Grandpa Tadao Sakai: Taught me to be kind to everyone. He always watched me play sports, taught me how to ride a bike, and was always there for me. He is the most compassionate person I have ever known and I try to be like him everyday. My grandpa owned a construction company in Kauai that did a number of projects including what he called, “the rock wall” or dam in Waimea Valley Kauai to protect the community from floods. He ended his career as an inspector for the Department of Transportation, State of Hawaii, working on the H-1 and H-2 freeways.
Grandma Ellen Sakai: Taught me the importance of education. She was so proud of all her grandchildren. She always wanted one of us to become a medical doctor because she felt it was a profession that could really help people. My sister Mia Lei Karamatsu fulfilled her dream. My grandma was a seamstress for a department store.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 