Many refer to Maui resident Sue Ann Loudon as magical. In her 40 years of teaching at Baldwin High School, she inspired and changed lives when she founded the drama club, later renamed the Baldwin Theatre Guild (BTG). During a recent Yakamashii Talk Story event at Nisei Veterans Center, host Kathy Collins and Loudon shared stories about those early years, the performances, and the students whose lives were changed. Loudon has mentored hundreds of Maui students, including Wayne Moniz, Lee Cataluna, Eric Gilliom, Amy Hānaiali‘i, Judge Joseph Cardoza, Chris Kepler, and Kathy Collins. Retired in 2005, Loudon was delighted when her former student Linda Carnevale became her successor as BTG director.
“Carnevale is doing an outstanding job, and I always look forward to BTGs performances,” Loudon said. “She is committed to pushing the boundaries of artistic excellence and nurturing the next generation of Maui’s talent. The most important thing for everyone to remember is that every child has the opportunity to experience theater and the arts to enrich their creative expression.”
Collins shared, “I was very active in speech and drama activities while attending Baldwin High School. Miss Loudon taught drama and built a remarkable program which spawned professional entertainers like Amy and Eric, as well as many of Maui’s community theatre performers. She put greasepaint in my blood, and I owe my career to her guidance and encouragement. The first time I stepped on stage before an audience, playing a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz, I was hooked! I knew then that theatre would be a lifelong passion.”
Paul Janes-Brown, host of Curtain Call and the Mana‘o Radio Alpha and Omega Show, said, “Sue Ann Loudon created one of the most remarkable high school theater programs that I have ever seen in my life. She made young people stars. You actually thought you were watching a Broadway performance. She provided enchantment. So many of the youth she mentored are in performing arts on Maui and all over the world. She just has an inspirational impact on the people she comes in contact with. She has real magic!”
Loudon’s legacy of excellence in the performing arts continues into 2025. For their spring musical this year, the Baldwin Theatre Guild will present Mary Poppins on February 28 and March 1, 7, 8, and 9. The full cast list can be found at Instagram.com/btgmaui/. Community members are encouraged to attend and support the continuation of performing arts education on Maui.
I wholeheartedly believe in the power of theatre to enrich lives and foster community.
Sue Ann Loudon, Founder and Teacher, Baldwin Theatre Guild
Maui resident Christine Sabado’s new book, The Essence of Time: Pule Oʻo, is a journey to Molokai as it was some 55 years ago. The book, published in the fall of 2024 and the first in a trilogy, is an intimate memoir featuring all things Molokai, with a special focus on her relationship with her husband, Molokai-born artist Philip Sabado, and his Filipino family. The themes of the book will be familiar to all Hawaiʻi residents: the importance of family, cultural belonging, and aloha.
Sabado shares her highly personal voyage as she falls in love with the ways of her adopted Molokai life. “As a Southern California transplant, I learned and embraced the fused cultural norms of East and West, and the ‘das how’ to live one’s life. I learned to appreciate the respectful approach to oneness and pono (harmony) with the island, and the warmth of the people with whom I share the aloha spirit.”
Speaking on what she would like the community to take away from her books, Sabado said, “After 75 years on this planet, and 55 years married to Philip, this incredible Molokai man, as well as 35 years in Hawaiʻi Nei, my dialect has changed. I have infused ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi…into my thoughts and actions. In this writing, through my pule, I have wrapped and bound every word.”
Readers follow along as Sabado chronicles her introduction to Molokai as it was decades ago – its language, people, myths, and land – a personal history that details adversity, tragedy, and hope. In addition, she describes the artistic work of her husband and, most notably, how he came to paint a now famous portrait of St. Damien de Veuster of Kalaupapa.
Sabado concluded, “This is a story I love telling! My hope is to share my journey through our island paradise. The book is available on Amazon and at the new Sabado Museum and Gallery in Wailuku.”
Throughout my years in Hawaiʻi, I have been brought to understand my humble place in these islands. I am writing for those who want to broaden their understanding and deepen their appreciation for diverse cultures and for those who understand the wonders of being wildly, passionately in love.
Christine Sabado, Author, The Essence of Time: Pule Oʻo
STEMworks™, a program of Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), is gearing up for its 16th Annual Hawaiʻi STEM Conference (HSC), a two-day learning and networking event for students, teachers, and industry professionals. This year, HSC will be held at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center in Honolulu on March 24 and 25. It is open to middle and high school students statewide as well as K-12 teachers. Industry professionals are also invited to participate as exhibitors, breakout session presenters, networking event speakers, and sponsors.
Reflecting on the value of the event for students, one 8th grader who participated in HSC in 2024 shared, “Students would really benefit from attending conferences in general to meet new people and have practice with the protocols of attending conferences to gain information for their future.” A 7th grader from Lahaina who also attended HSC in 2024 commented, “The most interesting thing I learned during the conference was to get out of my comfort zone and try new things.”
Local industry professionals from a wide variety of STEM fields lead breakout sessions for students and teachers, provide interactive activities in the exhibit hall, and offer career and post-secondary education advice during networking opportunities. Breakout session topics include AI, forensic science, healthcare, computer programming, game design, agriculture, and creative media. Through these hands-on sessions, students discover career pathways and fields of study they may never have considered before the event.
A senior interested in healthcare shared about their experience during the 2024 HSC: “I learned about how to design games and code! I never took an interest before but now I got the opportunity to learn, I love it!” After hearing about the experiences of STEM experts at the conference, a junior also observed, “you don’t have to stick to one thing. I’m just starting my own career journey, and I’m making my own decisions and pathway.”
Registration is open for students and teachers, and STEMworks is also accepting session proposals and exhibitor registration from industry professionals who would like to take part in the event. More information can be found on the HSC website, https://www.hawaiistemconference.org/.
The students having access to industry professionals in STEM fields and being able to attend this type of event is a blessing for our students from Molokai who rarely have these types of opportunities.
Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross, Hawaiian Language Immersion Teacher, Molokai High School
Something new is changing lives at Venture Physical Therapy (VPT), also known as Venture Rehab. A family run small business started in 2008 and now with three clinics on Maui and the sole physical therapy (PT) practice on Lānaʻi, VPT clinics are the only ones in the state that currently utilize exoskeleton technology from Ekso Bionics. By developing wearable robotics to assist patients who have lost mobility, Ekso is helping thousands of individuals take millions of Ekso-aided steps.
Ekso’s robotic exoskeleton, EksoSkeleton, is designed to reteach the brain and muscles to properly walk again. It allows patients who are unable to walk to experience walking safely and also helps individuals who are able to walk to regain a natural gait. FDA-approved for a wide variety of conditions that affect mobility, including brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis, the EksoSkeleton allows patients to practice balancing, shifting weight, squatting, walking backwards, and stepping in place.
“The Ekso is exciting because it represents a level of technology and care not seen in the state before,” said Dr. Ted Anderson, owner of VPT and winner of the 2022 Mayor’s Small Business Award. “It provides a huge opportunity to continue to strengthen neural pathways long after muscles fatigue. Plus, the incredible thing about the Ekso is watching the overwhelming joy of patients and their families as they take their first steps.”
VPT physical therapist Talia Petersen shared, “The Ekso is a wonderful representation of how technology and physiology come together to elevate our treatment. It is specially programmed to both support and challenge the patient to improve their walking pattern.”
Lisa Selman noted about her sister Sharon’s physical therapy, “This exoskeleton was a game-changer for my sister, who was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury and left-side injuries from a pedestrian accident. It kick-started her recovery by reestablishing the brain-body signals and connections. To have had access to such amazing rehabilitation technology through Venture Rehab has made a huge difference in her ability to use a walker and regain greater mobility and independence.”
For more information, go to venturerehab.com or follow VPT on social media, @venturerehab.
With the help of a wearable robotic exoskeleton, mobilization can begin. There are a lot of happy tears at our Kalama Heights clinic.
Dr. Ted Anderson, Owner and Physical Therapist, Venture Physical Therapy
Junior hospital volunteers, known as Angels, are a testament to the strength and compassion of Maui Nui. Acknowledging that together we can make a difference, the Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC) Volunteer Office offers many opportunities through their Junior Volunteer Program. The program, which allows youth to explore various healthcare careers through volunteer work, started in the summer of 2023. Three students from Maui High School with aspirations to become a doctor, an anesthesiologist, and a medical technician were the first students ready to navigate the workings of a hospital first-hand, not just from a textbook. They were soon joined by nine more students representing five high schools on Maui, and that number keeps growing.
“Our program offers a unique opportunity for students to gain invaluable experience while helping others in need,” said Barbara Potopowitz, MMMC Auxiliary President. “Volunteering offers teenagers opportunities to positively impact their own lives by providing a sense of purpose, building connections, and developing skills. By engaging in hospital work, teens get to experience the numerous career choices available in the hospital environment and receive real-world work experience. We provide the necessary training to ensure success in their volunteer role.”
Any Maui Nui student between the ages of 14 and 18 who can commit to at least 6 hours a month of work at the hospital can join the program. Volunteering options include visiting patients with healthcare providers, distributing snacks, assisting in the gift shop, helping at the information desk, and operating a book cart for patients. Many of these options allow volunteers to observe doctors, nurses, aids, administrators, and technicians in action. Staff representing almost any healthcare occupation that students might be interested in are available for them to learn from.
Xin, a participant from Maui High School, shared, “I am learning valuable lessons in how to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. By creating positive energy, I can make a difference in people’s lives and in the community.”
Since December 2023, the program has also offered scholarships. Potopowitz noted, “The scholarships are named after Ed Quiring, a 90-year-old volunteer who still works closely with the students. The program recognizes volunteers for their hard work and dedication, making them eligible for exclusive scholarships that can support educational goals. We encourage community members to contribute to our tax-deductible scholarship fund.”
Be an Angel! Be a Junior Volunteer and join other students to become part of our MMMC ‘ohana.
Barbara Potopowitz, Auxiliary President, Maui Memorial Medical Center
