A Day in the Life of: A Marist Graduate who Teaches in Hawaii

Today we had our alumni dinner, in which we met a group of Marist graduates that have to move to teach in Hawaii. At our groups table we had the pleasure of meeting a man named Sam, who graduated from Marist in 2013 with the dual certification in special education and elementary education. He accepted the position on the spot when he received a phone call late one night. In July, Sam and another Marist graduate moved out to Oahu and began their teaching careers. Sam teaches in a 5th and 6th grade special education self contained classroom, with students ranging in severity. Now in his fourth year he stated that he has become burnt out. He is changing schools for the upcoming year to fall back in love with teaching. Sam did not sugar coat his experience, he claims it was a tough one, but he has learned and grown more than he could have ever imagined. He explained how moving out here was scary and he lived without furniture for a couple months, but he also explained how he made do with what he had and learned to ask for help when needed. Through all of these obstacles, Sam stands by his decision to move out here. He has recently became engaged and has no plans of moving back to the mainland.

It was clear that Sam has a true passion for teaching and care deeply about each one of his students. He emphasized to us that it is not simply about knowing a student, but rather creating a lasting relationship with them. With this being said, Sam encompasses the true meaning of Aloha.