Summer High School Institute
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 1985 - 2025
HSI Founder
LETTER FROM HSI’S FOUNDER
In 1984, the College of Arts and Sciences had budgeted funds to utilize, and the college dean asked me to create a program to attract students to the University of Wyoming. Having grown up in a military family and being regularly exposed to change and new opportunities, I could see the need to introduce the young people of Wyoming to the wider world than they had been familiar with. We would bring in high school students from every district in Wyoming to create a family of young people who would get to know one another, work together, and care for each other.
The Institute would give new vision to high school students who would discover that learning did not end with a high school education, and that education was not just an academic exercise. Education was also learning about fellow human beings and how to live and thrive together.
The University of Wyoming High School Institute was developed to enhance young Wyoming students’ intellectual and personal development to maturity.
Going to Laramie was often the first trip away from home for these students. We wanted them to discover their own unique individuality and how much others could offer in return. Residing on campus would give the students the experience of university living. They roomed together, ate together, and studied in classes together, just like university students did. Ten counselors, chosen from University of Wyoming students, were given responsibility for ten high school students each, creating smaller family units within the larger HSI family.
Many congratulations to everyone who has played a part in continuing this program. I am so proud of each of the students, and the faculty and staff who have worked so hard to make the High School Institute successful for 40 years.
The trip to Denver expanded their experience by familiarizing them to one of America’s largest cities. At the end of each summer session, we held a banquet for the students and their families. It was the students who came up with the idea of doing a play and making a video for that final night. They were proud of their growth and accomplishments and wanted to demonstrate that to their families.
Kathleen Avery, 2024 Director of HSI, 1985
A Note on the 40th
For the past four decades, the University of Wyoming’s Summer High School Institute has been igniting curiosity and ambition in the hearts of Wyoming’s brightest rising juniors. Each summer, students from every corner of the state converge in Laramie to experience life as a college student. HSI scholars get to experience living in dorms, diving into thought-provoking courses that span the sciences and humanities, and discovering what it truly means to learn beyond the classroom. It’s well known that HSI is more than just a college-prep and academics summer camp. It’s a jumping off point for lifelong friendships, self discovery, and the knowledge that scholars can do or be anything. For thousands of Wyoming students, it’s a summer that shapes their future and one they’ll never forget.
This year’s 40th reunion of the University of Wyoming’s Summer High School Institute was more than just a celebration. It was a reflection of the program’s enduring impact. Alumni from across the decades came together and reminisce on their time at HSI. They reflected on where their journey of self-discovery began, where a lifetime of friendships formed, and how they’ve grown since HSI. For many, HSI was the first time they felt truly challenged, inspired, and seen. This milestone reunion honors the thousands of students whose lives were shaped by the program’s unique blend of academic exploration and personal growth. It was a chance to celebrate the friendships that were formed, the dreams students discovered, and the legacy built.
Since the start of HSI in 1985, the institute has hosted rising Wyoming high school juniors from across all
3000 23 over 365 79 55 54 139 116 75 96 175 counties
This map highlights what county most HSI scholars come from. The top five counties are Laramie (dark green), Sweetwater (light red), Fremont (yellow), Park (dark red), Natrona (light green), and Carbon (dark blue).
Jess & Steven Lucero HSI 2001
My husband and I met at HSI...If I had not gone to HSI how different could my life have been? “ “
It’s hard to pick [a best memory]... but, my husband and I met at HSI. So, probably my favorite memory honestly was meeting Steve. We were in the same pharmacy course, and we went down to a field trip in, somewhere in Colorado, and sat next to each other. He just had me laughing the entire trip. We reconnected at the HSI reunion when we were seniors, and then again when we were, seniors in college.
HSI is special for that reason. It’s where I met Steve, and we have four daughters. I often am like, what in the world? If I had not gone to HSI how
different could my life have been? So, there’s that piece. But, I’d say, too, the thing for me is, I grew up in a little small town, which, that’s most of Wyoming, of course. But I was a first generation college student. Having that experience and being on a college campus. I was like most HSI kids are, a real achievement-oriented kid, so I knew there was something in my future, but I couldn’t conceptualize it. It was HSI that put that into focus for me, that helped me see myself at college, and helped me just visualize it. And imagine what my life could look like in higher ed.
As you flip through this issue, discover images from HSI’s 40-year journey, thoughtfully placed at the bottom of pages.
Rob Streeter HSI 2004
ILasting Memories
t’s just this idea that it broadened my experience horizon so much more than anything else had up until that point that; I’m still seeing the benefits, I’m still seeing positive things happen because of that. I think that happens because it’s a little bit longer; I think because it’s totally immersive. You go live in the dorms, and just the fact that that opportunity was
available at all was really cool and something I’m grateful for. I didn’t necessarily realize it at the time, but that was the first really intensive professional networking thing that I went to. I was meeting people with interests and backgrounds and perspectives way different from my own that I would have in my network for the rest of my life.
Professor Perspectives
Ithink it’s a great opportunity for students, no matter where you live in Wyoming, to have an opportunity to come to UW and see all the great things that are going on, sort of get a taste of college life and realize that I can do this. To me no matter how big, how small your town
is, where you fit in, HSI has a great place for you. And we see it, we start teaching the class and the first day, that first dinner, everybody’s shy. Monday, they may be a little bit of shy in class, and then by Tuesday or Wednesday they’ve made friends for life.
Steven Barrett STEM CourseModern Technology
The HSI kids grow up a lot during HSI. It is truly a great opportunity for the kids to experience the University of Wyoming and the campus life. They are able to think about their future plans and goals. They meet new friends that could be future college
classmates. They become acquainted with UW faculty and staff. These connections become important as student later attend UW. HSI is a phenomenal program for kids to have a meaningful activity during the summer, where they can grow on their own and explore new things.
Jeff Anderson STEM CourseModern Technology
Leigh Selting Humanities CourseStage Combat
It’s a fantastic program that I hope the university and the legislature continue to support. Many schools offer summer programs as a "taste of a university", but HSI, the way they’ve got it put together, is unique in the sense that the classes are rigorous, and challenging, while also being fun! And the course offerings are incredibly diverse and interesting.
The Honors College recruits
some of the best faculty at the university to deliver the coursework in HSI. It's an honest way for students to come to the university and discover, 'Oh, this is what college life looks like.'
Living in the dorms, class every day, free time and exploratory fun time, opens the doors of possibility, and opens students' eyes into what a university career could be and will be. Incredibly valuable in every aspect.
ISusan Aronstein Humanities CourseMask &
Masquerades/
Disney Discourse
remember my students dressed up for the Masks and Masquerade murder mystery. I remember them coming in big hats and fake pearls. It was a 1930s mystery story. For the Disney class. I remember watching the films and talking about them and it was fun to push them to think a little bit. It’s fun to have the students on campus. Even now when you walk across campus and
they’re all going around with their t-shirts and their name tags. That group of students who often it’s the first time they’ve been together in a space with people who actually care about learning. And it is just fun to see them all together and learning. To know people from other schools and know that they’re not just the only kid from a very small school in Wyoming.
Kent Drummond Humanities Course-
Studying Symbols of Album Covers
Ithink it’s just a wonderful place where you can make those mistakes. You can use it as a kind of training ground. And it’s a place to grow because not only do you have that stuff going on in class where you’re meeting these real life professors, but then outside you have the dorm. Before, in the old days, there was a
lot of sessions going on with getting in touch with your emotions and skill building, awareness things, and all of which is wonderful. I think that that’s where I could see how much good it was doing. Therefore I knew that it would increase their chances of making it through college successfully. That’s why I did it.
HSI’s Lasting Impact
Ben Kim HSI 1992
During my year, our cohort was given the opportunity to visit a research lab. It basically involved a small cooler filled with supercooled water, so below freezing, that was circulating. Subjects
would be asked to wear electrodes and dip their arm into this pool of freezing cold water. I stuck my arm in, into the water. For what seemed like an eternity, as it turns out, it was probably only 15 seconds or so, and I yanked my arm out, I was freaked out, I thought I was dying, it was like an icy death. And after that, puzzlingly enough to me, participants were able to rack up 2, 3, 4 minutes, leaving their arm in this super cooled water. We were all flabbergasted when a kid from Greybull, Wyoming, Kevin, stepped up, and he put his arm in, and it was something like 15 minutes, but he blew us all away.
Once he took his arm out, they gave other people the opportunity, including myself to do do-overs. So, I did a do-over. And just through sheer force of will, I put my arm back in and I clocked in somewhere around two, three minutes. That experience and in the room and the people and the way that I felt has stuck with me ever since...It was profound to me in the sense that I carry that experience with me because it tells me something about who I am and what I believe in about myself. That, I can do hard things and I can do hard things beyond what I expect I’m able to do. Maybe not the first time, but certainly the second time around. When life throws these challenges at you, and it does, and it will, you are able to remind yourself. ‘I am capable of doing hard things and I’m brought back to that room with Kevin and the example and that he set for all of us and just that Zen. Your ability to sort of reinforce yourself and pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, and say, “I can do hard things,” that was really my big key takeaway for myself that I really didn’t realize that I’d taken away.
Jason Wasserburger HSI 1998
Ithink it was the amount of people that you met there that happened to be stars in their own community. And a lot of them did good things, athletically and academically. I look at the group that we had, and I think we had a very, very large portion of them end up at Laramie. And so growing up in a small town, you don’t always know a lot of people from other towns or cities. I went over to Laramie here recently for a UW wrestling event and dropped my kids off at one of my good friends from
HSI’s house just because it was available and they have kids the same age. I think it’s those relationships and connections that you make then, and they pay off over the long run. HSI gave you a jump-start on a lot of that stuff where you knew a lot of people before you got there. So you already had a readymade friend group. I think it’s interesting now as I’ve gotten older, that was almost 30 years ago. But at the same time, you still interact with a ton of those folks in business. I see a lot of them.
HSI gave you a jumpstart on a lot of that stuff where you knew a lot of people before you got there. So you already had a readymade friend group.
“ ”
Long Held Legacies
From volunteering in the Laramie community to watching the Rockies in Denver, HSI’s traditions still remain 40 years later. HSI believes in building an experience beyond just college-prep classes. The program strives to create well-rounded scholars through a variety of different opportunities.
Community Service
Volunteering in the Laramie community has been essential to the HSI experience. Over the decades scholars have helped many organizations across Laramie. HSI alumni have volunteered with local gardening, clearing trails for hiking, animal shelters, and stocking community pantries.
Mountain Night
As a summer camp HSI has an expectation to get students outside and into the Wyoming wilderness. HSI students spend an afternoon and evening in Vedauwoo. During this mountain night campers make s’mores, explore nature, and enjoy all the great outdoors have to offer.
Rockies Game
In the early days of HSI, students got the opportunity to watch the Colorado Rockies baseball team play in Denver. Watching the Rockies got scholars out of the small town of Laramie and gave them an experience that many Wyoming residents didn’t have regular access to. After a full week of activities and classes, the Rockies game provided a welcome opportunity to relax and prepare for another full week of HSI.
Talent Show
The last week of HSI hosts a talent show for students to show off their diverse skills. Many talented performers take the stage and perform for their fellow campers.
Advice for
Future Scholars
Greg Butcher
HSI 1994
TTake advantage of the opportunity. Don’t go in with a lot of preconceived notions. Meet as many people as you can. Engage in all of
ake advantage of every opportunity the program provides you. Don’t be scared to try something just because you’ve never tried it before. With my current students I use the analogy; try on hats. Some of them are going to be ugly and you’re never going to want to
Make friends. Be vulnerable. Be yourself. “ “
Ann Anderson Berry HSI 1988
the activities. Go to the social events. Make friends. Be vulnerable. Be yourself. And you’ll take away a lot from the experience and it will impact your life.
wear them again, but you might find one you didn’t really like but fits you perfectly and you’re never gonna want to take it off. And so HSI really gives you that opportunity, that if you are from a smaller town you may not have. It’s a really great experience, so make the most of it.
You’re just as good. You’re just as cool. You’re just as smart as all of these other folks who are in this program and don’t let anybody make you feel otherwise. “ “
Ty McNamee HSI 2006
The first is, take full advantage of the HSI experience. It is really cool, especially for a lot of us who are from small towns around Wyoming who don’t have as much college exposure as folks from bigger cities and suburban areas to be on a college campus to be around college professors to be around other students like you would be in college. If you can take advantage of all that, and just soak it all in, I think that would be a really helpful piece of advice. It’s three weeks soak it all in as much as you can. I remember thinking that everybody who came there from bigger schools already had friends, and already had people that they knew, and I remember feeling very lonely and left out the first few days. I would say to scholars now: it’s normal to feel that way. Introduce yourself, get to know other people, and slowly the relationships will start to form, and those can be, literally,
lifelong friendships. So, even though it may be lonely at the beginning, get out there and try to introduce yourself because it really will pay off in the end.
Then the last piece of advice is that I would just tell students that they matter. That they’re valued because in a bigger university like that, HSI is a smaller program, but you can sort of get lost in the middle of comparing yourself to other people, comparing yourself to people who’ve been to bigger schools or have had more resources or opportunities. But if you can take advantage of the HSI opportunity, you will succeed. I want you to know that you matter. I know that’s sort of like touch-feely, but it would have just helped if someone would have been like, “Yes, you’re just as good. You’re just as cool. You’re just as smart as all of these other folks who are in this program and don’t let anybody make you feel otherwise."
HSI: Made to Inspire
In the Navy, I ran nuclear reactors. And the school you go through in order to be able to do that is the most difficult school to pass in the entire Navy. It’s like the intellectual equivalent of going through SEAL training. And fewer people pass than get through SEAL training. So, on the first day of class, they did that thing where they say, ‘Alright, look at the man next to you, on your left, and on your right, and ahead of you, and behind you. Only one of the five of you is
going to survive this course. I was in the front row because I had learned to get in there and take charge, partly from HSI. There were only four people, one on my left, one on my right, and one behind. And sure enough, only one of us made it through the course, and it was the little old cowgirl from Wyoming. So, I know for sure my UW education was a good one, because those three other people, one was a Naval Academy graduate, one was from Yale, and one was from MIT.
Kate Hitchcock
HSI 1990
And sure enough, only one of us made it through the course, and it was the little old cowgirl from Wyoming. “
“
Storm Duncan HSI 1986
Iwent to Yale undergrad and then I went to Michigan grad school. While I was at grad school, some people that had previously graduated that had done investment banking came and spoke to us and it appealed to me. So, I thought, this will be a good career starter because it’s a field that’s horizontal, so you meet a lot of different CEOs of different companies, and different sectors. I thought, what a great way to one, start at the very upper echelon of the corporate world, but also learn a lot of different companies and sectors, et cetera. But then when I got into it, I figured out I was really good at it and so I stayed in it for quite a while. I own a couple different companies right now. So one is my primary [business] that I started recently, which is an investment bank. We do advisory work for primarily technology and healthcare companies, so growth companies. We do mergers and acquisitions,
I think that was one of the aspects of it was the aspect that it pushed me to believe in myself and to believe I could do bigger and better things. “ “
advisory, and then private capital raise advisory. And then I also have a small and growing real estate business doing residential real estate.
During the first year [of HSI] there was a couple different things about it. I think one being identified as someone that was special relative to the general population because you’re just sitting there at school and yeah, you’re getting good grades, but you don’t think anything of it. But then when you aggregate the people across the state and put them in one place, you’re like, oh wow, this is unique. HSI was just so expansive for my mind at the time because I grew up on a ranch, I was a cowboy. And think of the concepts even math. I mean that was obviously good at school. So even as a math guy, it was pushing the boundaries of what I knew. So I’d say that was kind of the second aspect was just expanding your mind as well as your belief in yourself.
PCs: Planting Seeds
Emily Braunberger
HSI PC 2012 - 2015
The idea that it is in fact a 24 hour job. People have this idea that when the kids are in their classes, the PCs are just chilling. And it’s like, no, we were always hopping [from one thing to the next]. It was so nice when we could work it out and we could nap in shifts while the kids were in classes, because it’s exhausting. You’re always on call, they [HSI scholars] would come knock on your door at three in the morning because they had a bad dream
or they’re having anxiety. PCs have to be able to give it their all. That idea that it’s 24 hours even on your days off. The emotional impact the kids will have on the PCs is often overlooked as well. Kids will say like, oh, you changed my life. And I’m like, baby, you changed mine.
I’m still in contact with so many of the kids that I had over the years, and so it was a meaningful experience when I was a kid and it was more meaningful when I was an adult.
PC Emily Braunberger (center, 1st row)
Hunter JetkoskiDeFries (center, 3rd row) - HSI 2012
It was the first time I really got to get out of my bubble. I think growing up in Wyoming, we are just in our one little town and don’t get to diversify ourselves too often. So I loved coming to HSI and meeting so many different walks of life and people with different backgrounds. That made me really start to open my eyes to who I wanted to be as a
person. So, I loved that experience. I wanted to come back and give that to other students at that age. I also had an amazing PC, Emily Braunberger. I absolutely adored her. I think all of our PCs were honestly awesome, but Emily I really bonded with. I wanted to come back and give that lifelong mentorship to a few handful of students that I got with Emily.
Hunter Jetkoski- DeFries
HSI PC 2018 - 2021
Ithink it’s really important for the youth of university, well, youth of high school students from Wyoming, because Wyoming, it’s the 10th biggest state, but it’s the least populated state. As somebody who has lived one moment, somebody who has lived away from Wyoming, away from the United States, I think it’s a good way to look back and see how there are moments where these students who come from small towns of five to 20 people in their graduating class or even bigger towns, but are able to make connections that would not be available if there was any other, because not many other
Ivan Sapien HSI PC 2022 - 2025
programs available for them to make connections statewide, especially with the interests and the background that these students share. So I think that this program does a big job with connecting those students with the same ideas, same backgrounds, same needs, to make a community, which will help them later on in life. Finding a community no matter where you are, is the most important thing to make sure that you have the people that share the same interests as you, who can support you, and you can have fun works. So I think that’s why I think HSI is the best one to work with students.
Michael Gonzalez (left) HSI PC 2014 - 2016, 2020 - 2024
The main caveat to being a PC though at the end of the day, is the impact it has on me. I think it’s just a reminder that you can help and you can influence and provide some guidance. At the end of the day, [you’re] a big, big change and a big, big help to them. I think the role that you have as a PC plays such an influential role to them. Really setting that foundation and that relationship with them, I think it is one thing
that we kind of have overlooked. Finding and meeting people that helped represent me, but also along that was making such a strong group of friends. At the end of the day, you could easily say that almost everybody that went to HSI was one of your new future best friends. So to me, HSI was getting to make a bunch of friends, and that’s what really influences me into becoming a PC and helping these kids find the same thing.
The emotional impact the kids will have on the PCs is often overlooked as well. Kids will say like, oh, you changed my life. And I’m like, baby, you changed mine. “ “
Directing the Legacy
IDt was an incredible experience because it’s so positive when you’re working with students that are really experiencing the world for the first time and growing so much and you see them practically 24 hours a day for three weeks and get to know people individually, get to understand who they are as they’re reaching out and growing. It’s just really fulfilling. It’s one of the, happiest roles that I’ve done.
Chris Rothfuss
Most positive inspiring roles that I’ve had and something that I look forward to every year knowing that it is going to be a ridiculous grind. It’s so much work doing HSI. It’s exhausting for those three weeks, but there’s just so much positivity and so much happiness associated with it. It always just fills you up with positive energy every time you walk into a room full of students that are HSI scholars. I loved it every day.
HSI Director 2017-2021
irecting HSI has been one of the most defining chapters of my professional journey—one that impacted my life on every level. Personally, it grounded me. Watching students step into new experiences, take risks, and gain confidence reminded me of the core reason I chose education: to support young people as they discover who they are and what they’re capable of. Professionally, HSI shaped the way I lead. It pushed me to communicate more clearly, collaborate more intentionally, and mentor with both purpose and humility. It reaffirmed my belief that when we create equitable and transformative learning spaces, students rise to the moment—and beyond it.
Looking ahead, I hope HSI continues to evolve while holding fast to its
deepest values. I imagine continued outreach to underrepresented communities across Wyoming, stronger alumni engagement, and intentional bridges between the program and the broader academic ecosystem of the university. Most importantly, I hope HSI always remains a space where students feel safe, seen, supported, and inspired to dream boldly.
To every current or future HSI student: lean in. Be curious. Be kind. And don’t be afraid to be yourself. You were selected with intention—this is your time to explore, to ask big questions, and to connect with others who are also growing and learning. And remember— HSI is not a moment you leave behind. It is a community you carry with you. Once HSI, always HSI.
Duncan Harris
A comment from Janice Harris on her late husband Duncan’s experience with HSI:
Of the many tasks Duncan Harris assumed when he became Director of the Honors Program at UW, one of his favorites was directing the High School Summer Institute between 1998 and 2014. Nationwide, one goal of these programs was to recruit prospective students. Duncan was motivated by a complementary goal. Pure and simple, it was the goal of extending hospitality. Regardless of where they chose to further their education, young people from Meeteetse, Lusk, Rock Springs – wherever – were being invited to spend a few weeks living
on the Laramie campus, diving into intellectually challenging courses, getting to know UW professors, and making new friends. And come back for reunions. Duncan grew up in Los Angeles but spent every summer of his youth with his grandparents in Thermopolis. He loved Wyoming, its small towns, its people. He became lifelong friends with many HSI participants. Would he be delighted at the 40th anniversary of the program? Indeed he would. Congratulations to the program, its past and current directors and faculty, and its generations of alums.
The first night of each summer session, I met with the entire group of 100 students. I told them the HSI was to be a safe place for them to explore and expand ~ to step out of the boxes they might have felt trapped in at their high school. Because there were no grades in the classes, they could enjoy the love of learning with no pressure. Those who never had done sports could learn and play games with the talented staff in the evenings. Because many students were from small Wyoming towns, I challenged them to reach out
to get to know each other. At the end of the first session, many students told me they had undertaken new activities and become best friends with students they would have judged negatively in their home schools. As they tearfully said goodbye to their new friends, I could see they had benefited from the connection with many other wonderful Wyoming sophomores. Later that first summer I received a letter from a grandmother who told me her grandson had blossomed into a more open and thoughtful person.
Brain Games
Across
First word in the title given to staff members who supervise and counsel students at HSI
Name of the dormitory HSI scholars currently reside in
An HSI tradition that took scholars away from home base to Colorado
The grade level of students eligible to apply for HSI
The duration, in weeks, of the HSI program
The number of years the HSI has been running or the number of hidden apples in this magazine
The city where HSI is held each summer
The year HSI was founded, informally
In recent years, HSI has taken place during this month
Down
A fun and social evening activity HSI tradition, involving students special skills
The dining hall where HSI participants have their meals
One of the STEM subjects previously offered at HSI, involving automated machines
The state from which HSI participants are selected
The building where HSI students reside during the program
Stage weapon used in the previous HSI humanities subject, Stage Combat where students learned to act out a fight scene
EVERYTHING HSI WORD SEARCH
Everything HSI
Find the following words in the puzzle. Words are hidden and .
APPLE TREE
DOWNEY
FISHBOWL
HOT SPRINGS
HSI
PREXY’S PASTURE
PROFESSOR DINNERS ROCKIES
SARATOGA
SCAVENGER HUNT
TALENT SHOW UNION VEDAUWOO WASHAKIE WYOMING
HSI MAD LIB: WELCOME TO HSI
When I first arrived at HSI, I had no idea what to expect. My suitcase was full of (plural noun) and way too many (clothing item, plural). The first person I met was my PC (name), who greeted me with a huge (noun) and said, “Get ready for the most (adjective) three weeks of your life!”
That morning, we did a(n) (adjective) icebreaker that involved (verb ending in “-ing”) and way too much (silly substance). I wasn’t sure if I was (emotion) or just (emotion)
Created using Word Search Generator on Super Teacher Worksheets (www.superteacherworksheets.com)
By dinner, I had already made (number) new friends and discovered I loved (random Washakie food) more than I expected. That night, as I lay in bed, I whispered to myself, “This is going to be one (adjective) summer.”
Rooted in Generosity
Celebrating the Impact of Giving
At the heart of the High School Institute (HSI) is a community built on generosity—of time, of wisdom, and of resources. For 40 years, HSI has flourished because of the many individuals who believe in the power of education to change lives. Thanks to the support of donors and alumni, we’ve been able to offer a life-changing experience to hundreds of young scholars from across Wyoming—many of whom wouldn’t have had this opportunity otherwise.
Donor support directly funds scholarships for students with financial need, covers basic necessities, provides access to hands-on learning opportunities, ensures on-site mental health support, and enriches the overall experience with transformative activities. In 2025, we are excited to continue to expand this impact even further.
“Receiving an HSI scholarship gave me more than just access— it gave me confidence. Someone believed in my potential before I even fully understood it myself… Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience this (lifechanging program).”
— Keira, HSI 2023
Whether you’re an alum, a parent, a mentor, or a friend of HSI, your gift—no matter the size—can help open the doors to life-changing experiences.
How Your Gift Helps:
$20 covers meals for a scholar on a field trip day, supporting their educational experience
$100 covers essential dorm necessities for a scholar with financial needs, offering comfort and stability
$300 funds a class dinner with their professors, strengthening mentorship and academic connections
$500 provides the Thunderground Studio recording experience for an entire class, encouraging creativity and collaboration
$1000 supports on-site mental health services by a licensed professional during the Institute, promoting wellness and emotional support
Scan to learn more about giving to HSI
$2000 sponsors one additional student to participate in HSI, opening doors to transformative educational opportunities
As we celebrate 40 years of impact, we invite you to plant the seeds of possibility for the next 40. When you give to HSI, you’re not just donating—you’re shaping futures.
A Note from the Editor
The 40th Anniversary of HSI presented a unique opportunity to create this magazine as part of my Honors Minor Capstone. As an HSI alumna myself, I was elated to get the chance to take on this project and give back to HSI. Over the course of about nine months, this magazine came to life through a great deal of time, effort, and dedication. It began with gathering content—reaching out to HSI alumni for interviews and sifting through forty years of photos to help tell the story. Once the material was collected, the focus shifted to design.
This magazine is an entirely original creation, with the design process alone taking about four months. While I received valuable feedback and editorial support along the way, the vision and execution were my own.
I’m incredibly proud of this project and delighted to share it with fellow HSI alumni as part of this special anniversary.
Thank you, Kanilehua Miller
@hsiconnect
@hsiconnect
