Wall of Fame

WALL OF FAME

Criteria: The purpose of the Konawaena High School Wall of Fame recognizes outstanding graduates for their
achievements and contributions. The Wall of Fame program aims to instill pride in Konawaena High School and
to encourage and motivate students to set and reach their highest goals and dreams. To see the complete
list of crtieria click the following Wall of Fame Criteria.pdf

To Nominate someone meeting the criteria above, please download Nomination Form, fill out, and email to us:
Wall of Fame Nomination Form.pdf

Albert Akana - Class of 1925, was one of five members of the first graduating class of Konawaena High School. He was a teacher and an administrator. Mr. Akana has been credited with starting the Saturday May Day and Ho'olaule'a at Honaunau Elementary School.

Sgt 1st Class Rodney Yano, Class of 1961, was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the military’s highest decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously for his brave actions in the Vietnam War in a damaged helicopter that saved the lives of the others on board the helicopter.

Emiko Iwashita Kudo, Class of 1940, was instrumental in securing federal funds to purchase equipment and develop vocational educational programs at Konawaena High and Intermediate Schools in the early 1970’s.

Dr, Unoji Goto, Class of 1939, was the first Japanese physician to join the Honolulu Medical Group. He introduced cardiac cauterization to Hawaii. He was a member of a cardiac team that performed the first open heart surgery in Hawaii in 1959.

Minoru Inaba, Class of 1925, was one of the five members of the first graduating class of Konawaena High School. He returned to serve as teacher, vice principal and baseball coach at the Konawaena High School for 38 years. The school’s baseball field is named in his honor. After retirement from the DOE, he went on to serve five terms in the State House of Representatives.

Glenna Kimura Ewing, Class of 1936, was a registered nurse and director of nurses for Kona Community Hospital. In 2000, she was selected as a recipient of the Living Treasures of Hawaii having demonstrated continuous growth in her field, made significant contributions toward a more humane society, and an on-going commitment to striving for excellence and a high level of accomplishment

Ellison Onizuka, Class of 1964, was selected for the astronaut program in 1978. His first space mission took place on January 24, 1985 onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. In 1985 Ellison was assigned to the mission on the Space Shuttle Challenger. On January 28, 1986 the Challenger was destroyed after its launch, killing all onboard. At the time of his death, Ellison held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force.

Koji Ariyoshi, Class of 1932, was a teacher at the University of Hawai`i in the Ethnic Studies Department. In 1976, the Hawai`i Legislature honored Ariyoshi for his life’s work. An annual award in his name was established by the US-China People’s Friendship Association to honor an outstanding figure in promoting US-China friendship.

Francis Sogi, Class of 1941, was an international attorney and served as Chairman of the Board of the Japanese American National Museum and later as Emeritus Trustee. Emperor Akihito of Japan awarded Mr. Sogi with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, the most widely conferred Japanese order recognizing those who have made distinguished achievements in research fields, business industries, healthcare, social work, state/local government fields or the improvement of life for handicapped/impaired persons. In 2004 Mr. Sogi published his memoirs, “Riding the Kona Wind.”

William Van Osdol, Class of 1983, who is more commonly known as Billy V is a news and entertainment reporter for radio and television. He is also a TV host and owner of his own production company, BVO Enterprises. Billy V’s voice is well known and loved. He has contributed much to promoting Hawaii throughout the islands and beyond.

Dr. Naleen Andrade, Class of 1972, is a professor with the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine. She is a leader in the field of Psychiatry and has served on multiple state and national boards. She is the former President of the American College of Psychiatrists, and as a mentor to several psychiatrists around the nation and around the world.

Eric Yeaman, Class of 1985, began his career at Arthur Anderson LLP in 1989. Since then he has served as the head of 9 different companies. He served as President and COO of First Hawaiian, Inc.; President and COO of First Hawaiian Bank; CFO, Treasurer and VP at Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.; COO and Senior VP at Hawaiian Electric Co., Hawaiian Telcom Communications, Queens Health Systems; and COO and CFO for Kamehameha Schools.

Patrick Shane Dorian, Class of 1990, spent 11 years touring on the World Championship Tour as a professional surfer. Since 1995, Dorian has directed the Shane Dorian Keiki Classic for surfers 17 and under at Kona’s own Banyans surf break. Dorian designed surfing’s first “safety suit” to be inflated with a CO2 cartridge in a wetsuit vest and helped develop the final product that is capable of surfacing a trapped underwater surfer.

Bobbie Awa, class of 1985, has been the head girls basketball coach at Konawaena High School beginning in 2001. She has led her team to numerous state titles. Awa was named USA Today All-Hawaii Coach of the Year three times and she also served as a court coach for the 2018 USA Basketball Women’s U17-World Cup Team Trials.

Hiroki Morinoue, Class of 1965, is the co-founder of and artistic director of Holualoa Foundation for Arts and Culture. His work has shown widely in the United States and Japan. Hiroki has completed several major public art commissions. In 1996 he was designated a Living Treasure of Hawaii by the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

Sgt. 1st Class Reymund R. Transfiguracion, Class of 2001, gave his life for his country when he died from injuries caused by an IED explosion in Afghanistan. SFC Transfiguracion was described as an outstanding soldier, humble and he had a sense of humor. In his youth, SFC Transfiguracion dreamed of being a Green Beret and he worked hard to achieve his dream. SFC Transfiguracion is an outstanding model of hard work, determination, and selflessness

Ronald Ibarra, Class of 1965, is a former chief judge of the Third Circuit Court of Hawaii. He was appointed to this court in 1989 and retired in June 2017. He was the first deputy prosecutor to staff the Kona office, and later became the County’s Corporation Counsel and Managing Director after practicing with the law firm of Goodsill, Anderson, Quinn and Stifel. He was on active duty from 1970-72 as a First Lieutenant and later in the U.S. Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Eric Tatsuo Matsumoto, Class of 1977, was the 16th bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi, the state’s largest Buddhist denomination. He was the second youngest minister in the history of the mission to assume the title of bishop. Born and raised in Hōnaunau on Hawaiʻi Island, he has a master’s degree in Shin Buddhism from Ryukoku University of Kyoto, Japan and is a recipient of the Crown Price Akihito Scholarship. On Oahu, he served as a minister of Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin and the Mōʻiliʻili Hongwanji on Oʻahu for over 10 years. He also served at Hawaiʻi Island temples in Paʻauilo, Honokaʻa, Waimea and Kohala for close to 9 years.

David L. Cunningham, Class of 1988, is an accomplished filmmaker, global traveler, and humanitarian. Shaped by a life of service, he has filmed in over 50 countries, telling stories of faith, perseverance, and justice. With a deep love for Hawai‘i, he has directed four feature films in the islands, including his first, Beyond Paradise, inspired by his years at Konawaena. His work—most recently The Wind & the Reckoning, the first major film in ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i—reflects both excellence and compassion, making him a role model who embodies the values Konawaena seeks to honor.

Honored Wall of Fame Recipients

Minoru Inaba
Albert Akana
Glenna Ewing
Dr. Unoji Goto
Emiko Kudo
Sgt. Rodney T. Yano
Col. Ellison Onizuka
Koji Ariyoshi - 2011
Billy "V" Van Osdol - 2015
Eric Yeaman - 2015
Francis Y. Sogi - 2016
Dr. Naleen Andrade - 2016
Shane Dorian - 2018
Bobbie Awa - 2019
Ronald Ibarra - 2020
Hiroki Morinoue - 2022
Sgt 1st Class Reymund R. Transfiguracion - 2023
Eric Tatsuo Matsumoto - 2024
David L. Cunningham - 2025

Class of 1925
Class of 1926
Class of 1936
Class of 1939
Class of 1940
Class of 1961
Class of 1964
Class of 1932
Class of 1983
Class of 1985
Class of 1941
Class of 1972
Class of 1990
Class of 1985
Class of 1965
Class of 1965
Class of 2001
Class of 1977
Class of 1988