Camas High School Senior Kandai Shimada has been playing the piano for several years and it is one of his favorite hobbies. He discovered his love for it when he was young and continues to grow his talent.
He said, “I started playing at the age of seven and even though I didn’t get to play the most advanced pieces in the beginning the better I got the more opportunities there were to play these pieces. When I did get to play these pieces such as Clair de Lune and Chopin Nocturne op 9 number two is when I realized that I really enjoyed playing the piano. I will often play to take my mind off school work or to relieve any stress that I may have.”
Playing the piano is often something that Shimada does for fun, but it has also become a way for him to cope with stress.
Another one of Shimada’s hobbies is volunteering at the Portland Japanese garden. He loves helping other people so this job suits him perfectly.
Shimada said, “I mostly help guests by guiding them through the Garden or by answering any questions they may have.”
“I started last summer and I have met some amazing people who also volunteer at the Portland Japanese garden. While meeting new people I have been able to support a Cause to share Japanese culture to the Portland metro area which I believe is important when it comes to diversifying the community,” he added.
Shimada is proud to be a student at CHS and has loved being there since his freshman year.
He said that one of his favorite things about it is all opportunities that students are offered.
“I love the opportunities there are in both in and out of the classroom. With a variety of AP and elective classes, you can both challenge yourself and explore ever iety of new topics that may interest you. Outside of the classroom there are a lot of sports and extracurricular activities that one can take part in,” Shimada said.
He added, “One of my favorite memories comes from being accepted into the National Honor Society. It is a great organization to connect yourself to the local community while also working with peers at school.”
Shimada loves helping people and is a very talented musician. He is a great student and represents CHS well both inside and outside of school.
