Aloha, HIDOE Community – 

Welcome to this week’s edition of the Ho‘oha‘aheo Newsletter.

U.S. Presidential Scholars
Congratulations to recent Kealakehe High School graduates Daniel Chen and Zachariah Smith on being recognized as Hawaiʻi U.S. Presidential Scholars! Both students graduated this past May as valedictorians and completed the school’s STEM Academy program. They are now pursuing engineering degrees, with Chen attending Yale University and Smith attending Rice University. Congratulations to them, their families and the educators who have supported them along the way, and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish in the future. Read more about their academic and community leadership accomplishments here.

The Amazing Shake
On Monday, students from Barbers Point Elementary, Hoʻokele Elementary, Kapolei Elementary, Makakilo Elementary, Mauka Lani Elementary, Kapolei Middle and Honouliuli Middle participated in the Kapolei Complex’s Amazing Shake competition. The nationwide competition presents real-world challenges for students in grades 3-8 to practice communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they introduce themselves, respond to unexpected questions and think on their feet.

Lāʻie Elementary School: Friday was our Halloween Parade - campus walk-through!! We saw so many different costumes, creative ones, some spooky, and some were hilarious. It’s always a fun day at school when you can dress up, be a different character and share some school spirit. Mahalo Lāʻie Elementary for an amazing end to our Halloween Spirit Week!

Mililani High School Cross Country: Congratulations to Stephen Kozuma and Kaitlyn Bitterman for winning the Boys and Girls Individual Champions at the 2026 HHSAA Cross Country Championships! Shout out to Coach Ty Sissel for doing an amazing job with his team at Radford! So glad we could celebrate their achievements together and support each other’s programs! Glad we could represent the OIA! Based on HHSAA records, both Stephen and Kaitlyn ran the fastest 5K time on the challenging HPA course in State History!! Awesome job!!

Waiākea High School Cheer Team: Congratulations to all our Big Island high school senior cheerleaders, Class of 2027! 💙🤍 A special shoutout to our three Waiākea Warrior seniors! We are so proud of your hard work, dedication, and passion throughout your cheerleading journey. As you take the mat for your final season, remember the memories you’ve made, the friendships you’ve built, and the legacy you’ll leave behind. Congratulations, Class of 2027! 🎓

In 1990, students from Konawaena High School became the first high school team to officially finish the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the world’s largest solar car race in Australia — which became the basis of the 1996 feature film “Race the Sun” starring Halle Berry and Jim Belushi. Now, the original core team is planning to compete again in the event’s 40th anniversary in August 2027.

The Youth Educational Stability (YES) Project is an initiative dedicated to supporting children and families experiencing housing instability. Traveling to communities across the islands, the YES van provides access to essential resources, including meals, food, hygiene supplies, clothing, social services and more. Already serving Maui, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island, the YES van expanded to O‘ahu this school year. Toby Portner, HIDOE’s state coordinator for the Education for Homeless Children & Youth program, joins KHON’s Wake Up 2Day to share more about this mobile outreach program.

Makalapa Elementary School hosted its second annual Career Day, welcoming 40 speakers representing a variety of industries to expose students to diverse career opportunities. Presenters included Radford High School media students, a flight attendant and a television news reporter and more.

Shane Myers

Title: School Psychologist
Job site: Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Area
Years in the HIDOE: 17
Years in the position: 17

Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Area Shane Myers was named the 2026-27 School Psychologist of the Year by the Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists.

Q: How did you get into this field?
A: My mother ran a daycare out of our home growing up and my grandmother was a school bus driver so I’ve always been around kids. In high school, I had a very inspiring psychology teacher who piqued my interest in how the brain works. As an undergraduate, the lead person of my school’s school psychology graduate program shared a presentation about their program to my Abnormal Psychology class. I was instantly intrigued by the opportunity to practice psychology with school-aged children from an educational perspective and decided to pursue that opportunity. 

Q: Favorite part about the job?
A: Since I mostly support students indirectly — that is, I work with the adults who directly support students — I have to say that my favorite happenstance is when multiple individuals with unique perspectives align with a common purpose and gel as a team that accomplishes more than originally intended. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this multiple times in my years in the Waialua Complex both with my colleagues and with the students they serve. There’s nothing more captivating than witnessing the power of a team. 

e students they serve. There’s nothing more captivating than witnessing the power of a team. 

Q: Fun fact about yourself?
A: I've swam with (and photographed) 16 different species of sharks including Great Whites, Bull sharks and Tiger sharks. My favorite is the Great Hammerhead shark.