After years of living and working for HP and Ariba, Inc. in Silicon Valley, local boy Kevin Kawahara got a chance to not only come home to raise his family in the islands, but also to continue a rewarding career in the technology industry. It was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

Now he’s a part of a world-class institution, working as Punahou School’s Technical Solutions Manager. He came on board just as the school was transitioning their IT department from a basic support organization to one that develops and delivers solutions to meet the needs of the school’s board and larger community.
Technology is what Kawahara is all about. His interest in technology began in childhood when he would play home computer games and anything else he could get his hands on. A friend lent him a 300 Baud modem, which got him online at the forefront of the Internet computing craze.

In high school at Pearl City, Kawahara’s teacher, Kelvin Chun, who was teaching one of the few computer science classes in public schools in Hawaii at the time, helped to cultivate Kawahara’s interest in computers and technology — an interest that Kawahara says has become not only his career but part of his life.

Pacific News Bytes sat down to speak with Kawahara about his role in Hawaii’s high-tech world … 

Q: Tell us a little about your background.

A: I was born and raised in Pearl City and I attended public school all the way (Momilani Elementary, Highlands Intermediate, Pearl City High School and UH Manoa, where I received a BS in Computer Science). After graduation from UH, I moved to the Bay Area, (Silicon Valley) to work for HP.  From there, I went to a start up (Alliente) that was eventually acquired by Ariba, Inc.  After 10 years in CA, I moved back to Hawaii to work at Punahou and raise my family. I’m married to my wife, Jodi, Director of Employment for Sheraton Hotels Waikiki, and we have a three year old daughter, Payton.

Q: What was the best life lesson you’ve learned?

A: You can’t worry about losing.  With all the challenges we face every day, all you can do is do your best work, give your best effort and learn to make the best choices you can.  Avoiding the tough jobs (or choosing the easiest ones), gets you nowhere.  You still hope to win at everything you do, but if there isn’t even a chance at losing or failing, then it’s probably not worth doing for very long.  Ambition and risk are tied closely together.

Q: Who is your biggest influence? Why?

A: I’m lucky enough to have had many great influences.  My entire extended family is a wealth of inspiration.  One thing everyone has in common, and which my Dad really embodies, is just the value of hard work.  Dad works hard! He still has two jobs!  And the payoff is when you want or need something, you can make it happen.  I didn’t understand it for a long time, but there is no better feeling than making a dream into a reality for my wife and daughter.

Q: Why did you accept this job at Punahou School?