Kristel Brogdon is a fully-self contained special education teacher at Kea’au Middle School in the Big Island’s Puna district.  She previously taught at St. Joseph Jr./Sr. High School, where she was the middle school English and high school history teacher for two years.  Kristel has also spent three years as an Educational Assistant and three years as a substitute teacher within the Ka’u-Kea’au-Pahoa Complex, before teaching full-time with the Hawaii Department of Education.  She is passionate about bridging the gap between school and home, and empowering her students with the thrive skills necessary to be outstanding global citizens.  Most recently, Kristel was awarded the 2017-2018 Milken Teacher of Promise award for the Ka’u-Kea’au-Pahoa Complex Area.  Kristel received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and her Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

Summer Pila, M.Ed. is a fully self-contained special education preschool teacher at Waimea Elementary School. She also has taught special education preschool at Honoka‘a Elementary School. Her previous experience with special needs children includes working as a paraprofessional for 15 years and also as a Skills Trainer Coordinator.  Summer is passionate about helping young children become more independent by helping them reach their fullest potential.  Summer received her B.A. in Environmental Policy and Planning from UH-Hilo and M. Ed. in Special Education from UH-Mānoa. 

Pamela Walencewicz, M.Ed., is a special education co-teacher for 5th grade at Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School. Pamela began her teaching experience as a Pre-K paraprofessional and licensed Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT). She taught Pre-K in a fully self-contained classroom for one year, then switched to co-teaching in 1st grade before moving to upper elementary. Her primary areas of interest are restorative and inclusive teaching practices, which she feels are integral to special education. Being Native Hawaiian, Pamela is also interested in supporting other Native Hawaiians in considering a career in special education. While a post-bac student, Pamela participated in a SEED Grant for recruitment and retention of Native Hawaiian special educators. In 2019, she presented on the co-teaching model in elementary education at the West Hawaii Educational Summit. Pamela is also a member of the West Hawaii Restorative Practices Cadre, a collective of educators, counselors, and administrators striving to approach discipline from a relationship-driven perspective. In 2020, she received her Master’s of Education in Special Education from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, where her work focused on restorative practices in a co-taught environment. 

Evelyn Gamez is a special education teacher for the fully self-contained Life skills classroom at Maui High School. Her experience is mainly with severe/autism. 

Her primary vision for her students and classroom is to dispel the negative notions of people with disabilities and create meaningful connections and opportunities for her students and their community. 

Evelyn has a BA in English with minor in writing from Texas A&M International University. She also received her Post-Baccalaureate in Special Education for Severe Disabilities and Autism and her M. Ed in Special Education, with an emphasis on ABA, from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.

Charmaine Nuesca-Ganer is a fully-self contained special education teacher at Lahaina Intermediate School (LIS) in Lahaina, Maui.  She previously worked as a Paraprofessional at Lahaina Intermediate School for 16 years.  She is passionate in providing her students with life learning skills that will give them the confidence to do anything they set their heart desire.  She helped  bring the “Coffee Cart Program” to her school, which partnered with community support.

Charmaine helped coordinate the volleyball program  at LIS for the past 17 years, and introduced the “REACH” program to the volleyball program.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education in 2010, followed by a Master of Education in Special Education in 2015, from Grand Canyon University (GCU).

Jessica Ford is a special education teacher in English Language Arts at Molokai High School (MHS) in Hawaii. She earned a Master's of Education in Teaching, dual certification in secondary Special Education (Mild to Moderate) and English Language Arts, from University of Hawaii College of Education. Her preferred teaching style is Inquiry, following the path of a guiding question and learning alongside students. She teaches in a resource and Inclusion setting; she has been teaching at Molokai High School for six years. She enjoys engaging in place-based education that uplifts the identity of students on Molokai by connecting them with their island and community. With a dedicated team at MHS, Ms. Ford also coordinates with other Molokai schools, organizations, and community members to take part in the Molokai HĀ Design Team, with the guidance of Office of Hawaiian Education. This team focuses on cultivating culturally relevant learning environments through the lens of the Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ) framework. This island-wide team organizes an annual youth summit called ‘Aha ‘Ōpio o Molokai to engage the community by showcasing student work and excellence, and to capture the mo‘olelo of Molokai. 

Detina has been a Special Education teacher at Mililani Waena Elementary since July 2012. Before teaching in the Hawaii DOE, Detina spent 2 years teaching at a non-diploma bound, New York State certified special education school. She has spent most of her years teaching in a fully self-contained classroom. Detina is passionate about providing a fun, warm, and inviting classroom environment that gives students a safe and engaging place to learn. She enjoys creating opportunities for her students to shine such as art galleries, plays, and other extracurricular activities. Detina received her B.S. in Elementary/Special Education at Plattsburgh State University, and her M.A. in English Language Learning at Western Governors University.

Kelsey Komoto is an Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Hickam Elementary in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has previously taught students with a range of disabilities in grades kindergarten and first grade. Kelsey has previously held the role of Special Education Department Head, Administrative Designee, and UH Mentor Teacher. Currently, she is on the Hickam Elementary Academic Review Team and serves as an Induction and Mentoring mentor teacher. Kelsey is passionate about creating a classroom environment that fosters a love of learning and provides students opportunities to grow both academically and socially. She also helps to lead her school’s actions on closing the achievement gap. Her knowledge and experience help to voice change and equity for not only for special education students, but for all students. Kelsey received her B.S. in Elementary/Special Education at the University of Nevada Reno, and her M.Ed. in Special Education:  Literacy Specialist at the University of Hawaii, Mānoa.

Michelle Lim is currently a Special Education K-2 Resource teacher at Red Hill Elementary.  Michelle began teaching in the Preschool setting in California and moved to Hawaii to pursue her license in Special Education at UH Mānoa. This is her 3rd year in an early elementary resource setting. Her passion lies in servicing early elementary and she is a huge proponent for family advocacy. Michelle received her undergraduate degree in Child Development and Family Studies, a Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, and is currently in the MEd Special Education, Leadership program at UH Mānoa.

Nicole Jankowski is a 19-year veteran to the field of special education. Born and raised in the midwest, Nicole is now a 7th grade inclusion teacher at Ewa Makai Middle School on the island of Oahu. Her tenure includes 14 years of teaching at the elementary level, 3 years at the secondary level, and 2 years at the middle school level. She has an array of experience working with students with autism, emotional behavior disorders, specific learning disabilities, and developmental cognitive disabilities.  She has a passion for empowering her students, and creating a school culture of seeing students’ ability versus their disability.  She  holds a Masters Degree in Special Education from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Meggan Lint, M.Ed., is a 7th grade Special Education Teacher at Ewa Makai Middle School (EMMS) in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Meggan works diligently in her small group ELA classroom while also co-teaching classes of Math and ELA. Meggan attended Iowa State University where she received her B.S in Elementary Education with a minor in Child, Adult, and Family Services. She pursued her M.Ed with an emphasis as Instructional Strategist I from Upper Iowa University. From 3 year old preschool to high school summer classes, she has experience in both traditional and nontraditional classroom settings. Prior to moving to Oahu, she taught 4 year old preschool and prekindergarten in Ankeny, Iowa. In her first year at EMMS, Meggan was nominated as a CKECET2 Diamond Teacher for the Campbell/Kapolei complex. Meggan “consistently tells her caseload students that they can achieve their goals and ambitions. She is real with them, tells them the truth and focuses on paving a positive road for their future.”

Derek Govin is a fully-self contained special education teacher at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu.  He previously taught in Sumner County, TN where he was the fully-self contained special education teacher for one year.  Derek has also instructed reading intervention and ELA inclusion for 8th graders for two years. He is passionate about connecting functional academics with life skills to empower individuals with special needs to both gain access to the world around them, as well as thrive in the most independent manner.  Derek received his B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and M.S. in Special Education from Old Dominion University in Virginia.