The primary purpose of his visit was to participate in the rededication ceremony of Outer Island High School on Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll, on Sept. 22.
A 20-man Pacific Unity team comprised of U.S. Air Force airmen and U.S. Navy Seabees spent approximately three months repairing broken windows, doors, walls and roofs, inserting wiring, lighting and painting the high school facility.
During his remarks at the dedication ceremony, Prahar noted the lagoon’s historical significance as the gathering point for over 600 U.S. Navy vessels in preparation for the 1945 Battle of Okinawa.
“As remarkable as that scene must have been,” he noted, “the unbroken relationship that has endured between the U.S. and the people of Ulithi Atoll over the past sixty-five years is perhaps even more remarkable.”
Prahar joined the Pacific Unity team in hoping that OIHS continues “to represent the value that [you place] on education…to be an anchor of your community…. [and] that the graduates of this school continue to draw on its traditions and history and that they find those memories a source of strength as they go about their lives in the hectic world of the 21st century.”
He then offered words of advice for the school’s stakeholders. He encouraged the community to take care of the school and take an active role in the school’s activities, the parents to demand and pursue excellence from the public school system, the teachers to renew their dedication to their careers and student achievement, and the administration to demonstrate the leadership vital to success. Lastly, he urged students to “take away as much as possible from this school. You won’t regret it.”
Yap Gov. Sebastian L. Anefal thanked the U.S. fovernment for undertaking the school renovation project, with special recognition for the Pacific Unity team who devoted the time and energy to realize the restoration.
The governor challenged faculty and students to capitalize on the “fine facilities” in order to enhance the educational experience and reaffirm OIHS’ reputation as “Best in the Western Pacific.”
