09/25/2026
ICYMI: Growing up in Hilo, Sunny always loved learning, but it was a handful of exceptional teachers who showed her what education could truly be. Today, as a 7th-grade English teacher and English Department Head at Pāhoa High and Intermediate School, she is helping create that same experience for her students. Sunny reflected on how her own educational journey, studies in sociology, and experience as a 2022 Teach For America Hawaiʻi corps member shaped her belief that all students can succeed when given the right support. She shared what makes a great teacher, the lessons she learned through TFA, and why building relationships and empowering student voice remain at the center of her work.
