Silver City, NM- This past Saturday, WNMU students Michaela Yoshida and Miyana Wagner both strolled around campus, enjoying the Homecoming Parade. Michaela and Miyana both hail from Hawaii and despite not knowing one another until they coincidentally became dorm mates, shared a few similarities, but also several differences.
Michaela and Miyana are both freshman, though Michaela is a year older than Miyana at age 19, while Miyana is only 18. Both also came to Western to study nursing and experience life off the islands.
Michaela, who hails from the larger, more urban island of Oahu, first wanted to major in kinesiology, but decided to switch to nursing because she wanted to follow her in her family’s footsteps, particularly her mother. When asked what she plans to do with her major, Michaela said that she would like to go back to home to Oahu because she has very good connections with the hospitals thanks to her family.
Miyana, who comes from the smaller, more intimate island of Maui, loves teaching and being around little kids, but after losing one of her friends to cancer, she decided to become a nurse. Miyana chose to attend WNMU are after a summer internship at Stanford, where one of her professor’s suggested that it would be a good idea to start out at a small school. Miyana, however, does not plan to go back to her home to Maui after graduation.
When asked what she likes about Western, Michaela said, “It is big enough to experience a University, but small enough not to feel overwhelmed, being from a small place.”
She also enjoys the fact that the professors and classes are very welcoming, saying that they are small and that she does not feel that she is getting left out. Culture, of course, is the biggest difference that they both of them noticed saying, “[In Silver City] it’s all Mexican food.” They also said that they are trying to learn Spanish.
One event that both girls look forward to experiencing is the Great Race, which is coming up this spring. Micheala also wished that Western would start up a soccer program. Miyana also expressed interest in getting more involved in school.
Michaela and Miyana both watched the parade and stuck around for the tailgate afterwards, experiencing their first WNMU homecoming event. They later attended the football game.
Additional reporting by Eric Lowe. More articles on students and clubs participating in WNMU’s Homecoming event are on the way.
Pictured: Miyana Wagner, VP of Student Affairs Isaac Brundage, and Michaela Yoshida
