Hawaii needs leaders, now more than ever.

At the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, we have worked with over a thousand young people in high school classrooms across the state to help them develop their leadership. We are concerned about the Hawaii that they will inherit and wonder whether they would want to build their futures here.

In Hawaii, the proverbial can has been kicked down the road for too long, and now it’s hit a wall. While Hawaii’s problems become more entrenched, we question why things aren’t getting better.

We worry that “being local” may become a thing of the past. This may simply be the result of the now well-documented mass exodus of local people from Hawaii. This fact is troubling enough, but our worry runs even deeper. The values that undergirded our society in the past seem to have been relegated to corners of our islands.

We worry that in a state that prides itself on being ohana, there are members of the family who are being left behind. This is clearly seen in our community’s prejudice against certain high schools. We all know that in Hawaii, one of the first questions we ask each other is, “What high school did you go to?” In many ways, discussion over high schools is benign, a means to connect. But at its core, it perpetuates a Hawaii where only certain zip codes open doors.

We worry about a lack of integrity. It seems oddly routine for headlines to scream about this audit and that investigation of our government. Confusion and corruption appear to be standard fare — from the former Police Chief Louis Kealoha’s cover-ups, to a rail project that seems to misstep at every turn. In a damning September 2019 Star-Advertiser poll, 51% of respondents said they feel elected officials here don’t have high ethical standards.

In a vicious cycle, because people feel disconnected, it leads to civic apathy. This lack of civic responsibility prevents new ideas and independent voices from rising to the top; and, our young people are aware.

Action is required, but who has a plan?

It’s clear. Hawaii needs courageous and selfless leaders, now more than ever. This is the reason I chose to come home after graduating from college, even though many of my friends chose otherwise. My first career commitment grew into a passion for preparing high school students to take on roles of ethical leadership. A growing number of school and community leaders are joining this cause.

Our next generation of leaders will need to be people of character. They will need to craft bold vision. They will need courage sufficient to challenge the status quo; necessary to take positions that are unpopular; and essential to speak up in the face of criticism.

And they will have to have patience because change does not happen overnight or after one protest. It takes perseverance. They will have to stick to it, and inspire people to join them.

Hawaii is either at the cusp, or at the edge. The determining factor in either outcome is nurturing homegrown leaders. Our CTL team is actively recruiting and training these young people, not only the ones who have a leadership title in their school, but those who have potential that they don’t yet even realize they have.

Hawaii has a rich legacy of leadership that protected and cultivated one of the most beautiful and special places on the planet. Now, we need a new generation of leaders.

Leaders, of all ages, we have to step up. We’re from Hawaii, and now it’s time to fight for Hawaii.

Katie Chang is executive director of Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders.