Alumni Spotlight
Lori Matsukawa
Occupation: Retired KING 5 news anchor/reporter and author
What school you grad? ‘Aiea High School ‘74
Location: Bellevue, WA
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Lori Matsukawa is an Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist with more than 40 years in the industry. She retired in 2020 after 36 years as an anchor and reporter at Seattle’s KING 5 news. In 2022 she was recognized with the Imperial award from the Government of Japan, “Rising Sun: Gold and Silver Rays,” recognizing her efforts to build strong relations between the people of Japan and the United States. She is a co-founder of the Asian American Journalists Association’s Seattle Chapter, the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, and served as Miss Teenage America 1974.
Her mother, Florence, taught kindergarten and first grade at Wahiawa, Alvah Scott and Webling elementary schools. Her father, Joe, taught at Leilehua High, was a vice principal at McKinley High, and retired after several years in the HIDOE state office.
Q: What makes you #HIPublicSchoolsProud?
A: A lot of people don’t have high expectations for public school grads. I think there are a lot of us out there defying those skeptics. So many good things come out of public schools. We are always underestimated, yet often outperform.
Q: What are you up to these days?
A: I just published a children’s book named “Brave Mrs. Sato.” It was illustrated by Tammy Yee (of Kāneʻohe). It’s based on my real-life babysitter and grandma who was a picture bride. It’s based on the true history of picture brides who came to Hawai‘i from 1907 to 1924.
Q: Name of teacher or mentor you’d like to thank?
A: Edwina Siu. She was my choir teacher (at ‘Aiea High School). I was an accompanist for the ‘Aiea Swingin’ Singers for two years. Because of this experience I believe I became more confident in front of people. Little did I know that it would lead to future success. At the time it was just a way to apply my interest in music and it became so much more.
Q: Favorite subject in school?
A: Social studies. I loved to read about other periods of time, other countries, other societies and other cultures.
Q: What advice do you have for students?
A: Be proud of who you are and have goals. Short-term goals, medium-term goals and long-term goals. If you set them, you’ll reach them.
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