Aloha, ʻo Makala Paakaula koʻu inoa, ke poʻokumu o ke kahua kula HTA ma Kona. I have worked in Hawai‘i schools since 2000. I became an educator because I am passionate about increasing student access to Hawaiian ʻike and ʻōlelo and partnering our cultural strengths with the skills of the 21st century. I was born and raised on O‘ahu and earned my bachelor’s and master’s in education at UH-Mānoa. After teaching for 11 years, I was an administrator at Castle High School and Pūʻōhala School. I joined HTA in 2022 and am excited to work with our whole community to build a program that emphasizes the importance of authentic learning and assessment, place-based, project-based, and culturally responsive education. I love the beach, and hiking (waterfalls!), and gardening and plants. It’s so amazing when you can enjoy the flowers and food you’ve grown yourself.