"I firmly believe that this community of students and their families deserve educators who genuinely believe in their success and well-being."

Hometown

Hilo, Hawai'i island

Department

Special Education

Related Degrees

• BEd in Special Education

Why did you choose to become a teacher, in general?

My second-grade teacher at Kea’au Elementary was a major inspiration for my desire to become a teacher. She instilled that “wow” factor in my mind, and her dedication to her students has stayed with me. Working as an Educational Assistant, I find immense reward in witnessing the subtle progress in students that they often don’t see in themselves.

Why did you choose to become licensed in special education?

I began my journey in this field as a Substitute Autism Educational Assistant for the Hilo-Waiakea District, working with a robust group of students and disabilities. With no prior experience in the field, I quickly fell in love with this unique community of learners. The variety and complexity of our days, despite being demanding, stressful, and exhausting for the team, and especially for our students, is what I believe makes it worthwhile. While some might find the needs of a student overwhelming, I view it as a necessity for students to be understood and heard. Having spent 8 years working with special education students, now in a “Permanent EA” role, I can confidently state that my passion lies in serving our students in this field. I firmly believe that this community of students and their families deserve educators who genuinely believe in their success and well-being.