School Story:
November 2018 -- Cougar of the month Ernest Chang!
Where do you currently reside and for how long have you been there?...
I live in Kakaako. I just moved here 1.5 years ago.
Tell us about your family...
I've been married almost two years. November 19th is my two year anniversary. Up until I met my wife, my family consisted of just me and my dad. We moved here to Hawaii from San Francisco in 1977. My dad raised me by himself. My dad’s side of the family and my mom’s side still live in San Francisco. My Mom still lives in San Francisco as well.
Tell us about your work/career...
I've been a Honolulu Police Officer for 21.5 yrs. It definitely was my calling in life. I love being able to make a difference and serve my community. In the past 10 years I've been assigned to patrol. I work the graveyard shift from 10pm to 7am. During that same time period, I've made so far 1043 DUI arrests. Although many may not agree with me, I feel that I've saved 1043 lives - if not more. Saving lives is something I am very passionate about.
What is your biggest accomplishment?...
This will sound corny, but I feel that the biggest accomplishment since graduating from Kaiser is getting married. I am definitely most proud of my marriage. The reason is that I've never been so happy in my whole life and I was a very happy person before I met my wife. As a man there are just aspects of life you'll never understand till you marry a great women. Everything just seem to fall in place the moment I met my wife. I became so much more compassionate then I already was. I have such a deeper feeling of gratitude for all that I have in my life. My family, my friends and a job I love.
What is your best memory of high school? ...
My best memory in high school was proving a teacher wrong about athletes. LOL. I do not recall what grade it was, or the teacher’s name, but it was a male and on the first day of class, he made it very clear he didn’t support athletes and no athlete ever did very well in his class. I lettered in football and wrestling. If I wasn't on the football field or on the wrestling mat I’d be in the weight room. I was the only, "jock" in the class so everyone knew the teacher was talking about me. Anyway, that just, for some reason, really upset me and I decided I would prove him 100% wrong. To make a long story short, I basically scored a perfect score A+ or missed 1 or 2 questions A- on every test and became the best student in his class. By the end of the class semester, he absolutely loved me and told the class I proved him wrong about athletes.
Any words of advice for the class of 2019, graduating this June? ...
The best advice I have for the class of 2019, is to believe and trust in GOD and he will be your best ally. I'm not a bible freak when I say this. It wasn’t until I was 40 that I learned that the world will never satisfy. Your parents and your friends may tell you that having the best job, making the most money, having influential friends and having nice things will bring you true happiness - but that’s a lie. It’s great to achieve things and accomplish things, but put it all into its proper perspective. I've never been one to be impressed by someone’s wealth or material possessions. The only thing that I've ever been impressed with is someone with sound character and unquestionable integrity. The truth is the most powerful thing in this world.
