Nikki Davenport

To have a chance to work one-on-one with youth, I couldn't turn it down. At my age of 22, this gave me agency. All I want to do is make a difference, get my hands dirty. Teaching, every single day, I get to see a little light go on. It's extremely gratifying. Especially in Waianae, with my kids, I don' see the stereotype, I don't see the stigma. If my kids believe me, that would be a massive success.

I fell in love with Hawaii when vacationing here, but a different Hawaii. When given a chance to choose from areas all over the country, Hawaii was my first choice. Now, I've fallen in love all over again with a Hawaii that I would never have seen.

There's a definite core culture in Waianae. When I first came to Hawaii and told people I would be teaching in Waianae, many people gave me warnings. I realize that there's an outpost on the island that people don't understand and are maybe afraid of. Upon meeting the students I see the pride they have in where they come from. There is poverty, domestic abuse, drug abuse and a mental health crisis in the area, but I don't see it as their fault. To count them out this early, it's the biggest mistake we can make. I wouldn't consider teaching anywhere else.

The biggest surprise has been that the role of the teacher, from a student's perspective, is really more about mentoring than delivering standards based instruction. At times, you have to be a parent, friend, guidance counselor and role model. I have to be frank about life, about my hopes for them. The students look at you and ask, "Is this someone I can trust? I was worried about whether I'd be qualified enough, will all my students fail?" I've learned the value and importance of personal relationships, and then you start to see success on standardized tests. I'm so glad that was the biggest surprise.

For someone like me, young and fresh out of college and in a completely foreign culture, the faculty and cohort support has been phenomenal. The fact that the UH faculty are willing to meet on the Leeward side, means that the teachers on the Waianae coast are still able to meet the needs of the classes they teach. The COE has built a degree for me and has created a program allowing me to get both my master's degree and national board certification (highest level of teacher certification). They've made it a reality and something we can really be proud of.

It's extremely hand's on. Loving and caring about someone, it has to be about being hands on. You have so much impact: the power and ability to change one person's life.

Nikki Davenport, a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, teaches at Waianae High School through the federally funded program, Teach for America. Teach for America provides college graduates with diverse degrees the opportunity to teach in underserved schools while receiving their master's degrees and teacher certifications. The UH College of Education partners with Teach for America to provide a rigorous teacher education curriculum and mentoring to help this small cohort of dedicated students become highly qualified teachers.