Page 7 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - May 11, 2022

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HA5W0 FAattyItu‘nIa,tIoSa LAeNlemDent MID11W5 TEimeEpeKriodCOVER STORY
MAY 11, 2022 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK 7
FROM PAGE 5
sushi chef
79 Sunset dirección 81 Big A-ha
moment?
often named for
an art movement 116 __ down the law
er 52 Topples the Jenga tower, say
KWawailehua Cornel, RN, BSN Straub Medical Center
Lori Ikeda, RN
hen Kawailehua Cornel was in preschool, her moth- er made a recording of the
KOapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children
youngster vowing to do something grand when she grew up. Specifically, the then 4-year-old boldly proclaimed in front of her graduating class, “I want to be a nurse to help doctors save lives.”
ne of the best lessons Lori Ike- da ever learned came when a college instructor refused to let
Funny how prescient children can sometimes be.
her immediately quit the school’s radio- logic technology program. Instead, he challenged her to stay the course, give greater effort and then, if she still felt like withdrawing, he’d grant her wish.
True to form, Cornel has been mak-
“During some of the worst times of people’s lives, I have the opportunity to make their experience just a tiny bit brighter. I’m happy to do it.”
“He told me: ‘This is probably the hardest you ever had to study, isn’t it? This is not high school; it is time to grow up. Finish the semester, try your hardest and if you still feel like dropping out of the program, I’ ll sign the (withdrawal) form,’” recalls Ikeda.
been resolute in her career pursuits and determined to help others. As the only nurse within the Imaging Department at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, she possesses much wis- dom and experience to share with as- piring young nurses.
ing good on her promise over the past
15 years, providing life-saving work to
innumerable patients at Straub Medical
For those just entering the nursing profession, Cornel says the following:
Center. She’s been able to accomplish
this with whatever team she’s been as-
“The grass is green where you wa-
The pep talk worked.
“If nursing is what you are truly pas- sionate about, be humble, be grateful and appreciate the opportunity to do what you do,” she says. “If you are se- lecting the career for the money, know that you will be fairly compensated, but there is much more to being a nurse than the money you make.”
signed to — the surgical unit, the ad-
ter it. And just because something has
“That gave me the strength and cour- age to endure the rigorous studies and graduate,” says Ikeda, who ultimately earned her associate’s degree in radio- logic technology from Kapi‘olani Com- munity College.
vanced medical-surgery crew, even the
been done a certain way for a long time
neuro progressive care group that she’s
doesn’t mean it cannot be changed, often
currently a part of. Wherever she goes,
for the better,” she notes. “Also, do not
Cornel has been a model of efficiency
take things personally. And make sure
and a beacon of hope to patients.
to take care of yourself first. You can’t
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Since then, the Honolulu native has
“I like helping people,” she says. care for someone else if you’re not OK.”
ANSWER TO TODAY’S PUZZLE
5/8/22
# hawaiianrealty.com • hawaiianrealty.com • hawaiianrealty.com • hawaiianrealty.com • hawaiianrealty.com • hawaiianrealty.com #
DON’T FORGET TO PHONE HOME
hawaiianrealty.com 800-667-5028 ext. 8122
Denise S. Nakanishi
RB-17031, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRS
“Major Mom is a Major Difference”
Like “ET”, those of us who aren’t with Mom on this special day, are all phoning home. We certainly don’t want to forget Mom. Thanks to my own Mom, I have a pretty good sense of humor. Seemed to really help when you had as many kids aswedid.Besidesbeingwitty,myMotherwas very particular about her appearance. Several years ago her dentist installed implants but failed to inform her there could be complications that
might affect her looks. Well, there m
were and it did and trust me, I was w
end of 2019 was about $53,000. When I wrote the original version of this article back in 2002, the average home was about $150,000. It’s now over $600,000. Mortgage payments certainly aren’t what they used to be. What’s the point, you wonder?Let’sputthingsinperspective.Today’s Hilo families (mostly 2 income households) making $64,000 (2019) per year can qualify for a mortgage of around $350,000 not including property taxes and insurance. Back when baby- boomer parents were born, mortgages were for only 20 years. This meant the payment of that $6515housewasabout$43.Ittookonlyabout $138 monthly income to qualify. An average purchasercouldbuyanaveragehome.Ratiosand paymenttermsaremoreliberalthesedays.We qualifyforlargerloansthanpreviousgenerations, butwestillstruggletofindahomeintownthat doesn’tneedmajorrepairsfor$350,000.Lack ofinventoryisabigproblem.Fortunately,many purchasers have additional sources of income
such as overtime. Many opt to commute from our feeder communities so with a few compromises, owning a home is still possible. Our parents realized that home ownership was a way to freeze housing costs. They also understood that certain personalfreedomsaccompanyhomeownership. Now as then, these concepts still hold true. Over time, we have learned that homeownership provides a vehicle for creating wealth. In the not too distant future, we will consider current mortgage payments a breeze. And while Mom may wish gasoline was still .10 per gallon and breadwasstill.07,thecostofconsumablegoods isimpossibletocontrolfortheaverageconsumer. Thruhomeownership,it’sentirelypossibletofix housingcostsnowandintheyearstocome.Just onemorereasontoconsiderhomeownershipon thedaywehonoroneofthemostpreciouspeople inourlives!HappyMother’sDay!
Blog forward at www.hawaiianrealtyhomes.com
glad I wasn’t her Dentist! Moms are
special. They certainly make a house a home. Because I don’t wish to end up in the same
doghouseastheDentist,Iwon’ttell
you the year Jewel (aka Mini Ma) wasborn.Interestingly,inthatyear,theaverage yearlyincomewas$1652.Thecostoftheaverage housewas$6515.Thingshavecertainlychanged. The average income in a Hilo household at the
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