An Education That Offers Opportunities and Perspective

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*Translation provided by the Mid-Pacific Student Translator Committee:
Kosuke Doyama (Crosby), Rina Doyama, Riko Hashimoto, Hina Hayashi, Harang Kim, Kokoro Kuramochi, Jaegu Lee (Tony), Shuang Liang (Archer), Jia Liang Lin (Kai), Youngje Park, Junsei Tanizaki, Sydney Woolley

WHEN MIKE AND JOANNE WOOD committed $1.5 million to Mid-Pacific earlier this year to serve as seed money for a new track and field complex, they hoped that alumni and other Mid-Pacfic ‘ohana would grab the baton and help the school get it to the finish line. “For those who would like to join the Wood ‘ohana in our support, I know that Mid-Pacific would be happy to hear from you,” said Wood, who was a standout track and field athlete at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, California, and continued success at the University of California, Berkeley. “A state-of-the-art track and field complex will raise the bar for all athletics at Mid-Pacific, and Joanne and I are honored to be able to provide the support to help make this happen. Athletes from all sports can use this facility in their off-season, and Mid-Pacific track and field athletes can train on campus, as well as host meets through this initiative. As a former four-sport athlete, I believe in the power of athletics to build teamwork, camaraderie, perseverance, and so many other important qualities to be successful in life.”

Recent Mid-Pacific graduate and 1500 meter state champion Parker Wagnild ’22 echoed their thoughts. “Athletics influenced my life because it gave me confidence and let me believe in myself, as well as helped me to make friends at different schools,” says Wagnild, whose trophy case boasts a state championship gold medal in the 1500, a state championship silver medal in the 3000, three ILH championships in the 1500 and 3000 meter, four MVPs in cross country and the Don Botelho award. Taking up her mantle as a track superstar is Destiny Look ’26 who ranked first in the country in the 300 meter hurdles in her age group last year. “Training is hard right now because we don’t have a track on campus, so sometimes we have to take the bus out to Kaiser, where we still have to share the track,” says Look, who also took home gold last year at Intermediate ILH championships in the 100 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, and the 4×400 relay. “It’s hard to practice hurdles on grass and without the proper measurement of the track. I do know for sure that this new track at Mid-Pacific will definitely help with the school training for all of the track and field events.”

The initial concepts of a new, multi-million-dollar Track and Field complex, built on the current soccer field, were developed prior to the pandemic. With this extremely generous gift from Mike and Joanne Wood and other subsequent six-figure donations from dedicated supporters, Mid-Pacific leadership will begin work on architectural plans in the very near future led by the school’s Campus Planning and Design Director. This new facility will serve students in 7th through 12th grades and will instill a stronger sense of pride in Track and Field and Cross Country athletes, as well as the entire school community. “I am so thankful and grateful to Mike and Joanne Wood for this significant donation that sends a powerful message to our community about the importance Mid-Pacific places on participation in our athletics programs,” said Scott Wagner, Mid-Pacific Athletics Director. “This donation has already acted as a catalyst for other substantial donations, and this track complex will be transformational for our school and our community.” School president Dr. Paul Turnbull sees it as the dawn of a new era as Mid-Pacific enters its second century serving the children of the Islands. “At Mid-Pacific, we value community and the strength of relationships between faculty and students as one of the most important elements of the experience here. Athletics plays a large part in providing students access to a large and inclusive team atmosphere,” said Turnbull. “This donation is evidence of the individuals, families and friends who truly believe in our community, and in the vision of Mid-Pacific. They understand where we are going and believe in the benefits of deeper learning. This groundswell of support also indicates our evolution as a school. We were founded by visionaries over a century ago and now our next round of visionaries—from the Board of Trustees to teachers, students and families—are part of an incredibly exciting time of disruption and change in education. Mid-Pacific is a leader within that change, which means that our students will be the beneficiaries years from now.”