Meet Vanessa Ching, a middle school educator from Hawaii who was named the 2018 Teacher of the Year for her state. Vanessa graduated from Baldwin High School on Maui. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a double major in Elementary Education and Special Education. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching Leadership from the National University at San Diego and, in addition, has been named a National Board Certification in Literacy, Elementary-Middle Childhood.

In a career that has spanned 14 years so far, Vanessa inaugurated her life as an educator with the Hawaii State Department of Education as a Special Education teacher for grades K-6, teaching at Pearl Ridge, Aiea, Alvah Scott, Webling, and Waimalu Elementary Schools. Then she accepted a position at Ewa makai Middle School where she serves as the Student Activities Coordinator, Green Initiatives Coordinator, and Student Leadership and Yearbook Advisor.

“Vanessa has made a tremendous impact on the culture at Ewa Makai Middle as coordinator of Student Activities and Green Initiatives, teaching students to reduce their carbon footprints and that of the entire school,” commented Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “Ewa Makai is the only school statewide to have won the National Green Ribbon School certification,” Kushimoto continued. “Vanessa has done amazing work to improve the school and the Ewa community through her teaching,” the Superintendent concluded.

Vanessa’s principal, Kim Sanders, agrees that the honored teacher has been a great asset to the school. “Developing a culture of environmentally conscious students, community members, and parents, Vanessa worked to designate Ewa Makai Middle as a plastic-free school and won a refillable water station in a national contest with a powerful PSA,” Sanders remarked. “Vanessa and her students wrote grants to develop an organic garden, aquaponics, and a composting program towards becoming a waste-free school.,” Sanders described. “Her dedicated work has been an incredible learning opportunity for our students, and our entire campus and community have been improved as a whole,” Sanders concluded.

For more about this amazing educator, see the video below: