I found professors and students who cared about making positive changes in the world...

Growing up in a working-class, single-parent household taught Gracie Mukai the importance of determination and perseverance. She has put these skills to use at Pacific. With majors in business and sociology, Gracie is developing a senior thesis that explores college students' credit card debt.

"As a first year student, the enthusiasm of the professors in the Business and Economics department sparked my interest in business.  I found the material presented in class to be applicable to many real world scenarios. My sophomore year was a presidential election year which meant that a lot of different social issues were brought into conversations. At the time, my friends were taking sociology classes and talking about how sociology helped them see social issues differently. I knew that was something I wanted to be a part of and after taking some sociology courses, I felt like I had found professors and students who cared about making positive changes in the world."

Like many college students, Gracie was undecided about her major when she started at Pacific.Gracie decided to double major in business and sociology, and in the fall of 2007, she was inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honor society.

"Throughout my career at Pacific, I have become more independent. When I left home, I felt like it was time for me to mature and make decisions for myself instead of having my parents carve a future for me. Being here at Pacific has made me a more responsible adult. I have learned how to apply for jobs, manage my finances, and find a balance between schoolwork and having fun.

Pacific's location has allowed me to visit the Oregon coast, snowboard at Mt. Hood, and go to Portland to visit museums or see my favorite bands. Pacific's Hawaii student population makes me feel at home, while meeting students from other places and backgrounds has helped me grow."