Every item has potential to be recycled. We develop programming for products that are not often thought about as traditional “recyclables,” like your old car. With the help of our team, this past year I wrote and developed a new program to offer free towing and recycling of old unwanted junk vehicles for Maui County residents. I am proud of this accomplishment because getting a new government program up and running is a major challenge we overcame, and this program is a win-win for both residents and the environment alike.

The most rewarding thing to me about being a waste and recycling worker is knowing that I’m making a difference in a place — Maui — that is special, sacred, and cherished to so many people. Doing this type of work allows our generation and many more to come to also enjoy this beautiful and special island.

My greatest pleasure comes from sharing, through public education, about the unique way we manage trash on Oahu. Approximately 10% of our island homes are powered from opala brought to H-POWER. Nearly 90% of garbage is diverted from the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill. Making sure that we are culturally appropriate, safe and thoughtful with our information and operations gives me personal satisfaction. My job gives me the opportunity to use my expertise as a cultural practitioner in my profession to enhance the community.

Being in the landfill industry is unforgiving at times — continuing to fill our land with trash saddens me. Knowing the great environmental impacts we can have on our surroundings and insuring we follow all governmental regulations is why I do my job. The reward will come when we move to alternative solutions, but for now, we do our best to protect the land, sea and air for our keiki, moopuna and all future generations.

At my position as a Recycling/HI5 Specialist, I’m an educator, inspector, and creator. These duties contribute to our overall goal of reducing the amount of waste that goes to our landfill. One person can’t solve the growing (local and global) problem with waste, but one person can certainly help keep it going in the right direction. My duties help strengthen the community’s knowledge and encourage them to reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot. Let’s make aina-minded decisions automatic!

With the Environmental Protection and Sustainability Division, we are working to serve the land, the island, and the people whose lives are here. Whether the reward is more nearsighted, seeing positive impact immediately following a project or cleanup, or farsighted, where the impacts are bit by bit and a long work in progress, all of these conscious efforts are to take care of the planet and the life that takes care of us in return. It is rewarding simply to put in the energy and time, and care for something bigger than myself.

My job makes a positive impact in the community because we work with students to help them access a basic human right: communication. That could be through speech generating devices, sign language, words or all of the above! Speech-language pathologists work to ensure everyone has a voice. I am so proud of all my students every day. One of my initially nonverbal students started talking. He’s now using sentences!

Being able to communicate with others in the community is necessary to self-advocate and be a contributing member of society. I am committed to making this possible for my students as ‘talk story’ is a very important cultural aspect. Since working at the DOE, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor called an acoustic neuroma. Treatment left me completely deaf in one ear and has led me to have more understanding about navigating the world with a disability. It has also increased empathy towards my students.

The most rewarding thing about being a speech-language pathologist with the DOE is seeing our students (aged 3-21) learn communication skills. Experiencing moments when a child begins to speak, sign, or use augmentative communication is very exciting and gratifying. We are proud of the small moments when our students learn new skills, such as speaking for the first time, using a communication device independently, or by simply having a student interact or smile at us.

Watching children grow, communicate effectively and gain confidence is the most rewarding aspect of being a speech-language pathologist. One of my favorite things to see is a former student out in public conversing with friends and working within the community. Recently a former student surprised me by taking my order at a drive-through and was performing all the goals we had set for them while they had therapy. They did great and I was so proud of them!

A speech-language pathologist’s work has a ripple effect, starting with directly helping students express themselves, whether that is through verbal or non-verbal means. We strive to support parents and teachers by providing strategies so that they can help their students and children improve their communication skills in class and at home. This results in students who have an increased quality of life and are in a better position to be community contributors. I love when a teacher or parent tells me that a student, who previously had minimal expressive language skills, now “talks too much!”

The most rewarding thing about being a speech-language pathologist is working with students and watching them grow their skills to become successful communicators. I have 19 years of success stories that I’m proud of, such as seeing the joy when a non-speaking student asks for a toy using a device and is actually understood, or the appreciation from a parent who is finally able to understand what her child is saying. The impact I have on the individual lives of each student is what I’m most proud of.

HGEA has done an excellent job in protecting me and my family from the volatile nature of the healthcare industry. In my entire career as a public-sector nurse, I have never had to endure the loss of work opportunity because of labor relations issues or cost cutting measures. Unlike many people, I am fortunate to have a career in the field that I chose related to my college education and training. I know my job is secure now and into the future because I am a member of HGEA.

This year has been quite special for me, marking 25 years as a registered nurse, and 15 years employed by the state. My oldest daughter Brandie will be completing her BS in Nursing at UNLV. My youngest daughter Jade will be graduating from Waimea High School and attending UH-Manoa with plans to major in nursing as well. My career as a nurse has allowed me to balance both work and family life as a single parent. I especially enjoy being able to serve the community I grew up in as an ER nurse.

As an educator, I help students become creative, develop character, promote wellness of oneself, as well as provide students with the proper skills and tools for them to live productive lives so they can contribute to their community. What really hits home is seeing students blossom and reach their full potential. It’s when you see them in the community and they call out for you by name like they did in elementary school, but now as a young adult.

My job is safety and security. I completed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Utah Valley University so I’m able to better understand the students I work with. Knowing that parents can trust their kids to have a safe learning environment puts the community at ease. The most rewarding part of being a school security attendant is being able to provide a safe and secure environment for students to learn and grow, and eventually see them finish high school.

My job consists of supporting students with autism. Autism is a neurological disorder that affects communication, sensory processing, social skills and more, but my students can also have incredible memory and knowledge about their specific interests. I can’t help but get teary-eyed with every simple task mastered because the smallest simplest thing that may seem easy to us is ten times harder for them. I have so much compassion and love for my students. They always make my day.

Working in an elementary school, it’s rewarding for me to help students grow and be able to accomplish things they don’t think they are capable of doing. I also help them to not give up on their dreams. I’m very proud when my former students and parents reach out, especially when the student lets me know I had a lot to do with them graduating and going to college.

I’m especially proud of the program that I work for and helped start in 2010 called the Kupa‘a Academy, which services all schools within the Honolulu District. We specialize in students who are unsuccessful at their home school setting and have additional emotional or behavioral needs. This program is a saving grace for students who would otherwise fall through the cracks of the education system. I’ve witnessed my students fight through frustration and challenges to find success.

The most rewarding part of being a principal is having the privilege of working with a dedicated and caring staff who work hard to help our students grow academically, socially and emotionally. Fern Elementary is blessed with high-quality faculty and support staff. Our Kalihi students are loving, warmhearted children eager to learn.

During the pandemic, we were able to provide meals to the community. Families in need from the entire island came to pick up meals. I’m extremely proud and thankful for my hardworking cafeteria staff. Without their dedication and hard work, it would not have been possible.

Knowing that you’re providing a healthy and nutritional meal to students so their bodies are nourished and ready to learn throughout the day is rewarding. We help them grow into strong individuals who will someday become the leaders of our community. The look of appreciation you get from students’ happy faces and hearing “I love this lunch” is priceless.

The most rewarding thing for me is knowing that what we do as school food service workers can have an impact on the students of our community. We provide meals to students who might not always have the means to get them so they have fuel for their day.