Courtney Suma

Poʻo inoa: Career Academy & CTE Coordinator
Paena hana: Kula Kiekie o Kapolei
Nā makahiki ma HIDOE: 16
Nā makahiki ma ke kūlana: 5

N: E wehewehe pōkole i kāu ala ʻoihana.
A: I started my career in medical research, thinking I might find my future in medicine and research. However, I quickly realized that it wasn’t the right path for me. Coming from a family of educators, perhaps teaching had always been in me—I just needed to find my way to it. I made the shift into education, beginning my teaching career in California before eventually making my way back home to Hawaiʻi. 

Q: How did you get into this field?
A: While working in medical research, I participated in a mentoring program that supported high school students with STEM projects. Through that experience, I discovered how much I enjoyed helping students understand science, especially when I could take something complicated and help make it click for them. I found myself really connecting with the students and enjoying the mentoring side of the experience. That was one of the first times I realized that working with students might be something I wanted to pursue as a career, and it ultimately helped lead me into education.

Q: He aha kāu mau hana mua?
A: My primary role is to support our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and Career Academy initiatives. Right now, a major focus of my work is expanding our work-based learning opportunities, including both on-campus and off-campus student internships and other career-connected experiences. I also work directly with our academy students as they prepare for and participate in community events, especially those involving our feeder schools. That student-facing work is one of the highlights of my job because I get to see our students step into leadership roles, share what they’ve learned, and represent their academy in the community.

Nīnau: ʻO ka māhele punahele e pili ana i ka hana?
A: One of my favorite parts of my job is when former students come back to visit and I get to hear about what they’re doing after high school. It’s rewarding to see where their paths have taken them and how they’ve grown since graduation. Those moments bring everything full circle because you get to see how the support and guidance of teachers, counselors, support staff, families and others in their lives helped them along the way. It’s a reminder that the work we do with students can continue to make a difference long after they leave high school.

Nīnau: ʻO ka hapa nui loa e pili ana i kāu kūlana?
A: One of the most challenging parts of my job is that there never seems to be enough time. There are always more students I want to support, more opportunities I want to create, and more ideas that I’d love to bring to life. A lot of this work also involves building relationships—with students, teachers, families, and community and industry partners—and those relationships take time. The challenge is learning how to prioritize where I can make the greatest impact while accepting that I may not be able to do everything I want to do.

Q: How does your job support students?
A: My job supports students by helping connect what they’re learning in the classroom to opportunities beyond school. Whether it’s an internship, a career exploration experience, a community event, or a connection with an industry professional, my colleagues and I work together to create opportunities for students to explore their interests and see what different career pathways actually look like. Part of my role is also helping students build the confidence and skills they need to take advantage of those opportunities. Ultimately, I want students to leave high school with more than just an idea of what they might want to do—I want them to have meaningful experiences that help them make informed decisions about what comes next.

Nīnau: He aha kāu ʻōlelo aʻo no ka poʻe e noʻonoʻo nei i kēia kūlana?
A: One piece of advice I would give is to find ways to stay connected to the classroom. In a role like mine, you may no longer have your own classroom or a group of students you see every day, so you have to be intentional about creating opportunities to teach. Offer to help with homeroom or advisory, co-teach a lesson with a colleague, or find other ways to work directly with students. It’s easy to get caught up in programs, events, paperwork and everything else that comes with the role, but never lose sight of why many of us became educators in the first place—to teach and connect with students.

Q: Fun fact about yourself?
A: Those who know me at school know that I love a good cruise! I try to take a cruise (or two!) every year and have become the unofficial “cruise consultant” among my friends and colleagues. Need help picking a ship, choosing a cabin, or figuring out when to book? Ask me—I probably have an opinion!

Courtney Suma was named as the 2026 Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area Teacher of the Year and the 2025 Hawai‘i Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year.