Island School 2025 Summer Magazine by ischool7

VOYAGER

Island School ʻOhana,

How can it possibly be that the ’24-’25 school year is over?! I look back at the year, and I marvel at all that we accomplished together…

• 45 seniors - the largest Island School graduating class in our history

• 30 years at Island School for both Sean Magoun and Kumu Sabra Kauka

• 40,000 minutes achieved by the 2nd Grade in their reading challenge

• The only off-island elementary choral group to participate in the E Mele Kākou, Elementary Chorus Festival on O’ahu

• Our first ever Island School student to represent our state at the International Science and Engineering Fair

• Our first STEAM Day in Elementary School

• The return of the 8th grade overnight immersion study trip, now on Big Island

• The highest netting Gala fundraiser in its 38-year history to support financial aid and overall school programming

• Over $13,000 earned by the Elementary School students to support the Annual Voyager Fund through Jog-a-Thon

• Our Robotics Team achieved its highest ranking yet in competition at the state level

• Hosting our first Wa’a Day

• An incredible Hōʻike with over 1,000 guests to join us in honoring our student learning through the practice of Hawaiian culture

• Incredible carrots and eggplants planted, cared for, and harvested by our 3-5 year old students in Nā Pua Keiki

• Hundreds of hours of community service completed across our island to make a positive contribution across Kauaʻi through class projects as well as individual service hours completed by high school students

• Launching of our Middle School ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language) program

• Countless achievements and firsts within our Athletics Department (see page 8 for more details)

and the list could go on and on…

What a wonderful year this has been! We have so much to be proud of, and we will continue to grow and seek out ways to improve as a school. And while I still feel new, I feel the ground more firmly under my feet here in what is more and more clearly our home. The first two years of anything is not typically easy… and I can confirm that has been true for me, for sure. And, there are so many ways that I admire and feel so honored to be a part of this special school community.

We’ve had a great second year together, and I look forward to moving closer and closer to our 50th anniversary. I hope you are having a wonderful summer, that the change of pace for your children allows for more time to dive into a good book, fish for hours along a fast flowing river or in the gleaming blue ocean, support and care for elders in their lives, set their sites on achieving an athletic or academic goal…whatever it is, I hope your children are having a fantastic summer.

For those not returning to Island School, we wish you well, especially our graduates!

And for the students we will see in the fall, while I am glad for a slightly slower pace over the next few weeks, as I’m guessing you are too, I can already tell that I am looking forward to seeing you again, bright smiles and all.

Mahalo nui loa, Nancy Nagramada P ’29 Head of School

2024-2025 REFLECTING ON

Academic Highlights

1. We had a successful Model UN season. This year, Annie Harris ’26 earned an Honorable Mention for outstanting work as a delegate in her committee.

2. Island School’s Pre-K and Elementary STEAM Day was a great success. Students were placed in multi-age groups, allowing for connection across all grade levels, and rotated to different stations. Stations included the science of music, collaborative art, physics and engineering, biology, and math through hands-on activities.

3. Fourteen middle school students and three high school students participated in the State Science Olympiad Competition on Oʻahu, earning an impressive fourth place overall.

4. Ashley Chun ’25 attended the 75th International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, OH. This fair is considered one of the most prestigious science competitions for high school students. Ashley was one of 23 students representing Hawaiʻi, and the only student representing Kauaʻi, out of over 1,700 participatants from 66 countries around the world.

5. Island School showed distinct leadership with Kauaʻi Robotics. KauaiBots runs out of Island School’s Maker Space, and is captained by Island School student Sean Lottermoser ’27 with Phoenix Ma ’27 as Lead Programmer. They competed in various competitions throughout the year, and placed 6th in the state, and in the top 15th percentile of global teams (569th out of 3,704 teams) in their first competition.

Cross-Division

Collaboration

This year, students across divisions, from our 3 year olds in Nā Pua Keiki to our 17 year olds in high school, had the opportunity to collaborate with one another through art, language, and science!

Right: Our youngest students in Nā Pua Keiki have Big Buddies in high school. Students come together to share lessons, make art, and learn together.

Right: In art, second graders drew imaginary monsters and wrote fairy tales about them, which high school students then used to create stuffed replicas!

Left: High school students in Maestra Abbot’s Spanish 4 class visited Mrs. Rodriguez’s fourth grade class to read books they had written based on Mexican folklore stories.

Hōʻike 2025:

Our Hōʻike theme this year, “E Moʻolelo Mai,” highlighted the power of storytelling, oral traditions, and the transmission of knowledge, culture, and values across generations. Moʻolelo—or stories—serve as the foundation of many Indigenous cultures, especially in Hawaiian traditions. As Hailiʻōpua and Kaliko Baker remind us, “Our stories remind us of who we were, who we are, and who we hope to be someday.”

This year we reflected on the songs and stories from past years to honor where we have come from, in addition to telling the new stories of who we are at Island School today.

E Moʻolelo Mai

2024-2025 Island

Highlights

1 2

1. Our mixed paddling team earned a Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation (KIF) title and finished an impressive third place at the State Championship, competing valiantly against larger Division I programs.

2. Lucas Summerhays secured his third straight individual KIF Golf Championship and delivered a remarkable performance at states, finishing in second place.

3. Girls swimming claimed their fourth consecutive (KIF) title and represented Island School at the State Championships.

4. Girls track & field won the KIF 4 x 100M Relay Championship and competed at the state level, setting a personal record for the season.

5. Rodney Ochoa Jr. Baseball Field was completed and officially dedicated.

6. Due to the renovations at Vidinha Stadium, the on-campus Grass Track, with the help of Sean Magoun and Coach Josh of Waimea, was designed and completed this year. It was used for track and field training by the Island School, Waimea, and Kauaʻi High teams and competitions that included the Mayor’s Track Meet for Middle School along with the Kauaʻi Rotary Meet, and the Special Olympics.

3 4 5

School Athletics

National Signing Day

Above: This year, senior Mary Magoun celebrated National Signing Day with her family, coaches, and teammates. Mary signed her letter of intent to play collegiate volleyball at Pacific Lutheran University starting in the fall of 2025!

New Sports

1. Girls Basketball returned after a long hiatus. In their debut game, they shocked the league with a victory over the reigning champions, setting the tone for a season filled with determination and growth. The effort and progress were undeniable.

2. Island School participated in the inaugural season of Girls Flag Football. As Voyagers, we began the pre-season undefeated, showing tremendous promise. Our players competed with heart and pride throughout this historic first season.

3. Boys Baseball made a return to the mound this season after a year off, taking the field on the newly dedicated Rodney Ochoa Jr. Field. All future home KIF baseball games will be held on our campus.

3 1 2

INTRODUCING THE Class of

Aiden Alvarez

Charles “Ande” Anderson

Darnila Bandaranayake

Ryan Biedermann

Kristian “Quisi” Bran

Nola Brown

Ashley Chun

Bodhi Czarske

Keala Doyle

Aaron “Spike” Egan

Ruby Frazer

Eva Hadley

Garrett Hadley

Lilah Hamid

Ikaika Havas

Christopher Jobe

Thea Johnson

Luisa Junqueira

Liliana “Lily” Keller

Gabriel Kelley

TaiMana Kjeldsen

Christian Littman

Liana Longnecker

Orion Magaoay

Mary Magoun

Cash McCluskey

Michaela “Mac” Meuldijk

Keaupuni “Kea” Miyake

Canyen Moody

Lyla Nakayama

Hannah Pearson

Emily Racpan

Azteca Ramos-Valdovinos

Logan Reynolds

Miranda “Andie” Rodriguez

Sebastien Sanchez

Rocco Sand

Autumn Seney

Eric Sparks

Lucas Summerhays

Violet Swartz

Haliʻa Toner

Maylen Ventura

Hope Viohl

Jude Washburn

Continuing Entrepreneur

Chaminade University

Middlebury College

University of Otago

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

UCLA

Northern Arizona University

University of San Diego

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

BYU-Idaho

University of San Diego

Laramie Community College

Arizona State University

Bowdoin College

University of San Diego

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Catholic University of America

University of Auckland

Entering the workforce

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Tufts University

Pacific Lutheran University

Chaminade University

Marymount University

Tulane University

Western Colorado University

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

George Fox University

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Kauaʻi Community College

Vanderbilt University

Western Washington University

Laramie Community College

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Flight School

Kent University

University of Utah

Chapman University

Kaua’i Community College

University of Notre Dame

George Fox University

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

2025

• This year our seniors received 174 acceptance letters to 89 different schools across the country. These acceptances spanned 32 states and 3 countries.

• Our seniors will continue their educational journey across the nation, heading to California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaiʻi, Arizona, Maine, Vermont, Washington D.C, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Indiana, and all the way to the U.K. and New Zealand.

• Our seniors are interested in a variety of majors, ranging from Psychology, Business Law, and Mechanical Engineering to Digital Creative Media, Astronomy, and Architecture.

• This class was the 20th class at Island School to complete senior capstone projects. Topics included the impact of fast fashion, the affects of long distance running on teenagers, and dance as a social movement. Projects included making an imu, publishing poetry, and developing a livestream team.

• In total, this senior class was offered over $1,500,000 in scholarships and grant money per year from all of their schools of acceptance.

SENIOR AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Island School Wayfinder Spirit Award Winners: Ashley Chun & Logan Reynolds

This award is given to two graduating seniors who embody the core elements of our school mission - Educating the mind, inspiring the heart. Preparing Kauaʻi youth to lead lives of significance. These students demonstrated across their years at Island School academic excellence, care and compassion for others, and a readiness to make a positive impact on the world around them. This award is inspired from the historic “Board of Directors Award.”

Voyager Spirit Award Winners: Kristian “Quisi” Bran and Violet Swartz

This award is given to two graduating seniors who distinguish themselves in their leadership within the student body as well as through service to the broader community. These students consistently meets and even exceeds community membership expectations and in the areas of the eight Hawaiian values we hold as core: hō‘ihi (respect), haʻaheo (pride with humility), kuleana (personal responsibility), ʻimi naʻauao (seeking wisdom), mālama (stewardship), lōkahi (harmony & unity), kūlia (achievement), and ho‘omau (perseverance). This award is inspired from the historic “Head of School Award.”

Founders’ Spirit Award Winners: Aaron “Spike”

Egan & Mary Magoun

This award is given to two graduating seniors in honor of the seven women who founded Island School in 1977, who demonstrated the essential traits the founders possessed to bring their vision into reality care for others, creativity, inspiring leadership, long-term commitment to the Island School ʻOhana, persistence in the face of challenges, appropriate humility and confidence along with good will and good humor.

Island School 13+ Crew:

Ryan Biedermann, Ashley Chun, Thea Johnson, Mary Magoun, Lucas Summerhays

The 13+ Crew is a special group that has attended Island School for 13 or more years from PK/K through 12th Grade. While for all of our students - Once a Voyager, Always a Voyager - we celebrate this distinctive crew, the students and their families who have been a part of the Island School ʻOhana for their entire educational voyage thus far. This recognition is inspired from the historic “Sons and Daughters Award.”

ISLAND SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Stay in touch! Send your updates to alumni@ischool.org Update your contact info by scanning the QR code below:

CLASS NOTES:

Ian Cowden ’15: I currently live in Richmond Kentucky. I had moved here in April with my Wife and two children. I have been a police officer since January of 2021. I was on the Kauai Police Department and transferred to Richmond Police Department. We have recently purchased almost 6 acres of land and will be building a house shortly. We are hoping we can start gardening and have livestock for our food source.

Kelly Kay ’14: I currently live in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and work as a pilot for Delta Airlines. My husband and I are expecting our first child in January and cannot be more excited. We love to travel in our spare time and in the past year have traveled to over 10 different countries and cannot wait to continue to explore the world.

Kalena Wong ’14: After some time living in Chicago, Guatemala, and Peru, I’ve found myself in Denver, Colorado since 2021. I’ve been working in the housing and poverty alleviation realm for the past 5 years and am currently working at an affordable housing law firm based in Boulder. I’ve been trying to take advantage of Colorado living and have done rock and ice climbing, sky diving, canyoneering, and snowboarding during my time here.

Christopher Hoffman ’04: I’ve followed through on the goal I set for myself in my Island School graduation speech, and work in aircraft design. Specifically, the engines that power a variety of planes and helicopters.

Tiana Kamen ’04: The most exciting update in my life is that I had a baby girl! We’re now living on the south side of Kauaʻi in the first home I own—a tiny home my husband built for us. I run Olapono, a small nonprofit, and the Farm to Keiki program, which inspires young children to grow gardens, cook, and learn about nutrition.

Casey Law ’94: I live in Southern California and work as an astronomer at Caltech. In the course of my work, I often collaborate with students on research projects. Students come from all over the world to study at Caltech. Usually, we come from very different backgrounds, such that all we have in common is our interest in astronomy. Recently, I was surprised to find something more in common with a student!

At the start of the summer, I met with a new undergraduate student to discuss a summer research project. It was a fairly straightforward meeting, but I noticed the student had a hat with a Hawaiian logo on it. That is not all that unusual in California, but when we finished the meeting he flashed a shaka sign as he left. That got my attention! I mentioned I was from Hawaiʻi and we connected briefly.

As anyone who’s grown up in rural Hawaiʻi can attest, you don’t really know someone until you know what high school they graduated from. So I asked this student where he was from, expecting him to say Punahou or ʻIolani. I was surprised to learn that he studied at that much smaller, but no less excellent, school that I know best: Island School. You know him as Ethan Alderete of the Class of 2021.

Alumni Spotlight

Lex Mink-Flacco ’11

From Robotics to Microchips: An Island School Grad’s Journey in STEM

’11

Q: During what grades did you attend Island School, and when did you graduate?

A: I attended Island School for high school—grades 9 through 12—and graduated in 2011.

Q: Where are you living now?

A: I’m currently in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I moved there with some friends from the mainland. The biggest adjustments from life in Hawaiʻi were the weather and the size of everything!

Q: What overall feeling comes to mind when you reflect on your experience at Island School?

A: The first word that comes to mind is helpful. Island School was a great place to go to high school! Some of the most influential parts of my experience were the extracurricular science opportunities, the robotics program—where I was lead driver at Nationals in 2010—and spending time around my mom’s aquaponics garden on campus. Island School’s science and robotics programs are what inspired me to pursue a career in STEM.

Coming back to visit is always nostalgic. It’s amazing to see how far everything has come since I was a student.

Q: How did you choose a career in STEM, and how did Island School help influence that path?

A: Most recently, I worked for Intel in automation IT/engineering. I supported the automated systems on the manufacturing floor at one of Intel’s largest chip-making campuses. Essentially, I helped maintain the software systems that kept everything running, making changes when something needed fixing or improvement. It was all remote, but very hands-on in terms of the tech.

Island School definitely laid the foundation. It taught me how to listen before speaking, think critically, and be intentional with change. More than anything, Island School taught me to listen to myself, to be kind to myself and not try to become someone I’m not.

Q: Any Island School teachers or staff who made a lasting impact?

A: Absolutely—shoutout to my mom (Mrs. Mink, T, 2010–2020)! Go Mom! Also, Dr. Jeff Kozak made physics fun and memorable. And my chorus teacher, Phillip Steinbacher, who really helped me understand what it meant to be comfortable with myself in the world.

Q: What has been one of the most exciting milestones in your life after Island School?

A: Becoming a homeowner! It’s given me such a strong sense of rootedness. I like to picture it as climbing the ladder so I can hold it steady for others to come up. An aloha inspired twist on that old saying about “pulling the ladder up behind you”—I am actually excited to be doing quite the opposite!

Also... I love riding my motorcycle through the sand hills. That’s definitely a thrill.

ISLAND SCHOOL ALUMNI

Mainland Meet Ups

In November, Nancy met with Island School alumni in Colorado! Sienna Temme ’23 and Bradley Pratt ’23 both attend the University of Colorado, Boulder. Also in attendance was Tiare Santistevan and her children. Tiare is the aunt of current Island School sophomore Reese Wells, and sister of Grant Wells ’93, and shared with Nancy traditions at Island School that they hope will never change!

While visiting her hometown in December, Nancy was able to meet up with Caycie Pascual ’11 in the Bay Area. She is a thriving bio-medical engineer working in California. She had some fun stories about her classes with Jeff Kozak, and what great advice and support he gave her as she took on her STEM focus in college.

Island School Alumni Meet & Greet

From left to right: Kali Ilnickij ’23, Bentley Burger ’23, and Skylar Stewart ’23, Bryant Wu ’19 with Director of Academics, Jeff Kozak, and Matthew Vickers ’20 with Elementary School Division Director, Cristy Peeren.

In January, Island School hosted an alumni meet & greet for current Juniors and Seniors. Current Island School students were able to meet with recent Island School graduates to ask questions about college decisions and career paths. It was a meaningful meeting for current students, Island School teachers, and alumni! Director of Academics, Jeff Kozak shared that it was the highest turn out of alumni that he’d ever seen at an Island School alumni event!

Stay in touch! Send your updates to alumni@ischool.org Update your contact info by scanning the QR code

ALL GIFTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We are honored to be a nonprofit that you choose to support! Giving a gift to Island School can be done in many ways.

VOLUNTEERING

The Island School ʻOhana Association plans community events for students, teacher appreciation activities throughout the year, and more. Email isoa@ischool.org to get involved.

Another way to get involved is through the Booster Club. Island School’s Booster Club supports our Athletic Department by raising funds for off-island athletic travel and specialized sports equipment.

To become a member of the Booster Club, contact Athletic Director, Jerry Jona, at j.jona@ischool.org

OTHER WAYS TO GIVE

A gift-in-kind, or Kokua, is a great way to make a non-cash gift to Island School. These types of gifts include donations to the annual auction, or services that benefit the school’s programs and facilities. These gifts can free up critical operating funds for day-to-day operations.

Make a lasting impact and ensure a vibrant future for Island School by adding us to your estate plans. Individuals can make this happen through a bequest, life income gift, life insurance policy, or other plan.

THE ANNUAL VOYAGER FUND

Gifts to the Annual Voyager Fund are unrestricted donations that provide the most direct and flexible funding for all of Island School. Students, faculty, staff, programs, and activities are all enriched by this critical funding. These gifts make an immediate impact in supporting the dynamic education not covered by tuition.

Scan the QR code to make an invaluable donation to Island School!