| Debra Aguinaldo-Nakama |
As a Filipina educator, my professional goals and personal
contributions have always centered on improving the lives of
students, especially those of minority cultures. Through my
grant writing, research, presentations, professional affiliations
and community service, I create a rich environment for personal
achievement that lead people to think of themselves as
competent, capable leaders and lovable human beings. Bringing
individuals to efficacy is the greatest gift I offer to people.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Ayson, “Dr. Nakama’s classroom was
powerfully beneficial to these individual high school youth, who
may otherwise never have learned the rewards of creative
potential propelled by self-empowerment (August, 2007).”
One of my missions is to work with Filipino high school students
in Hawai´i who face many unique issues and problems. For
instance, because Filipinos are under the Asian American
umbrella, they are adversely affected by the “model minority”
myth that assumes that all Filipinos are economically and
academically successful. Those who fall short of this image
contributions have always centered on improving the lives of
students, especially those of minority cultures. Through my
grant writing, research, presentations, professional affiliations
and community service, I create a rich environment for personal
achievement that lead people to think of themselves as
competent, capable leaders and lovable human beings. Bringing
individuals to efficacy is the greatest gift I offer to people.
According to Dr. Elizabeth Ayson, “Dr. Nakama’s classroom was
powerfully beneficial to these individual high school youth, who
may otherwise never have learned the rewards of creative
potential propelled by self-empowerment (August, 2007).”
One of my missions is to work with Filipino high school students
in Hawai´i who face many unique issues and problems. For
instance, because Filipinos are under the Asian American
umbrella, they are adversely affected by the “model minority”
myth that assumes that all Filipinos are economically and
academically successful. Those who fall short of this image
become disenfranchised by an educational system that might not understand their specific
needs. This may result in decreasing numbers of Filipinos who attain a baccalaureate degree or
higher.
Additionally, at home students must work through issues confounded by generational and
cultural gaps. Immigrant Filipino parents are often unfamiliar with U.S. customs and its
educational system. Because parent’s emphases promote ideals of success in mainstream
America, Filipino youth grow up without learning about and honoring their genealogy and
culture. Without a distinct sense of personal pride and identity, it is difficult for many youth to
see the relevance of their education and their responsibility to their families. Paradoxically, how
do we educationally prepare our Filipino youth for the future when they do not value their
learning or take pride in their culture?
We Filipinos need to come together to build inclusive communities for ourselves and to continue
and expand our involvement in our lives in our communities. We need to listen collectively to our
diverse voices and engage in dialogue that helps us to openly discuss the richness of our
heritage, the current issues affecting our identities and optimize the opportunities to continue to
make contributions to America. As a mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Ayson also states that, “Dr. Nakama is
often called upon to be the peacemaker, the one that could bring together individuals or groups
in conflict.”
As a Filipina striving to make a difference, I am guided by the voices of my culture: Ang marunong
lumingon sa pinanggalingan, makararating sa kinaroroonan. (If you honor or value your past,
you will be able to move forward.) It is the perseverance, morals and values of the Filipino
people that enable us to be successful members of our ever-changing and advancing
community. We are the ones we have been waiting for (June Jordan, 1980).
AWARDS AND HONORS
Doctoral Fellowship to the Community College Leadership Development Initiatives (CCLDI) at
Claremont Graduate University and the community college program at University of California,
Los Angeles’s (UCLA) Department of Education for the 2002-2003 cycle. Only fifteen Doctoral
Fellows were selected from California and Hawai‘i for the inaugural sessions. I attended a series
of meetings at UCLA that brought together outstanding doctoral students interested in
community college leadership. As a Doctoral Fellow, I met with community college leaders and
researchers from California, found out more about resources available, and worked jointly on
research projects that increased participants’ readiness for leadership positions and addressed
some of the most important issues that are facing community college leadership today.
Filipino Chamber of Commerce – Leadership Achievement Award “Gintong Pamana” (1999)
GRANTS
PRESENTATIONS
CURRICULUM EXPERIENCES
FACILITATOR, a teacher preparation articulation agreement between the University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa College of Education Secondary Education Program (e.g. social studies and career and
technical education) and Maui Community College.
CO-FACILITATOR, HI PASS pilot project to electronically connect Maui Community College with
Maui Department of Education to share student data across institutions and develop teacher-led
professional learning communities.
CO-FACILITATOR, GEAR-UP math articulation agreement for Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.
The development of dual credit policies and procedures between Maui Community College and
Hawai‘i Department of Education, Maui District.
LEAD DEVELOPER, a collaborative framework for the Maui Educational Consortium (formerly Maui
Tech Prep School-to-Work System Consortium) a district-wide consortium including all Maui public
high schools and Maui Community College.
FACILITATOR, a dual credit program at Kamehameha High School, Maui Campus with Maui
Community College.
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for the Math Science Partnership Grant for Maui District to
support partnerships between middle school, high school and community college to reexamine
their instruction and students’ learning outcomes in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Also
supports the integration of computers in the teaching/learning process of the mathematics
courses through the use of Carnegie Learning Corporation’s successful Cognitive Tutor
program.
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for Project Ku‘ina. A project that effectively bridges non-
credit and credit programs to service academically and economically disadvantaged youth, 14-21.
CO-DEVELOPER, a systems framework for Project PAVE. An approach to improve academic
success for vocational education students (team approach—faculty, counselor and student).
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for the Hālau A‘o Project. A project-based, culturally
appropriate, approach to increase academic success for at-risk Native Hawaiian high school
students.
CO-DEVELOPER, the programmatic framework for the Po‘okela Project. A project-based,
culturally appropriate, support services program for Native Hawaiian students majoring in career
and technical education based in instruction.
FACILITATOR, the Cisco Networking Training Academy Program for Maui District (Maui Community
College and Maui District high schools). The Academy curriculum covers a broad range of topics
from basic networking skills to more complex concepts.
DEVELOPER, a systems framework of Maui County school-to-work initiatives. A work-based
learning initiative that published the following curricular resources to support the teaming of
schools and businesses and learning in the community: Systems Overview; Career Development
Sequence; Towards an Integrated Curriculum; One-on-One Mentoring; and, Work-based
Learning.
FACILITATOR, a dual credit 2 + 2 Program with Maui public high schools. A credit-by-articulation
program that allows students to receive credit at Maui Community College for the same student
learning outcomes they have successfully completed in high schools (e.g. FSER 20 Introduction to
Food Service).
needs. This may result in decreasing numbers of Filipinos who attain a baccalaureate degree or
higher.
Additionally, at home students must work through issues confounded by generational and
cultural gaps. Immigrant Filipino parents are often unfamiliar with U.S. customs and its
educational system. Because parent’s emphases promote ideals of success in mainstream
America, Filipino youth grow up without learning about and honoring their genealogy and
culture. Without a distinct sense of personal pride and identity, it is difficult for many youth to
see the relevance of their education and their responsibility to their families. Paradoxically, how
do we educationally prepare our Filipino youth for the future when they do not value their
learning or take pride in their culture?
We Filipinos need to come together to build inclusive communities for ourselves and to continue
and expand our involvement in our lives in our communities. We need to listen collectively to our
diverse voices and engage in dialogue that helps us to openly discuss the richness of our
heritage, the current issues affecting our identities and optimize the opportunities to continue to
make contributions to America. As a mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Ayson also states that, “Dr. Nakama is
often called upon to be the peacemaker, the one that could bring together individuals or groups
in conflict.”
As a Filipina striving to make a difference, I am guided by the voices of my culture: Ang marunong
lumingon sa pinanggalingan, makararating sa kinaroroonan. (If you honor or value your past,
you will be able to move forward.) It is the perseverance, morals and values of the Filipino
people that enable us to be successful members of our ever-changing and advancing
community. We are the ones we have been waiting for (June Jordan, 1980).
AWARDS AND HONORS
Doctoral Fellowship to the Community College Leadership Development Initiatives (CCLDI) at
Claremont Graduate University and the community college program at University of California,
Los Angeles’s (UCLA) Department of Education for the 2002-2003 cycle. Only fifteen Doctoral
Fellows were selected from California and Hawai‘i for the inaugural sessions. I attended a series
of meetings at UCLA that brought together outstanding doctoral students interested in
community college leadership. As a Doctoral Fellow, I met with community college leaders and
researchers from California, found out more about resources available, and worked jointly on
research projects that increased participants’ readiness for leadership positions and addressed
some of the most important issues that are facing community college leadership today.
Filipino Chamber of Commerce – Leadership Achievement Award “Gintong Pamana” (1999)
GRANTS
- AUTHOR, GEAR UP Hawai‘i Math Articulation Grant (2006) - $26,986
- AUTHOR, GEAR UP Hawai‘i Scholars and Math Articulation Grant (2005) - $36,200
- CO-AUTHOR, Math and Science Partnership Grant for Cognitive Tutor (2005) - $1,980,000
- CO-AUTHOR, Akimeka, Ho‘ōla Science Curriculum Development Grant (2005) - $50,612
- CO-AUTHOR, Tribal College University Partnership Grant/National Science Foundation for
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (2004) - $2,000,000 - AUTHOR, University of Hawai‘i Diversity Grant (1999-2000) - $4,500
- AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education, School-to-Work Implementation Grant
(1999-2000) - $176,250 - CO-AUTHOR, Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Project Ku‘ina (1999) - $216,500
- AUTHOR, Bank of Hawai‘i Grant Proposal (1998-1999) - $3,000
- AUTHOR, University of Hawai‘i Diversity Grant (1998-1999) - $6,000
- AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education, School-to-Work Implementation Grant
(1998-1999) - $235,000 - CO-AUTHOR, Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998, Project PAVE
(1998) - $290,000 - AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education, School-to-Work Grant, Institutional
Capacity Building Grant (1997-1998) - $357,522 - CO-AUTHOR, Native Hawaiian Prison Education Grant, Hālau A‘o Project (1997) - $598,920
- AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education, School-to-Work Institutional Capacity
Building Grant (1996-1997) - $330,248 - AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education, School-to-Work Partnership Building Grant
(1995-1996) - $16,000 - AUTHOR, Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Action of 1990 Grant (1994) -
$39,000 - AUTHOR, Maui District Department of Education Carl Perkins Grant (1994) - $20,505
- AUTHOR, State Leadership Curriculum Development Funds, State Office of Vocational
Education (1993-1994) - $42,964 - AUTHOR, State Leadership Curriculum Development Funds, State Office of Vocational
Education (1993) - $113,161 - AUTHOR, Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 Grant
(1992-1993) - $120,000
PRESENTATIONS
- “Improving Math Proficiency Part II: Why Articulate” co-presentation at 6th Annual Gear
Up Hawai‘i Showcase of Promising Practices (2007), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “You Inspire Us. . .” presentation at Maui District Department of Education Teacher
Institute Day (2006), Maui, Hawai‘i - “Improving Math Proficiency Part I: Why Articulate” co-presentation at 5th Annual Gear Up
Hawai‘i Showcase of Promising Practices (2006), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “Bridging the Educational Divide - Building Secondary/Postsecondary Transitions” co-
presentation at National Career Clusters Institute: Career Clusters: Leading the Way
(2005), Phoenix, Arizona - “Filipino Legacy in Hawai‘i” presentation at the State United Filipino of Hawai‘i Council
Annual State Convention (2004), Maui, Hawai‘i - “Project Po‘okela and Project Kealahaka” co-presentation at the Sixth World Indigenous
Peoples Conference (2002), Alberta, Canada - “Preparing Filipino Students for the Future” presentation at the United Filipino Council of
Hawai‘i, 41st Annual Convention (2001), Lāna‘i, Hawai‘i - “Service Learning” presentation at Hawai‘i Environmental Association Conference (2000-
2001), Maui, Hawai‘i - “System Development, Student Learning and Leadership” presentation at Tech Prep Hawai
‘i State Conference (2001), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “System Building: EMBARK.com” presentation at Tech Prep Hawai‘i State Conference
(2001), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “Project Hālau A‘o” co-presentation at the National Indian Educational Association (NIEA)
Conference (2000), Sioux Falls, South Dakota - “Maui Career Development Sequence, School-to-Work” presentation at the Statewide
Middle School Conference (1999), Maui, Hawai‘i - “A Tool Kit for Making the Connection with High Schools” presentation at Perkins Act
Planning Institute (1998), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “Community Partnerships” presentation at Statewide SCBM Conference (1996), Honolulu,
Hawai‘i - “Creating a High Performance Community” presentation at Hawai‘i Career and Vocational
Education Conference (1993), Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “SCANS, TPAD and Applied Academics Maui” co-presentation at Northwest Conference on
Competency-Based Education (1993), Pasco, Washington - “SCANS in Maui County” presentation at Commission on Performance Standards (1993),
Honolulu, Hawai‘i - “Tech Prep/Maui” presentation at Maui SCANS Symposium II (1993), Maui, Hawai‘i
CURRICULUM EXPERIENCES
FACILITATOR, a teacher preparation articulation agreement between the University of Hawai‘i at
Mānoa College of Education Secondary Education Program (e.g. social studies and career and
technical education) and Maui Community College.
CO-FACILITATOR, HI PASS pilot project to electronically connect Maui Community College with
Maui Department of Education to share student data across institutions and develop teacher-led
professional learning communities.
CO-FACILITATOR, GEAR-UP math articulation agreement for Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.
The development of dual credit policies and procedures between Maui Community College and
Hawai‘i Department of Education, Maui District.
LEAD DEVELOPER, a collaborative framework for the Maui Educational Consortium (formerly Maui
Tech Prep School-to-Work System Consortium) a district-wide consortium including all Maui public
high schools and Maui Community College.
FACILITATOR, a dual credit program at Kamehameha High School, Maui Campus with Maui
Community College.
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for the Math Science Partnership Grant for Maui District to
support partnerships between middle school, high school and community college to reexamine
their instruction and students’ learning outcomes in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Also
supports the integration of computers in the teaching/learning process of the mathematics
courses through the use of Carnegie Learning Corporation’s successful Cognitive Tutor
program.
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for Project Ku‘ina. A project that effectively bridges non-
credit and credit programs to service academically and economically disadvantaged youth, 14-21.
CO-DEVELOPER, a systems framework for Project PAVE. An approach to improve academic
success for vocational education students (team approach—faculty, counselor and student).
CO-DEVELOPER, a curricular framework for the Hālau A‘o Project. A project-based, culturally
appropriate, approach to increase academic success for at-risk Native Hawaiian high school
students.
CO-DEVELOPER, the programmatic framework for the Po‘okela Project. A project-based,
culturally appropriate, support services program for Native Hawaiian students majoring in career
and technical education based in instruction.
FACILITATOR, the Cisco Networking Training Academy Program for Maui District (Maui Community
College and Maui District high schools). The Academy curriculum covers a broad range of topics
from basic networking skills to more complex concepts.
DEVELOPER, a systems framework of Maui County school-to-work initiatives. A work-based
learning initiative that published the following curricular resources to support the teaming of
schools and businesses and learning in the community: Systems Overview; Career Development
Sequence; Towards an Integrated Curriculum; One-on-One Mentoring; and, Work-based
Learning.
FACILITATOR, a dual credit 2 + 2 Program with Maui public high schools. A credit-by-articulation
program that allows students to receive credit at Maui Community College for the same student
learning outcomes they have successfully completed in high schools (e.g. FSER 20 Introduction to
Food Service).
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