Submitted by Lauren Suero on the 2022 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the College of Health Sciences…
During the first week of my study abroad program in Hawaii, I was able to experience a multitude of new things including visits to historical sites, new foods, and various excursions. On January 6th, my group had the opportunity to visit the Bishop Museum. We were given around two hours to roam through each part and floor of the museum and read about Hawaiian history, culture, and lifestyle. The Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop. He actually created this museum in honor of his wife Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who was the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha dynasty. This museum exhibits the largest collection of Hawaiian and Pacific cultural artifacts, as well as natural history specimens in the entire world.
One of the exhibits was entitled “Two Hawaiian Olympic Champions: The First and The Latest”. This was made to honor two Hawaiian Olympic gold medalists: Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and Carissa Kainani Moore. Duke happened to be the first winner in 1912 in swimming, while Carissa is the most recent winner in 2021 in surfing.
