Sun Yat-sen spent his formative years in Hawaii, attending the Iolani School and Punahou School. 

In September 1879, he was enrolled in Iolani School, a mission school run by the Anglican Church at that time and one of the best schools in Honolulu. 

Although he did not speak a word of English when he first joined his class, Sun learned quickly. When he graduated in 1882, he was second in grammar and was awarded a prize by King Kalakaua. 

"This prize was a special honor for Sun and for the whole school. He had to be really competitive to win the reward," says Jane Rolfing Heimerdinger, director of Institutional Advancement of Iolani. "Apart from English, Sun was also well-grounded in mathematics and science. It was his first exposure to a Christian school and Western culture." 

Iolani commemorated its illustrious alumnus with two bronze sculptures of Sun Yat-sen at the school, and in 2007, it sent nine students on a tour of Sun Yat-sen's historical monuments in China. 

In 1883, Sun entered Punahou School (then called the Oahu College). United States President Barack Obama attended the same college, from 1971 to 1979. 

During his years at Iolani and Punahou, Sun was exposed to Western culture and was deeply influnced by Hawaii's "aloha" spirit - which advocated love, peace, compassion and mercy. His exposure to Christianity at the mission school also resulted in Sun being baptized in Hong Kong later. 

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