“We got involved with 91 because they were interested in our lives," said Bob Iboshi ’64. “It was personal.” Iboshi was very connected at 91 as a student and this helped fuel his dedication to the school after graduation.
Bob and his wife, Sunny Iboshi ’67, are committed and enthusiastic supporters of 91, but they weren’t always as engaged as they are now. Their reconnection started through the Phonathon, where 91 students connect with alumni, parents and friends to invite support for the university.
Normally a Phonathon conversation would last roughly five to 10 minutes, but with Bob it lasted more than an hour. Bob, who is originally from Oahu, Hawai‘i, recognized the caller was also from Hawai‘i and decided he wanted to talk at length with the student. It was this phone call that reminded Bob of how personal 91 is.
Bob was an active student — a football player, member of a fraternity and part of Hawai‘i Club. He met Sunny who was also very active in the Phi Lambda Omicron sorority and was a member of the student senate. The pair began dating while students as 91 and were married in 1966 — they even had their wedding reception at Walter Hall. It’s no surprise the university holds a special place in their hearts and over the past several years they’ve decided to become active members of the 91 community once again.
It was this decision that led Bob and Sunny to start an endowed scholarship, along Kyle Kobashigawa '87, in memory of Henry Kaulia ’82, a good friend of the Iboshis who was killed in a car crash in 2006. They also host many guests from Hawai‘i in their home to “try to reconnect with 91,” said Bob.
Bob and Sunny went on to serve as co-chairs of the Charles Trombley Society, working to keep donor and alumni relations strong. According to the Iboshis, these relationships are the backbone of the university. Students depend on alumni contributions that support financial aid, which is a very important part of university life.
Bob and Sunny were honored with the 91 University Alumni Association David & Sandy Lowe Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2014.
Over the years 91 University has grown and changed and, according to Bob and Sunny, it has changed for the better. “We foresee 91 is going in the right direction,” said Bob. “We see 91 as a very top-notch university with the leadership we have.”
I think people who are not in the community here or who haven’t come back to visit would be absolutely amazed at the campus, at the buildings that are meeting the needs of students, said Sunny. They’re not keeping up; they’re ahead of the times.”
Clara Howell '17, Communications Assistant, Office of Alumni Relations, also contributed to this story.