“I would recommend the MIE to other students because it is not just for people who want to teach.”

Hometown

Oakdale, California (moved to Hawaiʻi in 2018 to attend UH Mānoa and now live in Honolulu)

Department

Special Education

Where do you work?
I am a resource teacher at Lunalilo Elementary School.

How did you become interested in the Minor in Education (MIE)?
When I was attending school for my bachelor’s, a guest speaker came into one of my classes and talked to the class about getting a Minor in Education. Education was a path that I was interested in, so I decided to take the courses to receive my MIE.

What made you decide to return for your teaching license?
Janet Kim was the person who helped me decide to get my teaching license. When she was my professor, she really inspired me to following the teaching path. She knew that I wanted to help SPED students so she told me about the post-bac program. She would meet with me to go over all my questions which was so helpful. I am pursuing teaching because I love helping students, but Janet was the one who inspired me to pursue teaching in the first place.

Would you recommend the MIE to other students? Why?
I would recommend the MIE to other students because it is not just for people who want to teach. I learned all about the schools in Hawaiʻi and how important culture is. I was surrounded by others from all over who talked about their culture and their lives. I felt that I was a part of a little community. I am still in contact with the people that I met in my MIE courses.

What was the best part of your program(s) at the COE?
My cohort was the best part. I became close to all the people in my cohort. We all completely supported one another, and I don’t think I would have gotten through school without them. Another big factor that got me through was my MUSE mentor, Nancy. She is truly an amazing person and helped me with everything. I leaned on her my entire last semester, and she was there to support me. I am so beyond thankful for her! Along with Nancy, there were others who supported me and were always there when I needed them, like Shawna Ortegero. I always knew that I could go to her as well. Needless to say, I had an awesome support system from the COE and that was the best part.

In what ways do you hope to make a difference in the field of education?
I hope I can make a difference by learning as much as possible to best support the students. I want to find ways and techniques that will help each student learn. There are so many ways that students learn, and I want to be one of the people who can give them that support and guidance to can take with them as they continue their schooling.

How did the people and the program in the COE help you along your way to becoming a teacher?
As I mentioned previously, the people in the program were the ones who got me through it. I feel that I had a great support system with not only the instructors, but also my cohort. This program has a great set of people working in it, and when I hear anyone mention that they want to become a teacher, I always recommend my program.

What are your future plans?
My future plans are to teach for a while, then I would like to work my way up either to administrator or even to work for the COE one day. I would love the opportunity to be a great support system for another inspiring teacher.

When did you complete the MIE? Your teaching license?
I completed my Minor in Education in May 2020, and I received my teaching license in May 2023.