Punahou Alumni Association

Letter from the PAA President

Aloha Punahou Alumni,

I hope this message finds you and your family safe and well!

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the chapters of the Punahou Alumni Association (PAA), it is my great honor to extend a warm aloha to all of our 30,000+ alumni members around the world. Whether you walked through our gates last year or five decades ago, whether you’re reading this from home here in Hawaiʻi or from a chapter city across the mainland, in Japan, or anywhere else your journey has taken you, you remain very much a part of our Punahou ‘ohana. The banyan tree, the lily pond, the friendships that somehow never seem to fade no matter how many years or miles separate us – these are the things that tie us together, and they’re worth celebrating together, too.

I’m excited for the year ahead, as PAA continues its mission to reach, connect and engage alumni both here at home and around the globe. Here in Hawaiʻi, we’ll kick things off with Dinner in the Buff (’n Blue), our signature fall gathering featuring alumni chefs from across the island, followed throughout the year by Bingo Night, our Alumni Golf Tournament, and other favorites that bring our island community together. Reunion Week and the Alumni Lūʻau will once again close out the year in style – if you’re celebrating a reunion, I hope you’re already making plans to be here.

One of the greatest gifts of being a Punahou alum is a community that stays with you for a lifetime. The PAA proudly celebrates these lifelong connections throughout the year. A mission close to my heart is bridging our remarkable network of distinguished leaders with young alumni who are poised on the threshold of their professional journeys. By launching a mentorship program, we can pass down real-world wisdom from accomplished industry leaders to the next generation, enduringly extending the Punahou legacy. Stay tuned for exciting opportunities to connect through mentorship!

Beyond Hawaiʻi, our eight regional chapters – spanning the U.S. and Japan – remain the heartbeat of our extended alumni community, home to nearly half of our alumni worldwide. This year, I’m committed to supporting our chapter leaders and the events the events in their region, so that no matter where life has taken you, there’s a way to gather with fellow alumni and stay close to home. If you’re part of a chapter already, thank you for keeping the spirit alive in your community. If you’ve recently relocated or haven’t yet connected, I hope you’ll reach out - we’d love to have you.

A few easy ways to stay engaged this year:

Update your profile on Ka ʻOhana Punahou, our alumni platform, so you never miss an event or opportunity near you.
Find and join your regional chapter – details for all eight are on the alumni website.
Send a Mahalo-gram to a classmate, teacher or friend, any time of year, at no cost.
Share your story. Submit a class note, mentor a current student, or simply reconnect with a classmate you haven’t spoken to in years.
Follow us on social media, @punahoualumni, and check punahou.edu/alumni regularly for the latest events and stories.

To our newest alumni from this year’s graduating class, congratulations and welcome – it’s never too early to stay connected with Punahou and with each other. And to everyone who has supported our students, mentored, volunteered, or simply shown up for one another this past year, thank you. The strength of this association lies entirely in its members.

Change is constant, but some things at Punahou never do – the smell of rain in Mānoa, the taste of a Carnival malasada, and the bond we all share as graduates of this remarkable place. I’m honored to help lead this community forward, and I look forward to meeting and reconnecting with many of you – in Hawaiʻi and around the world – in the year ahead.

With aloha,

David Haverly ’89

PAA President, 2026 – 2028

The Punahou Alumni Association (PAA) is a private nonprofit organization that exists to organize and participate in educational, social, and cultural programs that reach, connect and engage the Punahou Alumni community while supporting the core mission of Punahou School.

PAA is a private nonprofit organization, which works closely with Punahou School and the Office of Alumni Relations. The association was officially founded in 1906, though informal alumni meetings are documented as early as 1864. It has an elected Board of Directors through which its activities and services to alumni and the School are realized.

Membership is Automatic

Anyone who attended Punahou for at least one semester is already considered a member. There are no annual membership dues. Members need not have graduated from Punahou School, but must be part of a class year that has already graduated. Punahou Summer School alone does not qualify for membership.