Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 3, Number 7, 1 July 1986 — Rockne Freitas Talks Business [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Rockne Freitas Talks Business

Rockne Freitas, ehainnan of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees, presented Certificates of Accomplishment to 20 students of Mrs. Pauline Kaneta's eighth grade social studies class at The Kamehameha Schools recently following eomplehon of 14 weeks in Project Business, a program geared to educating youths about business, economics and the free enterprise system. OHA Eeonomie Development Officer James Moa volunteered his time as consultant whieh involved hours of preparation and teaching Mrs. Kaneta's class onee a week during the spring semester. Project Business is adivision of Junior Achievement ine., and is in its fifth year of providing an eeonomie education program for eighth and ninth grade social studies classes on both the public and private school campuses. Moa's involvement is the first representation for OHA in this program whieh has more than 200 such business consultants involved in introducing students to the principles and language of economics and business. Freitas, himself a Kamehameha graduate, former Detroit Lions standout, small businessman in several marine-related companies and associate athletic director at the University of Hawaii, talked a little about business and education. He breifly told the class how he invested his money in small businesses here following his playing days in the Nahonal Football League. "I put some money away, eame home to start some small businesses and worked real hard to make a go of it," Freitas remarked. The OH A chairman reminded his young audience it is always a risk to start or go into business but that every effort must go into making it a success. "We all should take ourselves as far as we ean; get all the expertise and knowledge you ean," he advised. He further declared it would be good to get all the practical, classroom and street education possible because they all eome in handy in any business endeavor. "It is similar in sports. Its not how good you play; just the fact you participate is important enough," he said. A little known fact about Freitas has been his eommunity involvement with alienated youths in Wahiawa where he counsels them two nights a week and teaches martial arts on Saturdays. Freitas proved himself a very responsive role model as the students gave him their undivided attention and relished the information given by Moa that he was a former star lineman in the NFL and a loeal businessman to boot. This creative Project Business program has been successful only through the efforts of men like Moa and organizations such as OHA and many more business who have offered both monetary and voluntary business consultants. More Hawaiian businesses are encouraged to join the program and provide volunteers. Project Business gives students a lively mix of discussions, eeonomie games, role playing and field trips where learning becomes a fascinating challenge for them. It is a program of the world's oldest privately funded eeonomie education organization.

Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Rockne Freitas, who is also board chairman, stands tall against blackboard with members of Mrs. Pauline Kaneta's eighth grade social studies class. Mrs. Kaneta and OHA Eeonomie Development Officer James Moa are pictured at far right.