Change people's lives at home and around the world
February 2015
Raised in Australia, Raife Campbell learned at an early age the tools of the trade and the value of physical labor while working alongside his father and grandfather. After high school he earned his electrician certificate and began pursuing a career.
Then two factors changed his life’s course. The first was that his 70-year-old maternal Grandad Malcolm, after a lifetime of hard physical labor, “decided to do something different” and registered for university social science courses. His example helped Raife later realize that maybe he should gain more education too.
The second was Raife’s experience as a missionary in the Samoa Apia Mission. His companions planned to attend college after their missions, which was a different mind-set from that of his friends at home. This influenced Raife, and he felt a strong prompting to register for college.
Initially uncomfortable with the prompting, he sought advice from his mission president, Elder O. Vincent Haleck, who currently serves as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. Elder Haleck encouraged him to attend a special BYU-Hawaii recruitment fireside for returned missionaries. President Steven C. Wheelwright spoke that night, and Raife knew that BYU-Hawaii was where he would be going next.
Recalling his initial hesitations to attend a university, Raife observed:
For the majority of my life I’ve undersold myself. I believed I couldn’t read a book or study and learn. At first I was scared to come here, but I came. I’ve learned so much about myself, the gospel, and my studies. I’ve learned that everybody has dreams, hopes, and beliefs. Everybody has the potential to change the world, especially the world around us. Here at BYU-Hawaii we are all striving to realize our potential.
Discovering this ability to learn and grow has been exciting for Raife. “I didn’t understand my potential,” he said. “Learning who you are - knowing who you are -allows you to become a tool in Heavenly Father’s hands.”
While on campus Raife has developed his talents in business, and in spring 2015 he will graduate with two business degrees - in human resource and organizational behavior as well as operations and supply chain management - and a minor in organizational behavior. He also met his future wife, Aoi Hara, from Japan, at BYU-Hawaii. Following their marriage they are planning to attend BYU in Provo, where Raife will earn an MBA in organizational behavior/human resource management.
None of this would have been possible without the support Raife received at BYU-Hawaii from faculty, staff, and donors.
“What do I say to donors who gave me the opportunity to come here and who help this school accomplish its mission?” said Raife. “I promise to do the same. I promise to do whatever I can to be as successful as possible so I can give money back to the school. That’s the only thing I could do to say thank you.”
When you support the IWORK initiative at BYU-Hawaii, you are an instrument in the Lord’s hands, assisting students in their own journeys of discovery.
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Kazu, a BYU-Hawaii student from Japan, struggled to learn English as a high school student. His desire to attend BYU–Hawaii motivated him to study hard, and he finished in the top of his class. Now he is enjoying opportunities he didn’t imagine were possible.
Meet Siniteke Fotu, an IWORK student from Tonga. As the oldest of 11 children, Teke has been the example for her younger siblings by finishing high school, serving a full-time mission, and attending college. Her father is a humble farmer, but she is able to attend BYU-Hawaii thanks to support from generous donors. After graduating she plans to return home and work in government.”
RJ, a BYU-Hawaii IWORK student from the Philippines, went from imitating artwork from Church magazines to studying art in Paris and New York thanks to scholarships and internships.
