Judith Kaya is now retired. At the time of her award, she was a resource teacher and coordinator for student activities and business and education partnerships for Mililani's Central Oahu District. "The educator needs to bridge the gap between learning and how it applies to 'real life' situations," she says. Mrs. Kaya believes that her ability to be both a dreamer and a realist sets her apart as an educator. She is at one and the same time a "visionary and practitioner," and for her, risk-taking is a practice that combines these two elements. "I encourage my students," she says, "to be risk-takers, to dream and make things happen." She, herself, tries to maintain the delicate balance between dream and action in everything she does. Her work in developing business and education partnerships has led her to pursue similar projects that are wider in scope. "I am very interested in organizing a coordinated volunteer bureau for the schools; I am not only looking to businesses, but also to military and governmental agencies, and especially to intergenerational (senior citizen) groups." True learning, she holds, can only become more meaningful in real life situations.
1965 University of Hawaii - Manoa, B.A.
