In the countryside of Waimea sits Hawai’i Preparatory Academy (HPA), a private school surrounded by rolling hills, green from the rain ka makani brings. In Hawaiian, ka makani means "the wind.” At HPA, it is at once a mascot inspired by Waimea’s mighty, ever-changing winds, as well as a symbol of the adaptable, strong spirit that faculty and students have embodied for the past 75 years.
HPA’s legacy as an educational institution began in 1949, when the Episcopal Church’s Bishop Harry Kennedy and citizens of Hawai’i Island signed the articles of incorporation for Hawai’i Episcopal Academy. By 1957, the school became independently incorporated, and the name changed to Hawai’i Preparatory Academy. Eventually, the Upper Campus was built on the foothills of Kohala Mountain to serve grades nine through twelve. Waimea Village Inn was transformed into Village Campus to house HPA’s lower and middle schools. What began with five boarding students has grown into a renowned coed academy with around 600 students, including students from Hawai’i Island, and boarding students from 15 states and 25 nations.
At its core, HPA values integrity, respect, pursuit of excellence and wonder. And for Vaipuarii Tapiero-Kight, a parent of two HPA students, the value of wonder resonated with her sons from day one.
“My youngest, who was in second grade at the time, came home from his first day at HPA and told me, ‘Mom, the music teacher taught us a song and she was so nice! Are we going back tomorrow?’My fourth grader had Hawaiian studies on the first day and said, ‘Mom, it was so cool! We have a Kumu who told us about Waimea’s history and legends.’ Three years later, my sons are still excited about school,” says Vaipuarii, who moved from Tahiti and began attending HPA her sophomore year. “It was new having adults other than my parents believing in and pushing me to be the best version of myself. It made me want to be a teacher! In 2022, I returned to HPA to teach English.”
Vaipuarii, who will transition to Residential Life Program’s Dorm Head in the fall, says that living in the international dorms enabled her to make lifelong friends from Japan, Australia, Italy, and around the world that she otherwise would never have met. HPA celebrates this diverse community every year on International Day.
“International Day showcases HPA’s worldwide connections through cultural workshops where students share their traditions,” says 2025 HPA alumnus Wynter Radey-Morgan. Charter school Kanu o ka ʻĀina partners with HPA for the showcase, honoring the traditions of Hawai’i. “It’s about celebrating global culture while staying grounded in place.”
It’s this sense of place that Kumu Kūwalu Anakalea fosters as a Hawaiian Studies instructor at the Village Campus.
"Whether through mele, hula, or the values we carry into the classroom, I get to witness keiki connect with something deeper: a sense of place, identity, and kuleana. It’s a privilege to help them see that these traditions aren’t separate from learning—they are learning," says Kumu Kūwalu, parent of a 2017 HPA alumnus. Under her leadership, Makahiki Games and other Village Campus programs deepen cultural integration at HPA. “As ambassadors of aloha, it’s our privilege and responsibility to share our island culture with the world!”
In 2023, HPA extended that aloha to Maui when 2024 alumnus Caroline Betlach organized the “Run for Maui 5K” just weeks after the devastating wildfires. Word about the cross-country runner’s fun run/walk spread, and on race day, 320 people (and a few dogs) showed up at HPA to participate. The student-led event raised over $6,000 for families affected by the Maui fires.
In addition to island-to-island support, HPA students are making a difference for their peers.
“I saw a lack of work opportunities, especially for boarding students who have limited time and can’t get off campus easily. So for my senior capstone project, I pitched a business plan to the Head of School, CFO, and Head of Student Life for a café at our student union, and opened the coffee shop with the CFO’s help,” says Wynter of Ka Makani Café, which will continue to build community and provide work-based experience that student volunteers can add to their resume long after Wynter heads off to Yale University in the fall.
Vision 2049, a sustainability plan that includes utility infrastructure to produce 100% renewable energy on campus, was created in this spirit of empowering students to invest in future generations.
“Vision 2049 reflects our long-term commitment to cultivating a learning community where students are inspired to care deeply for the land, for one another, and for the world they will inherit,” says Robert Budway, Board of Trustees Chair and 1976 HPA alumnus.
“As Ka Makani, we have kuleana to model what it means to live regeneratively, in a deep relationship with the land and our community,” adds Fred Wawner, HPA’s Head of School and parent of a current HPA student and three alumni. “Over the next 50 years, nearly 6,000 HPA graduates will go out into the world. We intend for each of them to carry with them not only knowledge, but the mindset and commitment to be leaders in building a more sustainable future—wherever life takes them.”
To learn more about HPA and its 75th anniversary celebration, visit HPA.edu.
Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy began as a humble boarding school for five students. 75 years later, HPA’s Ka Makani come from all corners of the globe for an academic experience rooted in integrity, respect, pursuit of excellence and wonder. HPA serves over 600 students, including boarding students from 15 states and 25 nations. A learning community with a legacy of strength and adaptability, students are inspired by 72 extraordinary teachers to care deeply for the land, for one another, and for the world they will inherit. Here in Waimea, academic success is enhanced by aloha. “As HPA students, each of my children were given the space—and the grace—to explore who they are and who they’re becoming.” —Fred Wawner, HPA Head of School.
“These traditions aren’t separate from learning—they are learning.”
“As Ka Makani, we have kuleana to model what it means to live regeneratively.”