Getting Their Hands Dirty: Radford High School's PAAC Club Year in Review
There's a moment in every PAAC Club year that defines what the club is actually about — not the meetings or the mission statement, but the moment when students show up for something bigger than themselves. For Radford High School's PAAC Club, that moment happened twice in a muddy field in Waipahu.
Building Something from the Ground Up
The Radford PAAC Club is small — 14 active members — and intentionally close-knit. Led by President Froy-Ian Mariano, the club met at least twice a month in their advisor's room, using lunch periods to catch up on PAAC news, campus events, and global happenings. It's a low-barrier, high-connection model that has kept the core group engaged throughout the year.
But the work that stuck with members most happened off campus.
GAPs in Waipahu: Life on Land
Radford's club completed two Global Action Projects (GAPs) with the Waipahu Agriculture Project, an initiative transforming overgrown land behind a local intermediate school into a productive lo'i — a sustainable plot growing fruits and vegetables for the surrounding community. The SDG tie-in: Life on Land.
The first GAP was officer-only. The second was open to all members who could make it out. Transportation turned out to be a real barrier — many students carpooled with Froy-Ian or coordinated rides from others — but the work itself was worth it.
"I like dig," said Rage Paras, summing up the experience with the kind of honesty only a PAAC Club report can surface.
What Froy-Ian describes goes deeper than that: members who came out left with a new appreciation for what it takes to cultivate land, to sustain a food system, to contribute to something that will outlast a Saturday morning. The project's organizers reinforced that message directly — a little help, they told students, really does go a long way.
Going forward, the club hopes to find GAP opportunities closer to Radford and Aliamanu to make participation easier for more members.
From Summit to Simulation
Radford showed up across PAAC's signature programs this year:
LEAD Summit & Workshop: Three students attended the LEAD Summit at Camp Erdman — Froy-Ian, Lance Abad, and Marc Cachero — with Marc and Anthea Felipe joining as trainees at the LEAD Workshop. Froy-Ian reflected on the Summit as a place where genuine connections formed across schools, where the guys in his cabin dropped their guards and became real to each other. "A lot of the guys grew a mutual understanding that everyone is not a 'square,'" he wrote. The Workshop added a WorldQuest simulation that gave the Radford team a preview of the competition.
Global Vision Summit: Froy-Ian attended GVS as the club's sole representative — a reminder that RSVPs matter. He came away with a sharper understanding of the diplomatic process: how regions negotiate, how agendas shape outcomes, and how progress can be harder than it looks even when everyone agrees on the goal.
Academic WorldQuest: Radford fielded a four-person team: Froy-Ian, Lance, Marc, and Rage Paras. By their own admission, they registered late and missed early study sessions. The result was a learning experience, not a trophy — but one they're already thinking about improving on next year.
A Club in Motion
Beyond the major events, the Radford club put real effort into building their identity. Early in the year, the officer team gathered at Pearlridge for a bonding outing and photoshoot — images that became the first post on the club's Instagram page, a small but meaningful signal that this group was taking itself seriously.
"MANNY PAAC-QIAO IS MY GOAT," declared member Antonio Mattone, a quote that needs no additional editorial comment.
"I like that we do community service and talking to other members during club meetings," added Rage Paras.
Honest Reflections
What's striking about Radford's year-end report is its self-awareness. Froy-Ian writes openly about what worked and what didn't — recruitment tapered off after the initial club rush; WorldQuest prep fell short; GVS attendance could have been stronger. There's also a genuine concern on the horizon: their advisor may be leaving, and Froy-Ian is already thinking about how to introduce PAAC to other Radford teachers so the club doesn't lose its home base.
This is exactly the kind of thinking PAAC hopes to cultivate — students who understand systems, see around corners, and take ownership of what they've built.
The Radford PAAC Club dug in this year — literally and figuratively. We can't wait to see what they grow next.
Radford PAAC Club is led by President Froy-Ian Mariano. The club participated in two GAP projects, LEAD Summit, LEAD Workshop, Global Vision Summit, and Academic WorldQuest during the 2025–2026 school year.
