The Presidential Award affirms that the definition of success in science is expanding. Let us empower all students to not only imagine but create, question, and empathize with a world that allows their intelligence and worldview to be honored. We must ensure that our students see themselves represented in the curriculum and that our teaching reflects our place and our people. Let us continue to help our students to serve the communities that help them thrive.

Whitney Aragaki Hilo, HI | 7-12, Science, 2021

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Whitney Aragaki (she/they) supports students as they learn through a lens of abundance that honors place, people, and cultures. Her teaching focuses around conversations, practices, and systems that sustain the intimate relationship between public education, community, and environment. Returning to serve her high school alma mater 13 years ago, Whitney teaches 10th-12th grade Biology and Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science at Waiākea High School. In partnership with the Hawaii Online Courses, Whitney aims to provide equitable access to AP Environmental Science and AP Computer Science Principles statewide. An educator of 14 years, she previously taught mathematics at Hilo Intermediate School. Whitney began her teaching career with support from the Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund Aspiring Teachers of Color Fellowship and the National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellowship. She is an alumna of the Hawaiʻi State Teacher Fellowship and the National Education Association Teacher Leadership Institute. Whitney is a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescence and Young Adulthood Mathematics. She was the 2022 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year and 2022 National Teacher of the Year Finalist. Whitney has a B.A. in biology from Swarthmore College, and a M.S. in tropical conservation biology and environmental science from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa College of Education with a focus in curriculum & instruction.

Know a great teacher like Whitney Aragaki? Nominate them for PAEMST!