For generations of students at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School, Tony Jones has been more than a teacher; he has been a mentor, coach, and advocate. After 30 years of unwavering dedication to the NHIS community, Mr. Jones is stepping into retirement.

A Career Dedicated to Nānākuli

In January of 1995, Tony Jones joined the NHIS staff originally as a substitute teacher. After his probationary period as a teacher, he was eventually brought up to a permanent status. He started off as an intermediate Life Science and Earth Science teacher. As he continued his career, he taught many different subjects such as English, Art, and other Science courses.

In 2000, Jones completed his master’s degree at Gonzaga University in education, which allowed him to obtain the position of Student Services Coordinator. This position put him in a place where he could ensure that students had all the services they needed to have a successful academic experience.

“And that’s both for their educational needs, that’s for their health needs, mental health, and physical health,” said Jones.

From Student-Athlete to Coach

Education isn’t Jones’ only interest. In high school, he was a student athlete, doing track and field.

“I also was fortunate enough to be able to finance my college education through athletic scholarships in track and field,” said Jones.

Running sports was always a huge part of his life; that eventually led him to being a coach. From 1995-1996 he coached track and field, then he added cross country to his coaching duties.

“I have had the privilege of coaching some of the best students, athletes that I’ve ever known,” Jones stated. “In that process, I had a chance to help them develop both physically and academically.”

Challenges That Shaped the Journey

With such an outstanding educational career came its share of challenges.

“In the world of academia, and the job that I have as Student Services Coordinator, there have been many, many students who we’ve tried to get into the appropriate educational services,” shared Jones. “ Some of them just dropped out of school. Some of them just neglected, or their families neglected to participate in the right kind of activities that would have gotten their children appropriately placed.”

Coaching a sport also came with many challenges, but one in particular resonated deeply with Jones.

“On the athletic side, of course, all of the deaths of student-athletes that I’ve coached have chipped away at my happiness,” but through the grief, he learned a lesson. “They have reminded me of what it means to be humble, what it means to take advantage of the time that you have,” said Jones.

A Legacy of Opportunity and Impact

After the challenges come the successful side of Jones’ career as he shares one of his fondest memories.

“In competition, both with all of the schools in the state of Hawaii, and as well with national athletic competition. A link that I have had from athletics here at Nānākuli is the USA Track and Field, which is a national organization that all Olympic athletes have to participate in. And we have a club here called Leeward Track Club, and many of those athletes came through both Nānākuli High School sports, as well as the Leeward Track Club sports,” said Jones.

Jones mentions that some of these students went on to become athletes ranked in the top 10 and sometimes the top 20 in the nation, giving them the opportunity to receive scholarships and finance their education.

Jones’ 30 years of dedication does not go unnoticed, as he has made a difference in many lives.

Sandy Suzuki, an educator at NHIS said, “I’m happy for Mr. Jones! I remember all of the hard work and effort he put into the Turkey Trot races every year. He does a lot for the students here. Enjoy retirement and your well-deserved break!”

Words of Wisdom for the Future

As Jones’ journeys into his retirement, he leaves behind the kindness, support, and hard work that he has put into improving the lives of students everyday along with sharing his passion for running with the Nanakuli cross country team. As he bids farewell to NHIS, he leaves us with some words of wisdom.

“Never, ever give up on yourself. Never believe your feelings. Feelings and reality are two different things. Sometimes, the way that you feel is influenced by what you want to believe is happening. Never, ever stop being grateful. Be grateful in times of bad circumstances. Because you’re not grateful for the circumstances, but you’re grateful that you have an opportunity to live on, live past, and live through the things that you deemed to be negative at the time. And also, make sure that you’re always, always representing this community, this school, your family, as well as yourself in the very best manner that you can.”