Ginofa Shirai and his girlfriend sit quietly together in a rare moment of calm. Both students are trying to figure out what the future holds after high school graduation, a common conundrum for Pacific Island and Native Hawaiian students, whose college going rates have plummeted in Oregon over the last dozen years. Some Pacific Islander students are hesitant to enroll in college, their teachers say, because they are reluctant to leave the familiar confines of their communities and venture into spaces where few people share their traditions. The field trip to Portland State to watch a Pacific Island style dance performance is an effort to show them that their culture thrives at the downtown Portland university. Click the link in our bio to read more Photo by Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian #portland #Oregon #PacificIslander #Hawaiian