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Stories About Hawaii Educators

Watch and read stories about the life-changing impact of local teachers and professors.

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#MyAwesomeTeacher

Our teachers are great sources of encouragement, inspiration, and positive life transformations. Many of us have had a teacher who made a major impact on our lives or helped us to simply do better.

Here, HEA showcases testimonials about amazing teachers to highlight the importance of our local educators. These stories were collected and featured throughout our website, newsletter, and social media in 2021 as part of our 100th anniversary celebration.

Community Testimonials

We are honored to share these memories from our community about the impact of Hawaii educators on their students’ lives.

“Dr. Donald W. Klopf was my speech professor and debate coach at University of Hawaii at Manoa who inspired my interest in those subjects. This interest led me to become a college speech teacher and a lawyer in California.”

Betty Yamashiro

In honor of Dr. Donald W. Klopf

University of Hawaii at Manoa

“Joann Mastin at Farrington High School was my news writing teacher and told me, “Everyone has a story.” She encouraged me to get out of my shell, talk to people, and find my voice through my writing.”

Deborah Dimaya

In honor of Joann Mastin

Farrington High School

“Though I saw priesthood in my future, I only started looking into the steps of getting there when Mrs. Mildred Liu at Roosevelt High School assigned a “Surveying My Career” paper, putting me on the right path.”

Franklin Chun

In honor of Mildred Liu

Roosevelt High School

“My father, Dr. D. Elmo Hardy, was a Professor of Entomology at the University of Hawaii. His love for nature and insects radiated to me and his students, passing on a lifelong desire to learn more about the world.”

Patricia Swiger

In honor of Dr. D. Elmo Hardy

University of Hawaii