Finding His Future Far From Home
Jakarta, Indonesia, is about 9,200 miles from Colorado Mesa University. But in Dalton Tanonaka’s heart, this great distance is negligible. Fifty years after arriving at Mesa College from his home state of Hawaii, Tanonaka still holds dear his positive college experiences and the people who helped shape his future.
Financial Aid Director Bud Smock played a large role in helping Tanonaka pursue higher education. Tanonaka was working his way through school, and Smock helped him navigate the world of grants and on-campus employment, setting him up as a staff member at The Criterion.
“I’d never done any work like that before,” laughed Tanonaka, acknowledging that by his second year, he was the publication’s editor. In this role, he also created a lasting friendship with Kevin Burke, the student body president.
As editor, Tanonaka met Carol Edmonds, an English instructor who was the advisor for the student newspaper.
“She was a young professor and so she had a lot of new ideas and fresh approaches,” Tanonaka explained. “She was a very instrumental guiding light in my journalism career.”
Tanonaka was the first student at Mesa from the state of Hawaii, and he admits feeling out of place. Recalling registration day in the gym, he shares that he felt like the only person with black hair in a sea of blonde. That was until he saw humanities instructor Mai Robinson sitting at a table.
“I saw this face,” he explained. “It had glasses, it was a woman, and it looked Asian. So, I went over and said, ‘Hello, what do you teach?’”
Tanonaka remembers Mai Robinson as a “nice, but stern” instructor with whom he built a treasured, lifelong friendship. Tanonaka credits Robinson with helping him feel “culturally comfortable” on campus, and with welcoming him into her home and introducing him to her husband, William “Bill” Robinson, of the theatre department.
Bill Robinson, it turns out, would also greatly influence Tanonaka, convincing him to try acting. Despite having never performed before, Tanonaka scored important roles and won the college’s best actor award after starring in Teahouse of the August Moon. More importantly, however, Tanonaka believes that his experience acting at Mesa helped him reach the pinnacle of broadcast journalism.
After graduating with a two-year associate of arts degree from Mesa, Tanonaka transferred to Northern Illinois University near Chicago and completed a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
He began his career as a reporter for an ABC affiliate in Honolulu before taking a post at Denver’s KOA/Channel Four. Building on this success, he transferred to a station in Portland, Oregon.
Tanonaka’s next big move was in 1990, when NHK, Japan’s public broadcast network, recruited him as lead anchor for a nascent global English news channel. From here, Tanonaka relocated to Hong Kong to launch CNBC in Asia and then crossed over to CNN when it expanded its Hong Kong–based Asian headquarters.
Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, Tanonaka returned to Hawaii and tried his hand at statewide politics, running for lieutenant governor and turning up just three thousand votes short. Following that experience, it was back to Asia, this time relocating to Jakarta to build English-language news programming, before launching a 24-hour news channel, where he continues to have a weekly show.
Looking back on his time at Mesa, Tanonaka shares that he ended up in Colorado because he wanted to see snow, learn to ski and be on the Western Slope.
“It was a decision that, to this day, I always thank God that I made,” said Tanonaka.
A Story 100 Years in the Making
Want to learn more about CMU's history? Purchase Colorado Mesa University - A Century of the Maverick Spirit, written by Amber J. D'Ambrosio and Kristen Lummis. The 192-page book chronicles CMU's 100-year journey of growth, resilience, and community impact, celebrating the people and moments that shaped our Maverick history.
CMU's Century Project honors one hundred years of Colorado Mesa University's rich history - celebrating the people, milestones and spirit that have shaped our enduring legacy. As we reflect on this meaningful milestone, proceeds from the commemorative Century Book and events throughout the year will benefit the Century Scholarship, ensuring that future generations of CMU students can continue to grow, learn and carry the CMU legacy forward.