900 Toys and a Very Hot Day: HTA Kona's PAAC Club Year in Review
It was hot. That's the first thing Jada noted about the PAAC + HPD Walmart Toy Drive. "The toy drive was AWESOME. It was super hot but great!" The second thing: over 900 toys donated to kids in need for the holidays.
For a 12-person club on the Big Island, that's not a small thing.
Small Club, Big Island
Hawaii Technology Academy Kona's PAAC Club meets every other Thursday — in person, online, or both, depending on the week. President Jadalyn Valentin led a team of six officers and six members through a year that was, by their own description, tight-knit by design. When you're a smaller club, every person in the room matters a little more.
"We felt included even though we weren't as big as other clubs might have been," the report notes — a quiet acknowledgment that PAAC's statewide community made room for them, and they showed up for it.
900 Toys
The PAAC + HPD Walmart Toy Drive was the year's signature community project, and the number speaks for itself: 900-plus toys collected and donated to children in need for the holidays. Member Brendon reflected that the drive was "nice meeting the officers and seeing everyone care for the kids" — the kind of observation that only lands when you mean it.
Noah ran point on a different effort: the Halloween Movie Night Fundraiser. "I was in charge of the funds for the movie night and I had an amazing time planning and helping with this project." It's a small detail that points to something larger — a club where members are trusted with real responsibility and rise to it.
PAAC Programs
LEAD Summit: Only two members attended this year — Jada and Masi — but the smaller group turned out to be the point. "Best summit ever," Jada wrote. "It seemed to be a much smaller group than last year but I think that helped build relationships." Masi agreed: "Super fun! Even though it was just Jada and me, I had a fun time. I want to do it again!"
Global Vision Summit: Midori represented HTA Kona at GVS 2025, engaging with the AI in the Pacific simulation. "It was cool learning about the global impacts AI has, especially in the Pacific. It was also fun speaking on the mic while I was there." Speaking on the mic, for the record, is not required — which makes it notable that she did.
Academic WorldQuest: Jada returned for her second year of AWQ with a clear-eyed self-assessment: "This year's AWQ was a lot more difficult than last year. I studied more this year which I am proud of!" Progress measured not by placement but by preparation — that's the right metric.
Learning About Palau (With Some Local Context)
The club's Palau lesson landed differently for one member. Jack noted: "I used to live in Palau so this was a nice refresher in learning about the connections and environment." That kind of firsthand knowledge in the room — a student who actually grew up in one of PAAC's focus countries — is something you can't manufacture. Brendon, who had been uncertain about Palau as a focus, came away with a new perspective. Masi loved the videos.
Room to Grow
HTA Kona's report is honest about where the club wants to go. Recruitment could expand beyond members — more open events, potlucks, opportunities for curious students to walk in and see what PAAC is before committing. It's the right instinct. A club that does 900-toy drives and Halloween fundraisers and sends members to speak on mics at GVS has something worth showing off.
Next year, more people should get to see it.
Hawaii Technology Academy Kona PAAC Club, led by President Jadalyn Valentin, participated in the PAAC + HPD Walmart Toy Drive, Halloween Movie Night Fundraiser, LEAD Summit, Global Vision Summit, and Academic WorldQuest during the 2025–2026 school year.
