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Aloha Everyone,

My name is Dory Rimando.  I was born in Okinawa.  My family moved back to Oahu before my first birthday settling in Mililani.  I am the youngest of 4.  I graduated from Mililani High School and earned my B.S. in Food Science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.   My son Van is a Freshman at UH Manoa and my daughter Elle is a Junior at Mililani High School.  We also have two cats Kula, Kamea and a dog named Pablo.  In other words, we have a full house.

My journey in the education field began at Mililani Baptist Preschool where I worked with 3-5 year olds as a Teaching Assistant.  It was at MBP that I had the opportunity to teach my students some basic American Sign Language through stories and songs.  I developed an interest in ASL because I taught my kids some Baby Sign Language when they were about 15 months old.  They loved it and I felt that it decreased their frustration because they could communicate with me when they were tired, hungry, wanted more, etc. before they were able to speak.

My journey in the education field began at Mililani Baptist Preschool where I worked with 3-5 year-olds as a Teaching Assistant.  It was at MBP that I had the opportunity to teach my students Basic American Sign Language through, songs, dance and stories.

I then worked as an English Learner Part-Time Teacher at Waikele Elementary up until the Covid-19 Pandemic.  Though I was able to incorporate some ASL in my student sessions, it was not to the extent that I did at MBP.  For my EL students, they learned the ASL alphabet, how to fingerspell some sight words and some songs.

I envision myself working with the younger children K-2 but I am not opposed to teaching the older children as well.  I look forward to incorporating ASL into my own classroom through learning songs, stories and with my classroom management (quiet, sit nicely, be nice to your friends, please, thank you, pay attention to the teacher, put on your listening ears, etc.)

Although I have learned so much along the way from wonderful teachers, I know that I have a LOT more to learn. When I develop my teaching theory and method foundation, I will become a more effective Educator.

I am looking forward to going on this journey with all of you!

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Hi everyone, my name is Cathryn Hentz. I just moved to Oahu a couple weeks ago from Salem, Oregon where I was born and raised. Although I moved a little ways away to attend the University of Oregon for my undergrad, this is my first big move and I’m excited for this new adventure. I graduated with my bachelors degree in educational foundations in 2018 then worked as a site coordinator for a before and after school program at an elementary school. I absolutely loved my job there but I felt as though it was time to go back for my teaching license so I can have my own classroom and be a full fledged teacher. I am very passionate about multicultural education and giving my students the best education I can possibly give them, so I look forward to learning from not only our professors but all of you as well.

When it comes to how I spend my free time, I love the outdoors! Being from Oregon, I have spent my fair share of time on various hiking trails, enjoying all the wonders nature has to offer. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family, discovering new restaurants, going to the gym, and am really up to trying new things. While I’m in Hawaii I’m hoping to pick up paddle boarding or maybe give surfing a try. Another very important part of my life is my dog! He is a 4 year old corgi named Morty and is truly my pride and joy. He eats up a large majority of my free time, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

I look forward to getting to know you all more! If you have any questions or just want to chat feel free to reach out.

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Hey guys!  My name is Taylor and I was born and raised here in Oahu.  I grew up in Aiea, which is a small town near Pearl Harbor and Aloha Stadium.  I graduated from a small (now defunct) private school that was called Lutheran High School of Hawaii in Manoa and I’m also a recent graduate from UH with a bachelors in Psychology and Communicology (Public Speech).  I’m an outdoor kinda guy so I love to go to the beach or hike, although I’m not able to do any of that due to the recent lockdown.  I also love to play the guitar or ukulele and teach myself how to play certain songs. I’ve got a connection to Los Angeles, so I’m a big Lakers and Dodgers fan.  It was a long and winding road that lead me to wanna teach and be a part of education.  I volunteered two summers at my local elementary school as a teacher’s aide and had a really fulfilling and fun experience while over there.  I also loved being a mentor for future young generations.  I really am striving to get this M.Ed and apply it to Hawaii or wherever in the mainland that I end up in.  Overall I’m very excited to start this semester and can’t wait to see what I learn while also making new connections along the way.

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Greetings All:

I am looking forward to knowing all of you better this semester.  I am a “local boy,” raised here on Oahu most of my life.  I am a Radford High and UH graduate and spent about ten years living in the mainland, mostly along the east and south.  I am retired from the military and, as such, have also spent some time abroad internationally.  I enjoy traveling very much.  Of all the places I have been to, the two countries that I really would like to go back to are UK (Scotland) and Spain.

I love the outdoors.  I run and swim regularly, and surf and paddle as often as possible.  However, I am not a sports fan; I do not care for the NBA, NFL, MLB nor the NHL.  I do enjoy watching rugby, though, since I played for about ten years.  Last year, I was fortunate to have watched the Sevens tournament in Hong Kong, and the World Cup matches in Japan.

I also enjoy reading, especially about history.  Having previously graduated from HPU with MADMS, I have gained a keen interest for history.  My area of focus was Northeast Asia, especially China, but I have a general interest for all things related to history.

As for my teaching experience, I spent about two years as a volunteer tutoring/teaching youth and adults (mostly immigrants).  Most recently, I was in Shanghai, China for two years as an English teacher at an IB school.  My purpose in pursuing the MEd is so that I can become a better educator to help as many – young and old – as I can.

Cheers

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Aloha,

My name is Leilani Napoleon, I was born at the old Kaiser Hospital that once stood on Ala Moana Boulevard. I am the oldest daughter of four.  I was raised in beautiful Kapahulu by my grandparents and attended Waikiki, Kaimuki Middle and Kaimuki high school my freshman year.  My sister and I moved to California after the death of my mother, grandmother and great grandmother in 1990.  I completed high school in California and returned home to attend HPU on a full ride scholarship for Volleyball.  I graduated in 1996 with my BSBA in HRM. I have worked in HR for about 15 years, but my passion is mentoring, teaching and coaching.  I currently live in Los Angeles where I coach for San Gabriel Elite Volleyball Club one of the top 10 Clubs in the Nation.  I am a single mother of 3 and love every minute of being a parent. My oldest daughter is student athlete with her AA in early education and should be graduating next summer with her BA from Lesley University in Boston.  My middle daughter is also a student athlete and top volleyball player in her own right with the hopes of playing D1 upon graduation in 2022.  My baby is 7 years old and is a high energy driven young man who requires much attention, skies the limit for him. My family and I enjoy being together at the beach, playing sports and celebrating just the time we can share during these times we live in.  I look forward to learning, continuing to mentor, teach and coach my children and serving others daily.

Mahalo for allowing me to share.

Leilani

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Aloha
It's so great to meet you all! I am a 'returning student'  (that's code for older, lol) and just completed my bachelors degree in economics at UH Manoa this May. I'm a mom and love kids so I'm very excited  for this program - it's been a long time coming.
When I'm not learning or parenting (who am I kidding, I'm always doing one of these things - or both!) I'm at the beach, pool or park. We live a short walk form the ocean and love to kayak, surf, swim, hike or bike as a family.
I've lived on O'ahu for three years and was in NYC for 20 years before that. I am originally from Miami and have also spent a few years in Washington DC, New Orleans and San Francisco. Before going back to school, I held various culinary jobs from working in test kitchens to owning restaurants. It was a great career and I'm so grateful for all of the adventures but I don't miss it for a second.   Parenthood has been the best journey of all and one of the greatest discoveries I've made is my love of teaching. it feels great to be entering this new field!
Cheers!
Tasha

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Aloha!

I grew up in Richmond, Va. I attended college at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina where I got a BA in English and a minor in Spanish.

I love surfing and the ocean, as well as being in nature. Going on hikes and camping is something that I look forward to doing in my free time. I would also really like to travel the world and see different cultures.

I look forward to becoming a teacher because I'd be so proud to reach a young person and push them in the direction of their passions. I plan on teaching English, but I don't think that should limit my ability to tell one of my students to follow their passions and help them develop their skills and be a happy and successful adult.

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Namaste!
I'm Josef Gruber. I was born in Stone Mountain, Georgia. I was raised in Conifer, Colorado. I studied for my bachelors in TESOL at HPU and graduated in 2017. I spent some time working after school with ESL students and then I decided I wanted to be closer to my family. I moved to North Carolina and begun my hike on the Appalachian Trail. I really loved hiking and being around so many forest animals. I will always remember taking a midday nap and waking up to wild ponies licking my face. I lived in Asheville for a while and then decided I wanted to return to Oahu.
When I'm not in class you might find me biking, drawing, practicing yoga, or paddling. I love animals and before COVID-19 I used to volunteer at the Honolulu Zoo as a docent.
I want to be a teacher so I can incorporate my favorite literature into my coursework. I just love a good story.

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Aloha everyone,

My name is Zachary Yabes, I am born and raised on Oahu. My family is originally from Mahaka, however, we have lived in Hau'ula for the last 20 years. I graduated from the University of Hawaii this Spring with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and American Studies. I'm hoping to help students understand mathematical concepts through abstract and logical thinking. Four years ago, I married my high school sweetheart, and we also have a beautiful baby girl together (she's 8 months old). I'm always spending time with my family, it brings me the most joy and I feel that family is the most important thing in my life. I have a unhealthy addiction to basketball, both at the college and national level. Outside of my academia, I love film photography and collecting vintage cameras. After completing the program, I want to become an educator in my community to be of service and help build the foundation of the future minds of Hawaii!

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Screenshot_2020-08-24 No'eau Yabes ( noeauyabes) • Instagram photos and videos

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Hi, everybody!
My name is Brady Wiesner. I was born near Denver, Colorado and grew up there my entire life. I am the oldest of four, and I’m really close with all of them even though we’re currently spread through four different time zones!
One thing that is super important to me is Irish Dance. I started when I was about nine, and I’ve been in love with it ever since. I danced competitively for 12 years, and I’ve taught for the past nine. It was actually through teaching Irish Dance that I discovered I really wanted to be a teacher. When I started my undergrad, I had planned on getting my business degree, so I could run my own dance school. About ¾ of the way through, I realized that what I really loved was teaching. I am fortunate to have been all over the world for dance: Paris, France; Glasgow, Scotland; London, England; Dublin, Ireland; Montreal, Canada; and Belfast, Northern Ireland (among various places in the US). I really love traveling, even the travel day itself. While I’ve retired from competition, I still teach the occasional class via zoom and perform in shows—the most notable of which is a professional show titled Rhythm in the Night.
Aside from Irish Dancing, I really like playing video games, doing things outdoors, and watching sitcoms. I have a list of about five sitcoms that I watch on loop, and I am a total nerd about referencing them. Another big part of my life is my faith. I am a Christian, and I really love discovering new things in the faith.
I am really excited to pursue education--it's in my blood! Almost half of my extended family are teachers. I've learned from teaching dance how rewarding it is to see someone succeed, and I'm excited to get to do that as a career!
I've included a picture of my niece and me when we got to visit the ice castles in Dillon, Colorado this past February.

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Aloha everyone!

My name is Brittany. I've lived in Hawai'i for 11 years now. After getting my bachelors in English and minor in writing, I decided to get my substitute teaching license. I've been long-term subbing for two and a half years in an elementary school, and I know I want to become a certified teacher. This year, I am teaching sixth graders and am excited to be learning right along with them!
While I'm a teacher by day, I'm a group fitness instructor by nights and weekends. I am certified to teach weights, cardio, cycle. yoga, and freestyle. It's a great perspective seeing the difference, or similarities, between teaching adults vs. children.
I included a picture of when I went to New Zealand 4 years ago. I'm standing in front of the Bag End hobbit hole in Hobbiton from the Lord of the Rings franchise. I went to New Zealand for a fitness convention and then sightseeing. I love reading, different countries, and the outdoors, so I think this picture sums up my interests fairly well. :)

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Hi Everyone,

My name is Mina Law.  I completed my BA here at HPU in TESOL in 2002, and now I’m so excited to join MED in Secondary Education – World Language.   I was born and raised in Japan, I moved to Hawaii since I started to take BA in TESOL course.  I currently work for the company plan and provide educational programs for Japanese students who come to Hawaii as their study trip.  I’m also a volunteer docent (in Japanese) at Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii – Okage Sama De Gallery to explain the history of Japanese immigrants during the plantation period (1868-1924).  I live with two sons (8 and 10 years old), husband, my parents in-law, a dog(Chihuahua), and three love birds.  I love baking bread in my free time.

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Hi everyone!
My name is Hannah and I am from Florida (ew, we don't have to talk about it), but I spent the last four years living in New York for undergrad. I am currently back in Florida due to COVID and  because of how bad it is here I didn't want to take the trip to Hawaii yet but I will be joining you all on the island very soon! I'm moving with my boyfriend and cat (her name is Stella), and a fun fact is that I have actually never been to Hawaii. I figured there is no better time to try living in paradise than now when I'm young and I hope that it can become a forever home. But regardless, I am super excited to be living by the water again. Teaching is not something I was always sure I wanted to be doing, but Elementary education was an idea in the back of my head that I kept coming back to so it feels right to be giving it a try. One of my true loves is traveling and learning about different cultures, which unfortunately has been put on hold due to the pandemic - I was actually in Spain when the US went on lockdown and my flight was one of the last ones out of the country. My current hobbies include having zoom happy hour dates with my friends and trying to teach my cat how to walk on a leash.  I look forward to meeting you all in person eventually!

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Greetings,

My Name is Cameron Smith. I am a concurrent student here at Hawaii Pacific University. I am taking courses to finish my BA in TESOL and my M.Ed. in Secondary Education. More than likely, after finishing these courses I will move onto finishing the Educational Leadership program. My goal is to teach at various international schools throughout the world and eventually become a principal at one. I enjoy learning about everything and everyone and hope that this course will help me improve my teaching capabilities. Prior to becoming a student, I was in the Marine Corps for five long and hard years. My desire to become a teacher stems from the idea that educators are able to change the perception of people in every society. Educators to me have a vital role as ambassadors of the nation they are from and can influence youth in career decisions that may affect the world in a positive manner.

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Aloha,
My name is Autumn Altman and I am extremely excited to become a teacher. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in third grade. I hope to make the positive impact my teachers made on me. I know learning never stops. Being able to help students learn and find their own strengths will help us create a better world for future generations. I want my students to feel empowered and confident in what they believe in as well as their dreams. I am very passionate about education and using knowledge for the greater good. I hope to be the mentor students didn't know they needed. I can't wait to take what I have learned and apply it to my classroom.
Autumn Altman

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Hello!

My name is Sara Kawasaki. I was born and raised here on Oahu. I just graduated with my Bachelors in Business Administration from HPU.

In my free time I enjoy taking my dog to the beach, cooking, reading, listening to music and going to concerts. My favorite place in the world is Japan. The culture, food, and scenery are just amazing. My mom and my sister are both teachers and about half way through my undergrad I realized that I wanted to be one as well.

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Hi,
My name is Eric Kerr and I was born and raised in Kent, Ohio. I was the first in my family to go to college from a small industrial town. It was also my first trip on a plane to travel to UH Hilo to attend a summer class. In the 6 short weeks of classes in Hilo, I met more people there than I did in the 19 years growing up in Ohio. I loved the culture, the food and I couldn’t wait to return home to pack up my few belongings and move to Hawaii. I ended up transferring to and attended UH Manoa for many years and finally graduated in BLA in ESL (acronym at the time) while at the same time worked in the service industry in some capacity for almost 17 yrs. Towards the end of those 17 years, I was finally able to get in to the DOE as a Title-1 part time teacher (PTT) at Ala Wai Elementary School. For the first 7 years I was teaching in a SGI for reading, then later in math as well. For the past 8 years, I have been their Tech Coordinator.

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Hi! My name is Sydney. I am from a small town in the midwest. I was born and raised in Nebraska and my hometown had a population of 500 people. Growing up I saw more cows than people! This is my first time being in Honolulu as well as living in a city. I am excited for this new adventure. I love the beach and I can't wait to get involved with beach clean up programs and do other things to help the beach and the environment. I love kids and I am eager to start a career that revolves around them. I am getting my masters in secondary education, but lately I have been thinking a lot about working with those who have autism. I enjoy being outside and I love to be creative. I enjoy writing and painting. This school year I hope to try new things and explore the island that I am fortunate enough to call home.

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Hi friends! Here is a video about me :) Because of the sharing settings, you might need to view it through your HPU google account. I am excited to meet everyone.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Hey everyone! My name is Alfonso, but I usually go by my nickname Jay. I've been living on Hawai'i for about 9 years now, and it's the longest I've been in one place. My dad was in the Navy, so we were always moving around before he retired. I have a Bachelor's and Master's in Social Work, and I decided to come back to school to get my Master's in Elem. Education because through both work and practicum settings, I've been involved in and seen different ways education is taught to both children and adults. I've mainly had experience with special needs children and adults, but I am looking forward to this year and becoming a teacher!  Things I like to do in my free time are to just relax and do nothing, facetime my siblings, and play video games. I like to listen to pop music in my free time as well, and usually have either that or video game music playing when doing assignments.