{"id":233271,"date":"2026-04-28T16:09:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T02:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=233271"},"modified":"2026-05-08T17:00:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T03:00:57","slug":"uh-hilo-ah-sing-teaching-historical-preservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/28\/uh-hilo-ah-sing-teaching-historical-preservation\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> Hilo: Jaydee Ah Sing\u2019s path to teaching, historical preservation"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Ah
During a Molokaʻi<\/span> field study, Ah Sing stands beside remains of a heiau honoring Bokik\u016bmanomano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born and raised in Hilo, Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, Jaydee Ah Sing’s decision to attend the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Hilo wasn’t just a choice—it was a calling. A proud graduate of Wai\u0101kea<\/span> High School, Ah Sing is deeply rooted in her community.<\/p>\n

“I only applied to UH<\/abbr> Hilo,” she shared with a laugh. “I love it here in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else.”<\/p>\n

This spring, Ah Sing crosses the stage as a Chancellor Scholar, graduating with a bachelor of arts in history<\/a> and an educational<\/a> certificate. Her journey demonstrates the profound impact of UH<\/abbr> Hilo’s close-knit academic environment, where local students can flourish and give back to the very islands that raised them.<\/p>\n

Turning point<\/h2>\n
\"(left)
From left: Community service and teaching Tahitian dance helped her earn the Chancellor Scholarship, Ah Sing graduated from Wai\u0101kea High School<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ah Sing’s path shifted from pediatric medicine to education after discovering she was uneasy around blood. Her mentors, professors Kerri Inglis and Michele Ebersole, helped guide her to her true passion. She ultimately pursued history, leaning into her deep love for the subject.<\/p>\n

Her dedication has led to remarkable achievements. Ah Sing recently won the Best Undergraduate Paper Prize at the Phi Alpha Theta regional conference in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>. Her senior thesis challenged established narratives about the iconic Kalaupapa Lighthouse. After a profound field study experience in Kalaupapa with Inglis, Ah Sing discovered moʻolelo<\/span> (stories) of Bokik\u016bmanomano<\/span>, a shape-shifting dog protector of the peninsula.<\/p>\n

Meet more amazing UH<\/abbr> graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“There was this entire history that people of Molokaʻi<\/span> seem to know about, but others don’t get to experience because it had been displaced by this western form of historiography, which is history written by historians,” explained Ah Sing, who went to Kalaupapa over Spring Break and discovered evidence of the remnants of a heiau honoring Boki.<\/p>\n

Service driven<\/h2>\n

Ah Sing’s passion for Hawaiian history and education translates directly into her career goals. Since high school, she has worked as a paraprofessional tutor at Keaʻau<\/span> Elementary School, serving underprivileged students.<\/p>\n

“I want to be the kind of teacher who goes above and beyond for my students,” she said.<\/p>\n

She won’t have to wait long to achieve that dream. This July, Ah Sing will begin the Master of Arts in Teaching program<\/a> at UH<\/abbr> Hilo.<\/p>\n

For more, go to K\u016bkala N\u016bhou<\/em><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From uncovering hidden moʻolelo<\/span> in Kalaupapa to pursuing a career in education, history major Jaydee Ah Sing is graduating as a Chancellor Scholar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":233280,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[234,225,660,1486,14],"class_list":["post-233271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-commencement","tag-history","tag-student-recognition","tag-teaching","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