Beyond the Screen: Princeville, Hawaii and Westminster, UK

OHS is a unique school. There are high-level classes and amazing students–each with their own skills and academic interests. But another great and special thing about OHS is where the students live (and I don’t mean their background screens on Adobe Connect). Sometimes we forget that our classmates could be on the other side of the world or even just down the street, so let’s get to know some of our OHSers’ spectacular cities and see what goes on beyond the screen!

Some of the stunning spots in Princeville, Hawaii

Kaia (’25) is a 10th grade full-time student at OHS. She has lived in Princeville, a small city on the island of Kauai in Hawaii, for over 10 years. She loves living there with her family as it is a beautiful place full of nature–caves, waterfalls, rivers, and beaches. 

As a local, one of the things she has admired is the “super close knit community” that is “super laid back and way different from usual mainland city environments.” In addition to the pleasant environment of people, the actual environment has several unique “spots.” Some of Kaia’s favorites are the turtle cave, Kalihiwai Waterfall/River, Hanalei Beach, and Rock Quarry River/Beach. 

A picture from the plane Kaia is flying

For fun, Kaia likes to swim, hike, and horseback ride. She also enjoys flying the occasional plane. This is a skill she has been learning for the past year.

If you ever get the chance to go to this beautiful town, some great activities to experience include: visiting natural features and observing wildlife–like coral reefs, turtles, rays, and dolphins.

And of course a vital question for every OHSer is… “how is the internet?” And the answer is… moderate. According to Kaia, “because of the valleys and forests, it’s tough to get internet while driving in a lot of places.” So hopefully you aren’t in a scenic location which has poor wifi service. Otherwise, you'd miss out on the wildlife and scenic driving but also some class content.

Wow! A double rainbow!

Sophia (’25) is also a 10th grade full-time student. She has lived in multiple countries but the one she resides in right now is the United Kingdom! More specifically, she lives in a region called Westminster, a town in London. The last place she lived in was New York–-one bustling busy city to the next!

Westminster is special to Sophia because “of the fact that it is so calm but has such a great connection to main, bustling London.” It seems like she gets the best of both worlds. 

Some of the beautiful London skyline

Westminster would be a great place to visit since you can see some historical sites such as the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, the Thames river, and a lot more. Visiting there would definitely be fun, interesting, and potentially very educational.

Speaking of education, Sophia says that “the internet is great and works everywhere… it’s the perfect central hub!” 

And with that, I think I’m moving to Princeville, Hawaii and Westminster, UK.