HR 208: CONGRATULATING THE KAUAʻI dISTRICT Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Complex Area 2025 TEACHER OF THE YEAR, 2025 United States SENATE YOUTH Program DELEGATE, 2024 PRUDENTIAL EMERGING VISIONARies winner, AND 2024 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	208
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

CONGRATULATING THE KAUAʻI dISTRICT Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Complex Area 2025 TEACHER OF THE YEAR, 2025 United States SENATE YOUTH Program DELEGATE, 2024 PRUDENTIAL EMERGING VISIONARies winner, AND 2024 NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, LEAH ‘AIWOHI was recently named the Kauaʻi District Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Complex Area 2025 Teacher of the Year; and

 

WHEREAS, an exemplary educator who has cultivated an environment where students thrive, LEAH ʻAIWOHI has dedicated 35 years to teaching in Hawaiʻi's public school system, inspiring and empowering students of all ages; and

 

WHEREAS, recognized as Kauaʻi District's Teacher of the Year in 2002 and 2025, LEAH ʻAIWOHI teaches a wide range of career and technical education (CTE) subjects, including computer science, media production, and STEM subjects, while also serving as the CTE Coordinator, managing program development, budgets, and student internships; and

 

WHEREAS, LEAH ʻAIWOHI has worked tirelessly to promote equitable access to technology education and foster student success, advising student media productions that have been featured on national platforms like PBS NewsHour and helping students earn the highest honors in state and national media and STEM competitions; and

 

WHEREAS, a recognized PBS Digital Innovator All-Star, CSTA Equity Fellow, and Amazon Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador, LEAH ʻAIWOHI champions inclusive teaching practices and student engagement, emphasizing the real-world application of classroom lessons; and

 

WHEREAS, being named Kauaʻi District's Teacher of the Year is an incredible honor that reflects not only LEAH ʻAIWOHI's extensive record of excellence, but also the collective efforts of her students, colleagues, and the community as a whole, reaffirming her commitment to fostering an inclusive, innovative classroom and advocating for equitable access to education; and

 

     WHEREAS, ETHAN YANG was recently named a 2025 United States Senate Youth Program Delegate; and

 

     WHEREAS, a senior at Henry J. Kaiser High School, ETHAN YANG serves as President of the student body and is an Executive Officer on the Hawaiʻi State Student Council, where he collaborates with fellow student leaders to organize the annual Student Leadership Conference and Secondary Student Conference; he also advocates for public school youth statewide as the sole Hawaiʻi Board of Education student representative; and

 

WHEREAS, ETHAN YANG is an Ambassador for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a founding member of the Mock Trial Team, and an active member and former Secretary of the National Honor Society; and

 

WHEREAS, ETHAN YANG has received numerous accolades, including winning the Harvard Book Award and the statewide Hawaiʻi Access to Justice Commission's essay contest, placing nationally in the Voice of Democracy audio essay contest, and competing in the Gladiator Mock Trial World Championship; he plans to pursue a degree in finance, political science, philosophy, or economics, with aspirations to become an attorney; and

 

     WHEREAS, GENSHU PRICE was recently named a 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries winner; and

 

     WHEREAS, a student at Myron B. Thompson Academy, GENSHU PRICE is a celebrated visionary leader and the founder of Bottles4College, a non-profit organization that collects recyclable bottles and cans to pay for college tuition for Hawaiʻi students wanting to pursue postsecondary education; and

 

WHEREAS, GENSHU PRICE began collecting cans at the age of 10 to save money for college before realizing it would take one student decades to earn a sufficient college fund from five cent bottle and can redemptions; he decided to shift gears and harness the power of community to raise money for local students needing financial aid for college; and

 

WHEREAS, under GENSHU PRICE's leadership, Bottles4College has recycled more than 1.75 million bottles and cans, equating to more than 140,000 pounds of trash diverted from landfills; and

 

WHEREAS, the non-profit organization has also granted $43,500 in scholarships to local students pursuing postsecondary education and $10,000 in disaster relief to those affected by the Maui wildfires; and

 

     WHEREAS, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL was recently recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School; and

 

     WHEREAS, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL stands out for its exceptional performance, surpassing statewide averages in English language arts by ten percentage points and math by 16 percentage points; and

 

WHEREAS, as a top performing school, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is being honored a second time for meeting the performance award criteria for Exemplary High Performing Schools; and

 

WHEREAS, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a caring ʻohana that puts students and relationships first, promoting a sense of belonging while also providing a rigorous, well-rounded, and transformative educational experience for all students; and

 

WHEREAS, as an International Baccalaureate World School, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL provides every student with instruction in the Japanese language with an emphasis on Japanese culture; the school prioritizes "whole student" education, preparing students for an increasingly complex and interconnected world; and

 

WHEREAS, utilizing an inquiry-based learning approach, KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL encourages students to speak up, be heard, and take action; the school's dedicated staff, partnered with families and interested community members, challenges students to think globally and act locally at school, at home, and throughout the community; now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i, Regular Session of 2025, that this body hereby congratulates LEAH ‘AIWOHI on being selected as the Kauaʻi District Kapaʻa-Kauaʻi-Waimea Complex Area 2025 Teacher of the Year, ETHAN YANG for being selected as a 2025 United States Senate Youth Program Delegate, GENSHU PRICE for being selected as a 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries winner, and KOKO HEAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for being recognized as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School and extends to them its warmest aloha and best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Kauai District Complex Area 2025 Teacher of the Year; 2025 United States Senate Youth Program Delegate; 2024 Prudential Emerging Visionaries Winner; 2024 National Blue Ribbon School