I learned of his passing through the speed of Twitter. Although I knew it was coming, I was still in shock. The man who revived and strengthened a once-dying company, led a fledgling animation studio and changed the game in the creative, marketing and tech industries, was gone.

Even though I didn’t know him personally, he had indirectly touched my life in many ways. My first job out of college was working at his company, via an Apple Store. Through my training at Cupertino HQ and my employment, I understood up close how the company ticked… and I created many friends along the way.

Jobs’s products enrich my life. I own a MacBook Pro, which I use for work and play. After my iPhone was stolen, I realized how it had vastly changed the way I used a mobile phone. (Fortunately, I got it back.) He changed the way I listened to and consumed music – and as a music fanatic, this is a big deal. And he led Pixar, the film studio who’d produce modern classics like Toy Story, Finding Nemo and my personal favorite, Up.

As a senior at HPU, I chose Apple for my advertising case study. Through a multimedia presentation and a paper, I broke down the brilliance of the company’s marketing and creative.

Most important, he was responsible for the operating system and applications where I’d learned how to edit videos, create publications and ultimately tell stories digitally. To say that I wouldn’t be where I am today because of him would be giving him too much credit, but he played a significant role in providing the tools to get me here.

Last night, as I made my way to meet up with old Apple friends at Ala Moana, I thought of Justin, my late friend and job training companion in Cupertino. With my iPhone, I left him a Facebook message:

“Give Uncle Steve a hug for me, will ya?”

Liberty – What a year you’ve had! I remember the first time I really heard you speak was during the partner introductions @ the beginning of the year; that’s also when I learned your birthdate!! (Happy July 4th, by the way.) You’ve been a joy to teach—a veritable sponge, soaking up so much. Continue to search for meaning and justice, + make this world better. And… keep playing music! Come visit next year.

♥ Aysta

P.S. Beastie Boys RULE! Ha! Ha!

P.P.S. Weezer, too!

Of course, “Aysta” is short for Asa Yamashita. And apparently, I was such a fangirl, she made it a point to mention my two favorite bands at the time in postscripts.

I have a few memories from Mrs. Yamashita’s freshman honors English class. I remember reading Romeo & Juliet and how she had us reword it with dialects of our choice. Imagine the class perform the play in pidgin English. She took a piece of Shakespearean literature, which, with its 16th century language, would have meant nothing to us. But Yamashita found a way to make the story not only relevant, but engaging, entertaining, and memorable for us, as well. After all, we couldn’t translate the story if we didn’t understand it first.

The other memory I have of the class was, oddly enough, as much about life as it was about death. The assignment: 100 things to do before you die. I’m gonna rename that and call it “100 things to do in life.”

I wish I had kept my list. Maybe I’ll start making a new one. The first three line items will be from the yearbook message she left me.

I don’t know what Mrs. Yamashita would have written on her list. But judging from the turnout at tonight’s memorial for her at Waianae High School, I would say she accomplished more than 100 things in her life, as far as the number of lives she touched.

We’ll miss you, Mrs. Yamashita. Your legacy lives on.

This was my last week of classes, so final projects and such were due. Glad to get those out of the way. Next week is finals week, but fortunately I don’t have any finals to take. I do have to go to class on Monday for my advertising class, though. I also have to turn in my final project for photography: five prints of our best photos. I uploaded them here, actually. Let me know what you think. I have six uploaded because I can’t decide which one I should eliminate. I’ll probably just print all six and turn those in. These prints make up half of my grade—can you believe it? I think they’re among my best and I hope my professor agrees.

I have to wake up at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow to head over to Kahala Mall for my Apple training… so it’s off to bed for me. Here’s a video that may cheer you up:

Rest in peace, Deville.

Photo by Gregory Yamamoto – The Honolulu Advertiser

I didn’t know who Michael Tongg was until I had to help put together a video in his honor. He was an exceptional waterman who had a special connection with the sea. He won various canoe paddling championships, helped establish canoe paddling internationally, and played a vital role on the Hokule’a. He gave his time and energy to helping his community, through the Waikiki Community Center. And as a family lawyer, he represented hundreds of children and parents, and fostered over 50 children throughout his life.

Putting together Michael Tongg’s tribute video at work required, among other things, hours of listening to his peers talk about these qualities. The main message I took from making this video: Michael Tongg was a strong, positive person who took every challenge he faced with stride and confidence. He also inspired his peers to face life’s challenges. And I realize that Tongg, someone I had never heard of before, also inspires me to be a stronger person. Life, whether professionally or personally, often presents us with challenges. It’s up to us how to face them. I’d like to face them in the same way he did. With serenity. With strength. With confidence. Because in the end, you will become a stronger person for it.