Rockne Freitas may have been an all-pro NFL player for 11 years, but his legacy lives on as a great leader and visionary in higher education in Hawaii. On Saturday, his legacy was honored by the dedication of Rockne Freitas Way, the entrance to Hawaii Community College at Palamanui.
Chants and hula opened the ceremony, with college staff, students, dignitaries and family gathered to share stories about how Freitas, who passed away in 2022, was instrumental in the creation of the Palamanui campus as chancellor at Hawaii Community College in Hilo. He also oversaw the operations of the University of Hawaii Center in West Hawaii for six years from 2004-2010 and was with the University of Hawaii in leadership positions for 23 years.
Raynette “Kalei” Haleamau-Kam, director of Hawaii CC–Palamanui, said Freitas pulled people from the shadows urging them to make a bigger impact.
“Today we celebrate Rockne. Today we celebrate Indigenous leadership, community and Hawaii,” she said.
Taupouri Tangaro, director of Hawaiian culture and protocols engagement, Hawaii CC and UH-Hilo, talked about how supportive Freitas was to his program.
“Rockne figured out we were doing some great magic with our program at Hawaii Community College. He said what you are doing needs to have a larger reach. So we stand here in celebration of his way of thinking,” he said. “His big mission in life was to impact the well-being of community.”
He said Freitas’ core was to see potential where people saw no potential.
“Look beyond the skin, look at the heart. That was Rockne’s way,” said Tangaro.
He said in 2010, under then UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, Freitas formed a group of Hawaiians to help the university identify what it means to be an Indigenous-serving institution and what it means to close the gap between those most likely to succeed in higher education and those who are least likely to succeed.
“We are here to recognize the role he played in bringing this campus here,” said Carl Carlson, former UH regent. “Everybody knows every cause needs a champion, in this case at Palamanui. Dr. Freitas was indeed that champion.”
“Recognizing that West Hawaii was one of the most underserved communities for secondary education in Hawaii and that many youths with ability but without where withal, were being left behind, Rockne went to work,” said Ross Wilson at the dedication ceremony. “It started as a dream and he built a community college.”
At the time, the West Hawaii Campus was located in leased space in Kealakekua and Freitas knew there needed to be a real campus for the students in West Hawaii.
He assembled an informal working group to gather community support to make the Palamanui campus a reality. He also was able to persuade the UH president and board to move forward with his vision.
“In football nomenclature, Rockne’s goal was to continually advance the ball,” said Wilson, who was part of that working group. “He did that and we scored.”
Susan Kazama, interim chancellor at Hawaii CC, said Freitas embodied excellence in service and leadership within the community.
“While at Hawaii Community College he had a vision to help the youth of West Hawaii and inspired the community to make the campus at Palamanui a reality. His legacy is his strong advocacy and advancement of Native Hawaiians and other underserved populations,” she said. “He has served as a bridge between individuals, cultures, opportunities and Rockne Freitas Way is an appropriate honor to preserve his legacy.”
After a traditional opening of the newly named entryway, Freitas’s sons talked about their father and his legacy.
“My dad was always proud to be Hawaiian, but coming over here brought up so much more in him,” said Makoa Freitas. “The spirit of the island and the spirit of the people he worked with, he truly loved it. He loved it on the Big Island. He loved watching the halau dance. He loved working here. But please know as much as you guys talk about how he influenced this place, you influenced him just as much.”
“Throughout life we heard a lot of people tell dad, ‘hey Rockne, I want to be like you,’ and his response was always, ‘don’t be like me, be better than me’,” said Makai Freitas. “He felt that every generation needs to surpass the one before and education is a component of that advancement. If dad was here today in his offensive lineman Rockne Freitas form he wouldn’t take credit. He would be extremely thankful, very humbled, but he would deflect all praise and credit to his teammates, because it was a team effort.”
”Rockne Freitas showed us the way to get here and will continue to show young people in our community the way moving forward,” said Wilson. “The path to success starts here at Hawaii Community College Palamanui.”