{"id":223841,"date":"2025-10-16T15:16:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T01:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=223841"},"modified":"2025-10-17T15:04:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T01:04:50","slug":"nthf-inducts-uh-hilo-pinner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/16\/nthf-inducts-uh-hilo-pinner\/","title":{"rendered":"National Teachers Hall of Fame inducts UH<\/abbr> Hilo alumna"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Pinner being recognized at the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> County Council<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Hilo graduate Pascale Pinner has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF<\/abbr>) in recognition of her extraordinary dedication to education. Now in her 38th year teaching science at Hilo Intermediate School, Pinner\u2019s journey reflects a lifelong commitment to learning and community—one deeply influenced by UH<\/abbr> Hilo\u2019s supportive environment.<\/p>\n

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Pascale Pinner at the National Teachers Hall of Fame.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I developed a good handful of friends, and we stuck together and supported each other through everything,” said Pinner. “I keep in touch with many of them to this day. That\u2019s what makes UH<\/abbr> Hilo so special . . . small class size, small university feel, rigorous curriculum, but culturally this integration of everybody together, supporting each other to be one big ʻohana<\/span> (family).”<\/p>\n

Her induction into the NTHF<\/abbr> was a surprise orchestrated by her school community. Sixty students arrived with lei and honored her one by one, until the stack reached her eyes. It was a celebration of the appreciation and respect earned over the years.<\/p>\n

Full circle mentorship<\/h2>\n

Pinner earned a bachelor\u02bbs degree in biology<\/a> from UH<\/abbr> Hilo in 1987 and a professional diploma in education in 1991. She credits several UH<\/abbr> Hilo faculty members as being influential in her development as an educator—naming Bob Fox, Marlene Hapai, Nina Buchanan and Don Hemmes as mentors who encouraged her to consider teaching.<\/p>\n

In addition to teaching at Hilo Intermediate, Pinner also taught in the UH<\/abbr> Hilo School of Education<\/a> for four years. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership, and her community ties run deep. Her principal is a former student, and she has also taught four current colleagues.<\/p>\n

Joy of teaching<\/h2>\n

Today, Pinner continues to teach because of the impact science education has on her students.<\/p>\n

“The number one thing that makes my day, makes my week, makes my year is when students experience something during a science lesson and you can just see the awe and wonder pop out in their face,” said Pinner. “That kind of energy has allowed me to continue in this position for those 38 years.”<\/p>\n

Read Pinner\u2019s full Q&A.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dedicated educator inspires generations in Hilo classrooms, earns national recognition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[90,679,254,318,204,598,1716,271,319,14],"class_list":["post-223841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-biology","tag-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-education","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-school-of-education","tag-uh-alumni-association","tag-uh-foundation","tag-uh-hilo","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t