“To erect and maintain in the Hawaiian Islands two schools, each for boarding and day scholars, one for boys and one for girls, to be known as, and called the Kamehameha Schools,” were the words written in the will of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Little did she know, that what started out as two schools for native Hawaiian children, would evolve into a $10.2 billion dollar trust that owns 13% of the state, and serves 34,000 native Hawaiian children yearly. This was the dream of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, to reach out and aid Hawaiian children in becoming good and industrious men and women. For the past 125 years, Kamehameha Schools has impacted the Hawaiian community in a number of ways. From educating over 8,000 children on three different campuses, to offering outreach programs in numerous communities, to even giving native Hawaiians aid in achieving a college education, this is what Kamehameha Schools is about. Due to all of these accomplishments, Kamehameha School is often looked at, as the beacon of light for the Hawaiian community. The reasons are because Kamehameha is an influence due to its wealth, Kamehameha is an organization with great leaders, and Kamehameha is serving with a purpose. With having a $10.2 billion dollar trust, and owning 13% of the state, Kamehameha School is a big influence in the Hawaiian community. From its humble beginnings, it has evolved into a huge organization, that earns million of dollars a year in profits from lease holding that it has on trust lands. With this much wealth, comes tremendous influence. Kamehameha has had the ability to influence land-use decision-making with the government in regards to the issue of developing over burial sites. Kamehameha has also had some influence in political campaigns as well, with donating $38,950 to numerous campaigners such as Daniel Akaka, Daniel Inouye, and Colleen Hanabusa. Due to having this much wealth Kamehameha has been able to provide to its students, the community, as well as the state. Along with its wealth, it has also developed numerous resources in the community. Kamehameha has developed numerous connections with the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Commerce, and other governing bodies through a number of graduates, and former employees. Another way Kamehameha has developed resources is through its land-assets division. Through leasing land to the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, Hawaiian Homelands, and other travel industry companies, Kamehameha has been able to develop relationships with these people, as well as make profits from these leases. Overall, as being in a prominent leader in the state of Hawai‘i, it has been able to be an important playmaker, as well as influential organization on the Hawaiian community. With a big trust, and a powerful influence, Kamehameha Schools is an organization with great leaders. Leadership is a key-role in any type of management out there. In order to have any type of success, you need a good leader to guide you there, and this is what Kamehameha Schools has done. Throughout the years Kamehameha Schools has had outstanding leaders such as Frank Midkiff, Richard Lyman, Pinky Thompson, and Dr. Michael Chun. These people have helped bring our school from its humble beginnings it started at, to the level at which we are on today. Leadership is important in defining whom Kamehameha is as an entity, because in the mid 1990’s, it was shown how destructive Kamehameha could be with poor leadership. If it were not for the brave leaders within the faculty, the Hawaiian community, as well as Kamehameha would have a different outcome then that of which we have today. In order to lead, you have to lead with good intentions and a passion. Walter Lippen once said, “The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men, the conviction and the will to carry on,” and this is the type of leaders there are at Kamehameha. The leaders there have a passion, and dream to instil inspiration in young Hawaiians, in hope that one day, this torch can be passed on in the right hands. The leaders at Kamehameha have the hope that one day, there will be young native Hawaiians to stand up to help steer not only the schools, but also the Hawaiian community in the right direction. In order to serve, you must serve with a purpose, and that’s what Kamehameha Schools has done for the past 125 years. Kamehameha is serving with the purpose of creating good and industrious men and women, and that’s what they have done. With over 20,000 graduates over the years, these men and women have gone far and wide to becoming prominent, and successful people in society. These people have gone across the globe to reach their full potential in what ever they pursue in life. That was the will and dream of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, to see native Hawaiians succeed. As well as helping its own students to succeed, Kamehameha has also helped Hawaiians not at the schools. Kamehameha has given millions of dollars to Hawaiian students, to help them succeed also. Kamehameha does exist only to help its own students, but to help all Hawaiians in the community. These are reasons why Kamehameha Schools is the beacon of light for the Hawaiian community. It is a big influence on society; it has great leadership running the schools, as well as it is serving a purpose. When Kamehameha Schools thrives, native Hawaiians thrive as well. Without the generosity, and graciousness of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, who knows what the fate of native Hawaiians would be today.