HEA Helps to Perpetuate Teaching Excellence
Sometimes all we need is one person in your life to put you on a positive trajectory. For HEA board member Wilbur Luna, that person was Richard Keakahiwa, his sixth grade teacher at Mayor Joseph J. Fern Elementary School.
Wil said that Mr. Keakahiwa took the time to teach him a range of subjects that led to receiving the highest score among all sixth graders in the Sixth Grade Achievement Test and the American Legion outstanding sixth grade student award.
“He helped me gain an appreciation for going to college,” said Wil, who became a teacher himself, inspiring those at Leilehua and McKinley High Schools.
Wil eventually became a field representative for HEA and after the Hawai‘i State Teachers Association (HSTA) was formed, joined the union in a similar capacity. The National Education Association (NEA) recognized Wil’s contributions and hired him to serve in multiple roles over 28 years.
Wil established the HEA Richard Keakahiwa/Wilhelmina Luna Scholarship because of his gratitude to HEA and to give other Hawai‘i students opportunities to give back to the community in their role as educators.
The first HEA Richard Keakahiwa/Wilhelmina Luna Scholarship recipient is Chaeyoon Cho, an aspiring elementary educator at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu who is dedicated to creating inclusive classrooms where every child feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed.
Building on her background in psychology and early childhood education, Chaeyoon has gained extensive hands-on experience as a student teacher at Kalihi Waena Elementary School.
Her scholarship will help cover tuition and other school-related expenses. When Chaeyoon moved to Hawai‘i as a child, she could not speak or understand English, but a teacher gave her confidence and made her feel capable. This inspired her to become a teacher. As a first-generation college student, Chaeyoon is passionate about supporting children and hopes to
inspire confidence, belonging, and lifelong learning in every student.
ln addition, Chaeyoon received an HEA Continuing College Scholarship and an HEA Student Teacher
Scholarship.
Carissa Miyamoto is another HEA Continuing College scholarship recipient. She is a music teacher at Mililani ʻIke Elementary School who is dedicated to creating meaningful, high-quality music experiences for Hawaiʻi’s students.
A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a bachelor’s degree in music education, Carissa continues to refine her teaching through advanced training in Orff, Kodály, Suzuki, and other music education methodologies while remaining an active performer and youth symphony conductor.
Her scholarship will help offset the cost of pursuing a master of arts in music education through Columbia University’s Teachers College, allowing her to bring new instructional strategies and innovative approaches
back to her classroom.
Passionate about lifelong learning, Carissa is committed to inspiring a love of music while ensuring every
student has access to engaging, enriching, and joyful musical experiences.