Raised by farmers in rural Philippines who emphasized the importance of education, MJ Nakamura decided to dedicate her career to helping others reach their education goals. As a corrections education supervisor at the Halawa Correctional Facility, she develops and runs programs for the incarcerated to obtain skills, college degrees, certifications and GEDs.
Despite severe short staffing and often working more than 12-hour days, MJ has powered through to recruit and teach nearly half of the resident population in her classes. And she’s helped hundreds of previous students transition back into society as law-abiding working professionals. In 2025, she was awarded State Employee of the Year by Gov. Josh Green. But the real reward for MJ is proof she helped students get on the right track when she bumps into them in her everyday life.
HAWAII GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION