Camping to Confidence
Angel Alba | Maui High School, Class of 2026
Camping is more than just a getaway; it’s an opportunity for personal growth, stepping beyond your comfort zone and forming lasting connections with others, nature and yourself. From August 21 to 23, the Maui High School’s Executive Council, alongside the Student Activities Coordinator, initiated a leadership camp at Camp Maluhia.
This event aimed to bring student leaders together to collaborate, connect and gain valuable experiences they could carry back to their clubs, school and the broader community. The leadership camp featured engaging group activities designed to encourage teamwork and share ideas. In addition, guest speakers, including State Senator Troy Hashimoto, were invited to share their leadership journeys and inspire the next generation of leaders.
Amaya-Lynne Badillo was a participant in the leadership camp and from her experience, she shares she had a great experience, especially since it was her first time attending. “It was very fun spending time with others and learning how to become a better leader in the end,” she said. Throughout the camp, Amaya gained more confidence and noted it helped her step out of her comfort zone. An area she wishes to continue to improve is her communication skills, particularly with larger audiences. “I will say I am still not as talkative when it comes to bigger group sessions but I am still working on that,” she admitted.
As she continues to progress, during the camp Amaya learned the importance of always taking initiative because if not, “your words do not get out there,” and to always be open-minded to ensure everyone’s ideas are respected and heard.
Meanwhile, Moani Valite’s takeaway from the leadership camp was understanding how essential teamwork and communication are to learning and building confidence in ourselves. She explained the camp helped her progress by teaching her how to manage responsibilities more effectively and how to work with a variety of people. Reflecting on her time at Camp Maluhia, she said, “I had a great experience. I got to build my leadership skills and work with new people.” Overall, Moani’s experience at the leadership camp not only strengthened her leadership skills but also reinforced the importance of collaboration and effective communication in building both confidence and success.
From Angello Alvarez’ point of view, however, he describes the leadership camp as a “truly valuable and enriching experience” that went beyond his expectations. He highlights the well-organized structure of the camp, from the engaging leadership workshops and the fun team-building activities to the thoughtful details like the nutritious meals. What stood out to him the most was the strong sense of connection and unity amongst his group. “We weren’t just peers,” he said, “but truly became one team through collaboration and friendship.” During these hands-on experiences, Angello was able to reinforce what he learned and gained more confidence in his ability to lead and work with others. Beyond the skills and structured activities, Angello found the most impactful part of the camp to be the friendships he built. “Before, I would just see many of these people around school,” he explained, “but after collaborating and interacting with them, I feel much closer—not only as classmates but as fellow leaders in our community.”
The leadership camp at Camp Maluhia was more than just a three-day retreat—it was a meaningful experience that encouraged personal growth, built lasting confidence and fostered strong connections among student leaders. Through interactive workshops, team-building activities and shared challenges, participants like Amaya, Moani and Angello were able to step out of their comfort zones and develop essential leadership skills.
From learning to communicate effectively to understanding the value of teamwork, each student left camp with new perspectives and a stronger sense of purpose. As they return to their roles at Maui High, they carry with them not just memories but valuable lessons that will continue to guide them as confident, collaborative and capable leaders in their school and community.
Google® Is Not Everything…… is a monthly column authored by high school students. The column’s title emphasizes that education is more than just googling a topic. Google® is a registered trademark. This month’s guest columnist is Angel Alba, a Senior at Maui High School. She is a Class Representative for the Class of 2026 at Maui High School, a Cultural Representative of Maui High’s Filipino Cultural Club, a part of HOSA, Upward Bound, and a member of the Filipino folk-dance group named “La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino.” Angel is in the Nursing pathway at Maui High and aspires to be a pediatric nurse. In her free time, she enjoys creating blogs, building Lego structures, going to the gym, singing karaoke, watching dramas or movies that interest her and spending quality time with her friends and family. She is the daughter of Normalita Alba and Pablito Alba, Jr.