PROVING THEM WRONG

Nishi first found herself teaching at Washington Intermediate School where she first experienced the challenges of teaching. However, as time progressed the fate of one special call led her to Nānākuli High and Intermediate School. Although persuaded to not take the job, she wanted to challenge herself in going to a place where she had not been before.

“I got a job at Washington Intermediate School. And the kids over there—they were really naughty, they were naughty. It would be like, ‘You gotta turn that radio off, it’s class time.’ ‘What Miss?! You going make me?’ (It would be) like that. And I thought, ‘Oh no, what did I get myself into?’ But then they contacted me and they said that there was a position at Nānākuli (High and Intermediate School). And my family all said, ‘Are you sure? Cause you know, get bullet holes in the traffic signs and the stop signs.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to prove to them that I can handle.’ So I came out here and I did get tested by the kids, they wanted to see how far they could get with me. But after awhile I guess they realized that I was here to stay and that I cared about them, and then they stopped picking on me—but they were driving me crazy in the beginning,” said Nishi.