Rachel Hokoana-Yamaguchi is a senior at Seymour High School. She is spiritually inclined, open minded, and passionate about everything she does. Always having “good vibes” around her, along with a beaming smile on her face , Yamaguchi braces for what is next. With college becoming a reality, she prepares the best she is able to before her senior comes to a close. 

“Right-now, I’m bomb.com, man,” she says. The JAG member (Job’s for America’s Graudates) always stays positive through both rough and smooth times.  “High school was really culturally different from what I was used to. It really did go by fast like they tell you. I’d describe high school as being culturally different, but that’s just me.” 

What helps her stand out is her loving personality. She is often seen having a smile on her face because she strives to see the bright side. She says, “I look at things different, maybe that is because of my culture or what not but I do. I’m such a hard worker, I am often never opposed to hard labor. I’m pretty spunky and out going too, and pretty skillful to add.”

What influences her pursuit of happiness is music. She enjoys the genre of reggae, a kind of music mainly influenced by the country of Jamaica. “I really enjoy several artists, such as Figi, and anyone of the Marlies. I love the vibes from reggae music, all of it. I enjoy the visuals and story from it. In a way it is apart of my culture.”

A major event that changed Yamaguchi’s life and culture was moving from Nanakuli, Hawaii to Seymour, Indiana. The move was her first time off the island. Yamaguchi and her family moved due to a family crisis that was in effect, and it couldn’t be controlled. Yamaguchi’s mother then made the choice to move to the “upper states.” After a 12 hour flight on July 30th, 2015, Yamaguchi had officially moved here to stay. “It was such a shock to me, I left behind my heart there. I came here for my sophomore year and met good people, but those people I left behind are my people, and the move was for sure my least favorite part of high school,” Yamaguchi explains, “Hawaii will always be my true home.”

Yamaguchi’s family is what she has missed the most since leaving, and the teachers that helped her get used to SHS is another thing that is soon-to-be missed as well. English Teacher Christopher Rose is someone who stands out to her specifically. She claims that he “…welcomed me a lot, by talking to me and developing my English. I thank him for being so helpful.” Another thing she will miss is her team, which is the SHS wrestling team.

Being an SHS  Varsity wrestler has structured her, both emotionally and physically. “I’m chill but when I’m on that mat, we’re not friends. That’s basically all there is to it, and I’m going to go at you at full force,” she says. One of her favorite moments of high school was when she was ranked third in the state for girls wrestling. That same year, she received a letter from the team to become a part of the varsity team.

“Senior year has been my favorite; you realize that you have to be independent, and that you only have yourself,” she says. The plans after high school for Yamaguchi are to prepare to become a flight attendant. She decided to become one due to her aunt, whom travels and learns new cultures. She plans to attend college for four years, but is unsure of where to attend at the moment; and wants to transfer to an Hawaiian college in her second or third year if she has the chance.