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Saturday��marked a special date in my life, along with other Kamehameha Schools alumni, for it was the birthday of our founder, .

I am reminded of her generosity and foresight to see that the success of her people would be catapulted by education. Pauahi believed that education would encourage Hawaiians to survive and thrive in the evolving world she saw her country moving toward.

During her life, the Hawaiian population declined by approximately 80,000. This significant loss evoked a weakening of the Hawaiian language, culture and traditions; therefore, she willed roughly 9 percent of the total acreage of the Hawaiian kingdom to start Kamehameha Schools. Her goal in establishing Kamehameha Schools was to provide a Western education, enlightenment in morals and values, and purposeful knowledge to make “good and industrious men and women” to perpetuate the future of the Hawaiian people.

Kamehameha Schools taught me the value of ʻimi naʻauao (the search for knowledge). It has shaped and defined my character. I am honored to be only one of hundreds of thousands of recipients of her legacy. In celebrating our founder’s birthday, I am reminded of the value of education. It is ʻimi naʻauao that established my foundational reasons to support the Thirty Meter Telescope.��As I nānā i ke kumu (look to the source), my sense of self and who I am tells me that building TMT is the pono (righteous) thing to do.

First and foremost, TMT is a non-profit organization. It does not seek to profit investors or shareholders. TMT seeks to reinvest its profits into supporting its mission through the value of furthering education via research. Greed and wealth are not the foundations of TMT. TMT should be considered a part of the hui of other non-profit organizations (for example, schools, foundations and charities).

TMT’s research will help to revolutionize our understanding of the universe and ensure that Hawaii remains the global leader in astronomy. Astronomy should be seen in Hawaii as a source of pride as it has enhanced discoveries and formulated international collaborations perpetuating ʻimi naʻauao to advance astronavigation (navigating by the stars). Observatories on Mauna Kea and Haleakalā have helped to create an entirely new generation of leading astronomers looking to the heavens for new theories, confirmation of older theories and experiences that will define human interaction with space.��Mauna Kea is known as one of the best places in the world to study astronomy and observe the stars.

It is also important to note that universities and colleges are working with our current observatories. The top 25 colleges collaborating with observatories in the country include such notable universities as Harvard, MIT, Wellesley College, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. W.M. Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea was listed as No. 7 in its collaborative partnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Haleakalā, under the University of Hawaii, was . This illustrates the collaborative research that is taking place on Mauna Kea and Haleakalā, with the University of Hawaii leading the way.

An exciting aspect that sets TMT apart from other telescopes on Mauna Kea is the THINK (The Hawaii Island New Knowledge) Fund. TMT’s THINK Fund initiative benefits Hawaii Island students pursuing endeavors with an annual contribution of $1 million per year. TMT is using two Hawaii foundations – Hawaii Community Foundation and Pauahi Foundation – to administer the THINK Fund. In addition to scholarships, 23 organizations have received at total of $500,000 in grants, even before TMT has begun construction. TMT is dedicated to supporting the community and providing opportunities for our keiki to learn about STEM.

STEM education is important to Hawaii and the United States. President Obama ��commented in March that, “(Science) is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world…”

However, in the United States. The National Math + Science Initiative reported that in 2011, just 32 percent of eighth grade students performed at or above the proficient level in science. Hawaii Island students have an opportunity to learn about robotics and other areas of STEM education as a result of TMT’s efforts. This will open students’ minds to other fields of industry as a career and help the United States and Hawaii remain competitive in the global marketplace.

TMT is enhancing educational opportunities that are unobtainable in other parts of the world. It is difficult to imagine that Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop would not support an initiative like the Thirty Meter Telescope. Her legacy’s support reiterates the importance of blending Hawaiian culture and Western science; which is already coexisting on Mauna Kea. It should not be seen as either/or, as it provides educational opportunities for our keiki and scientific discovery for the world.

Education, which Pauahi cherished, offers people hope and opportunity for our Hawaiian future. The search for knowledge, ʻimi naʻauao, is our future. And on this 184th��birthday, I celebrate all of the knowledge Pauahi has invested in generations of Hawaiians and the impact that it has made in our communities and our state. I Mua!