Ariel Pakela Cabrera

Ariel Pakela Cabrera is part of the custodial family at Lahainaluna. Soft-spoken and caring, Pakela, as he’s called, is a former Lahainaluna student who ensures the school grounds and classrooms are clean and that the environment is conducive to learning.

One of his favorite memories from Lahainaluna is the lip sync battles. “Our class was pretty good, but we still lost to the seniors,” he laughed, adding that the seniors always seem to win due to their experience.

Pakela has fond memories of the teachers at Lahainaluna. “The teachers made it fun. They were lenient but also made sure you got your work done and earned good grades,” he said. He recalled having good grades, with his highest GPA being around 3.6. “I was a naughty boy, but I did my work,” he admitted.

Despite being a handful, he managed to complete his assignments and graduate.

He reminisced about his freshman year, describing how large the school felt compared to the intermediate school. “I got lost all day. At one point, I sat in a class for about 10 minutes and wasn’t even supposed to be there,” he laughed, noting that the teacher didn’t notice his mistake.

The most challenging part of Pakela’s job is dealing with “naughty kids” who create messes or graffiti. Additionally, he finds cutting and maintaining the grass to be a tedious task. Cleaning the cafeteria is also important to him, as he believes “kids need a clean environment to eat in.”

Before the birth of his one-year-old daughter, Pakela enjoyed fishing for octopus and riding his dirt bike on weekends. Now, he prefers to spend time with her, saying, “I like to spend time with her the most.” He noted that, like him, his daughter is a handful. Pakela’s goal in life is to provide for his family.

Pakela's message to Lahainaluna students is to “enjoy your high school years. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There is no going back, only forward. So make the most of your high school years.” He explained that in high school, students don’t have to worry about adult responsibilities. “With school, you can miss a day or two, but with work, you gotta go to work.”

His hope for Lahainaluna is to see “all the kids enjoying life and finishing off strong.” “This is mainly why we do it,” he said, referring to himself and the other staff on campus. “We do it for the kids here.”