker debaters
qualify for states
The Big Island District Debate Qualifying Tournament was held on March 5 at Parker School in Waimea.
The following Parker School students earned first place: Paul Gregg in Championship Lincoln-Douglas Debate; Carrie Hiller in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate; Maia Tarnas and Elliott Jacobson in Advanced Public Forum Debate; Kyley Nishimura and Nya Phillips in Beginning Public Forum Debate; and Larissa Bolstad-Urquhart and Kyra Matsuda in Junior Varsity Policy Debate.
Debaters Marie Jobes, Josh Yost, Maxim Ionin, Evan Kasberg, Darnee Brighter, Max Elster, Marlon Lumper, Larissa Bolstad-Urquhart and Kyra Matsuda of Parker School and Sean Ichinose of Christian Liberty all qualified for the State Forensic Championship in debate. Nondi Lampkin of Parker qualified for states in the speech category.
To date, 25 Parker School debate team members have qualified for the State Forensic Championship, which is scheduled to take place at Kamehameha-Oahu and Punahou Schools April 18-20.
For more information, please visit www.parkerschool.net.
Social worker wins recognition
Barbara Fujimoto, a social worker at the Hilo Veterans’ Clinic, won a prestigious statewide award at the Hawaii State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers meeting in Honolulu during Social Work Month in March.
She was awarded a plaque at a banquet to acknowledge her dedicated work as the “Practitioner of the Year.”
Her nominator stated, “I have known Barbara Fujimoto since 1984 professionally. She is an outstanding example of what a social worker should be. Barbara has worked at the Veteran’s Primary Clinic as an advocate and case manager for most of her career.
“I have heard many clients under her care state positive comments such as ‘She was an angel … I was in trouble and she helped me get help … she called me after we met and made sure I got the services in my home … I was feeling pretty down but Barbara treated me respectfully and helped me to help myself … Barbara helped me get services so my husband could stay home with me … she genuinely cared about me.’”