Blue Angels pilot Lt. Matt Suyderhoud told Maryknoll School students Tuesday that fighting through discomfort and setting daily goals helped him find success as he prepared for his upcoming performance — his first in the islands — with the Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet jet group in Kaneohe this weekend.

Suyderhoud, 33, who graduated from Maryknoll High School in 2001, said he is “tickled” about his upcoming performance before a home crowd Saturday and Sunday at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. Suyderhoud flies “right wing” with the group, which performs skilled, midair stunts — at times only inches apart — that demonstrate the pride and professionalism of the Navy and Marine Corps.

At an assembly at Mary-knoll, Suyderhoud shared stories about personal lessons, ranging from playing on a losing volleyball team at Maryknoll to nearly causing a crash during a Blue Angels practice.

He recalled how his Maryknoll volleyball team didn’t win a single game one season. Still, the experience taught him the importance of maintaining a positive attitude to counter a negative attitude that can be “contagious” and sometimes makes it easy to quit efforts to improve.

Losing, he added, builds character because it “stinks.”

In response to a student’s question about how Mary-knoll prepared him for his role as a Blue Angel pilot, Suyderhoud said he learned to have faith in his teammates.

Recalling an incident in which he nearly caused a crash during a Blue Angels practice, Suyderhoud said he had expected his teammates would want to kick him off the team. Instead, a fellow pilot asked whether he wanted to try the maneuver again. His teammates’ trust and forgiveness gave him faith in himself, he said.

Suyderhoud, who started flying at age 16 as part of his senior project, encouraged Maryknoll students to surround themselves with people who make them better rather than people who are just agreeable, and urged the students to set daily goals to succeed.

“Success is born through the crucible of discomfort,” he said. “You have to work your tail off to be better at something.

“It’s not comfortable, working hard.”

Lindsey Lee, a senior at Maryknoll, said Suyderhoud’s visit inspired her in her long-term goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

“By having these (everyday) goals, there’s something for us to reach for,” she said. “There’s something for us to drive at.”

Suyderhoud, whose twin brother, Johan, is also a Hornet pilot, said growing up in Hawaii taught him that he is part of a larger ohana — both in Hawaii and at Maryknoll School.

Since leaving Hawaii, he said, his family has grown to include the military, those involved in tactical aviation, and the Blue Angels, which include a staff of about 150 people.

“Sometimes you might find that your perspective of growing up in Hawaii and on the islands will set you up for a lot of success down the road,” he said. “You can also bring that island family orientation to people on the mainland who may have not experienced that.”