Jennifer Suzuki
Position: Seventh and Eighth Grade Broadcast Teacher
School: Maui Waena Intermediate School
School District: Hawaii Public Schools
City, State: Kahului, HI
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Mrs. Suzuki has pushed me to be the best person I could be. She taught us to give everything that we do 120%. Although, I am still a 7th grader she has give me chances to think about my future careers. She have given me her my lunches and weekends. She has taught me determination. She has gotten me to open up to the world. When I was a fourth grader my older sister was introduced to the STEMWORKS program. My older sister would come home talking about how much she loved media. My sister told me and my family one night that she wanted to attend STN a video competition. After she came back from STN I saw that media has changed her a lot as a person. So to me and my sister she is a life changer.
As a teacher/teacher mom, I've worked with Jenn for over 10 years, and she has a great big heart! She genuinely loves her students and provides multiple, life-changing opportunities for them to expand their application of real-world skills not just of media, technology, and robotics, but in skills that really count in real-world situations, such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and building positive relationships.
When my son was in middle school, he was part of the media club and was able to travel to national competitions on the mainland - opportunities that might not have happened if it weren't for Jenn and the STEM program. The media club became a second family to him as it has been for many of our students - a place where they feel safe to express themselves and expand their creative horizons. In such a confusing time as middle school, I believe the media club was an anchor for my son and a safe haven of friendships and real-world projects that built his confidence and helped him view society in a larger context. The learning experiences he acquired because of Jenn's dedication to the program and to her students is beyond measure.
I know my son was positively impacted by Jenn, and I know she has made a difference in the lives of so many other students who have gone through our school. For all these reasons, I'm grateful to Jenn for her hard work, commitment, and passion that has changed lives for the better.
Mrs. Suzuki is a teacher who would rather dedicate her time to teach the Stemworks program students then spending time off. My whole experience with her so far has been a journey to not be forgotten. Even when my expectations are low in certain competitions she has inspired myself to just go out there, and have fun and share to others with what I have learned in my journey. That lesson has exemplified myself as a person in many different matters in life. For example, as myself and my partner Holden Suzuki has recently entered into the Maui Regional science fair our expectations of ourselves were pretty low, but as the lesson taught us that going to the science fair to just have fun and teach others what we have learned and discovered. We were not expecting to win multiple awards in our field of physics, but to even win the overall 1st place of our division. Being able to work with others with the support of Mrs. Suzuki in many different subjects like robotics I have grown into a more independent person myself. Not to mention, Mrs. Suzuki has given myself and others a way to express our passion and skills in what we are all intrigued in. With many appreciation and gratitude to Mrs. Suzuki. I wonder what next excitements I will have with Stemworks working with Mrs. Suzuki.
A dedicated teacher, a wise counselor, and an empathetic friend-- Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki is truly a life changer.
I had the amazing honor of being under the instruction of Mrs. Suzuki seven years ago in her Digital Media Tech class at Maui Waena Intermediate. It was the beginning of my 7th grade year, and my school decided to place me in my second choice elective instead of my first (Visual Fine Arts). Primarily, I was flustered as I had no idea at the time what a 'Digital Media Tech' class might even encompass. I stared at my class schedule dreading for my next period. After all, being a shy immigrant, I have yet to master the art of 'stepping out of my comfort zone.' But when I first stepped in the room of Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki (the iconic A102 room), I was greeted by an unconventional classroom full of computers, three large sofas and a bright, welcoming woman. I walked in the room not knowing that my life would be changed in there for the better. Anybody who has ever stepped into Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki's classroom (both past and present) can immediately tell that she values both productivity and comfort, and she really makes the effort of showcasing them.
Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki truly knows how to ease her students into learning a subject as diverse as Digital Media. Ranging from Photoshop to video production, Mrs. Suzuki taught me the fundamental skills of the art that I am still pursuing today. I remember that she would sit next to me and step-by-step help me navigate through editing software that I thought only professionals used. Needless to say, my initial dread for her class diminished every single day, so much so that I even joined Maui Waena's Media Club.
Though only spanning for two years, my experience in Media Club with Mrs. Suzuki has been one of the most significant turning points of my life. One of the first and most memorable encounters I had with Mrs. Suzuki was during Media Club. I was fairly new and did not know anybody. Again, I was shy and very reserved, which made me feel overwhelmed. I wanted to do something, anything, to keep me occupied in my newfound club. I approached Mrs. Suzuki and her following words stuck with me until this day-- "then let's go something." It was Mrs. Suzuki that gave me that first push and ignited in me the motivation to create and share. From there, Media Club became the one school endeavor I looked forward to everyday. Through the club, I had the privilege of producing numerous stories and compete in state and national competitions. She entrusted me with being the club's Vice President in my 8th grade year. In that year, she allowed me to join the Student Television Network Convention as the main editor for the Sweet 16 Morning Broadcast competition. For months, I saw Mrs. Suzuki invest her time, money, and energy into us students, wiping away tears and advising us to succes. She willingly made herself available on the weekends to prepare us for our competitions. Her efforts would then be deemed worthwhile through the recurrent victories of her students and the experiences and lessons that we would treasure in our lifetime.
Thanks to Mrs. Suzuki, I developed a strong passion for digital media that grew with me as I continued through high school and post graduation. She has and continues to support me in my digital media pursuits. She is marvelously influential and I cannot even imagine how different my life would have been if I was placed in Fine Arts instead of her Digital Media class in 7th grade. Never have I ever seen a teacher who truly cares for her students and who is as determined, driven, genuine, kind-hearted, and passionate as Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki. Mrs. Suzuki changed my life. For these reasons, and reasons stated by the other 155 people below-- I strongly encourage for you to highly consider Jennifer Suzuki for this well deserved Life Changer of the Year award.
I met Mrs. Suzuki about 7 years ago as she was my oldest daughter's media teacher at Maui Waena Intermediate School. Being a very involved father in my daughter's life, I've been blessed to have watched her grow from being a shy and quiet girl to a more outgoing and outspoken young lady during her time as a student under Mrs. Suzuki. I truly believe that Mrs. Suzuki was one of the strongest role models back then, who was responsible for guiding as well as transforming my daughter to be the film and media wizard she is today. Watching Mrs. Suzuki during interactions with my daughter along with other students showed me that Mrs. Suzuki is one of the most caring teachers in all of our Public Schools here on Maui. This Life-changer of the Year award is something that Mrs. Suzuki should be awarded as I witnessed first hand how she changed the life of my own daughter and the lives of countless other students at Maui Waena.
Mrs. Suzuki taught me how to use applications like Scratch for coding, Photoshop for posters, and Final Cut for editing and an inumerable amount of other things. She also taught me how to edit with “J or L cuts”, interview asking deeper questions, how to make a sequence of shots, and countless other things. From her, I have learned real-life skills like how to communicate with adults and businesses, meet deadlines no matter what, and how to problem solve.More importantly, she exposed me to STEM and created so many opportunities for me to acquire knowledge about the different fields. I have done speeches with Kanoa Leahey at MEDB’s (Maui Economic Development Board) Ke Alahele. I have also seen the insides of major news stations like CNN and PBS and how they work. Mrs. Suzuki helped me find my passion, which is software engineering, through Robotics. Not only that, she has helped lead me to further my interests in Robotics by sending me to Maui High’s Robotics where I have acquired extensive knowledge about different coding languages and structures. Mrs. Suzuki has not only helped me but she has opened a doorway for countless others to push for and achieve their dream. Mrs. Suzuki ignited my passion for Robotics and has helped aspire me to pursue my dreams of becoming a software engineer. I will forever be thankful for what she taught me and the opportunities she has given me.
Mrs. Suzuki has changed my life for the better like no other teacher has or possibly ever will have. As a studnet who always hated the educational system, I expected her to be no different than the standardized, benchmark testing, child-to-robot adult maker. However in my first class with her she gathered everyone around in a circle and began a discussion. It was about a photo of a baby reading the newspaper, where she asked very genuinely, "What would you title this?". There was no expected "answer title" she was hiding from us, there was no writen test given a selection of input pixels to output a string of characters. She was not testing our knowledge, but our collective wit. It was then after some answers that one student said, "Baby buys a new crib". To which everyone thought that it was the perfect title, and Mrs. Suzuki agreed, but did not impose that that was the correct answer, it was a mutual discussion and afirmation. A teacher respected our competence as human beings for once in school. From there I knew this was going to be a fun year.
As the geeky type, my intuition for creative art forms were never as good as the other students. Nor was my editing skills very good. But through team effort, my normal persons lens allowed for discussion of audience and purpose of video creation. I was able to show my talents elsewhere though, where I was the delegated person to fix the computers around the room as I had knowledge of the Unix terminal. No other time have I been able to help other students and the teacher so much by doing the things I was both good and bad at. And at no time did Mrs. Suzuki force people to do the extra work, she inspired students and made them work hard not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
It is not always easy to change a student’s life, which is why it takes a great teacher to do so. But when you are changing lives of countless individuals, it’s immeasurable. You’ve created such an Unrestricted environment for students to unleash their potential in ways that allow for career exploration and experimentation in STEM. With the “trust” of the community, it’s evident through so many outstanding impacts yon have made. Your drive to have the BEST continuous program for your students is so recognizable. I am overwhelmed with gratitude Jenn for all that you do and all the LOVE that you share. You have made this world such a better place for our community because “Teaching is one profession that leads to other professions”
Mrs. Suzuki is the one teacher that I really got close to throughout my middle school years so far. She was the one teacher that encouraged me to continue my career in robotics ever since I went to middle school. During my first year in middle school, I was really shy and didn't really know where I was going or what path I wanted to start as a 6th grader. I then joined media, an after school program. She mentioned to me that they also had robotics being held at her house on certain days, but I was just to shy to join. Then during 7th grade, I found out that robotics was being held in a new classroom that Mrs. Suzuki was able to use. I then asked her if I can do robotics. This leads to where I am right now. She inspired me to continue to come to robotics and pursue a career in robotics. Because of this, she also led me to set a goal to become an engineer in the future. She is a very caring teacher also. She could count as a mom to some people like me. Being in the classroom with her is almost like being at home. You feel free to say anything around her and if you have any sort of problem, she will find a way to help you or even fix your problem then and there. The amount of time that she would give each and everyone of us is just amazing. She takes the time out of her nights to stay with us to practice and prepare for a robotics competition until 8 or even 10 pm! Even though she would stay in a classroom all day teaching student, she would still stay with us till nigh time so that we can get our stuff done. Mrs. Suzuki also would spend lots of money for us students. She would pay for us students to go and compete at robotics competitions and she even would pay for most of the traveling fees that we would have to pay for off island competitions. She really is second mother to me because of all the love and care that she would give each of us students. She has changed my life so much just throughout my middle school years. If it wasn't for Mrs. Suzuki, then I don't think that I would've even been in robotics or even have a goal to become an engineer in the future. If I could think of anyone to be life changer of the year, then I would choose Mrs. Suzuki just because of what she has done to for everyone and the fact that she continues to each day.
Mrs. Suzuki was my eighth grade English teacher in 2009. She greatly inspired me to achieve my goals and supported me throughout the year. She has been a great role model and a big part of the reason where I am today. She is a teacher that I truly admire for her dedication and compassion she has toward her students. I love to see how she is continuing to touch many more lives of the children at Maui Waena Intermediate. Everyone deserves a teacher like Mrs. Suzuki. She is beyond amazing and truly one of a kind. I greatly appreciate and am very thankful to have had her. She is my role model.
An amazing person to work with! So knowledgeable about her subject and eager to teach! She deserves this and much more!
Jenn is one of the most amazing teachers I have ever known. She always goes above and beyond for her kids and makes them all feel like family. As a co worker and friend, she is equally amazing. She is so loving, kind and just an awesome human!! I honestly feel that she is truly a life changer for everyone around her and we are all blessed to have Jenn in our lives
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the most kind-hearted and inspiring souls a student could ever have. I had Suzuki when I was in the 7th grade. Before that, I was prioritizing my studies over the nonexistent social life that I didn't have. Literally living my life as an average human being, getting the grades for no reason besides to pass. Upon meeting Suzuki, she saw something in me that no one else really did. I think that is no different than any of the other students she has has, past or present. She encouraged me to join the media club due to my love for writing and telling stories. Keep in mind, I didn't even know how much I loved writing and telling stories at the time. Suzuki opens possibilities to a world that students usually have trouble tapping into.She will convince you that you are smart in something and she teaches you to work on that craft, from a passion to something viable in your life that you can use to get a job or get into the school you want or whatever it may be. Suzuki gave me the opportunity to travel, meet people, write stories, etc. Little did I know the real effects that those things would have in my life. Every time, without fail, when someone makes a positive comment on how I speak, the way I carry myself, or my ability to even have a decent conversation, I make sure to let them know that it was all because of the woman that I was so blessed to meet, Jennifer Suzuki. Mrs. Suzuki deserves this award because she goes above and beyond what a teacher is expected to do. Teachers these days just go through the motions, HOPING that they'll inspire their kids. Suzuki takes the actions to make sure her kids are inspired.
Jennifer Suzuki, I have known this warm and compassionate woman since she was young girl in high school. Her heart and positivism have never changed. She has always had a hunger for learning but also for sharing her knowledge and experiences. She has always sought to inspire and lift up others and sees the very best in them. Watching her grow into such an amazing giving woman has made me as proud as if I were her real mother...she has always been my daughter by another mother. I know there are many that deserve this recognition but I don't believe they are any that deserve it more.
Jennifer has been an amazing friend since the day we met back in high school, nearly 35 years ago. I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for Jennifer's kind, loving, and giving heart who has financially, emotionally, and physically helped me earn my bachelor's degree. In college, Jennifer was patient, supportive, and encouraging as she helped me, without pay, to write and edit several college reports despite my many emotional breakdowns. Jennifer went above and beyond editing papers, she went so far as to coordinate college classes with me so that while I had class, she would babysit my son, her godson. As a single young mother, Jennifer helped me raise my son by babysitting him so I could attend class. Jennifer even stayed home with my son when he had the chickenpox so I could go to school to take a test. Jennifer has a special way of communicating with people so they can find their inner strength and to pursue their dreams. I honestly don't think I could have made it this far in life without my best friend Jennifer, my life changer!
Both my son (Evan) & daughter (Elise) were in Mrs. Suzuki's program, and I believe it has made a world of a difference on how they have developed into the young adults that I am proud of.
It was not easy transitioning from grade school into intermediate, but being a part of Maui Waena's Media & Robotic program, provided them with opportunities to learn, grow and develop their skills, creativity, interests and confidence.
Evan and Elise were both so quiet and shy.. but with Mrs. Suzuki's help, they were able to experience so much! When they competed in robot competitions on Maui and Honolulu, they learned to work with their teammates and also to talk to others when they had to “scout” for other teams during their alliances at the meets. They traveled to Florida, San Diego, and Atlanta to compete in STN (Student Television Network) competitions, and they were able to thrive in stressful situations that adults could only imagine (create their “stories” to meet the given criteria and beat their deadlines while sharing their ideas and creativity). They made appointments, spoke to strangers, held interviews, filmed, photographed, acted, created commercials, short stories/film, spot feature, natural sound package, breaking news, music videos, PSAs, recap, and worked on broadcast stories. During those trips, they helped to give back to the community by volunteering to feed the homeless at a shelter in San Diego, cleaned Balboa Park in San Diego, and worked in a community garden in Atlanta. We also visited various colleges (in San Diego, Atlanta & Honolulu), museums, the White House, Mt. Vernon (George Washington’s home), and KITV & PBS news stations. We even ran into and talked with a film crew when they were filming Baby Driver in downtown Atlanta (how cool is that?), and many other opportunities. The kids in the the media group (at that time, they were known as FE2.. Falcon Entertainment & Engineering) were also acknowledged by Maui County Council (Resolution #15-53) and the Hawaii State Senate (28th Legislature, Certificate #395) for their accomplishments on May 26th, 2015 (now, how many kids are able to say that about themselves?)
Those were such AMAZING ADVENTURES that my husband an I were honored to be a part of (we we lucky to be chaperones), and we saw it ALL IN-ACTION!!!
It was also great that they we able to work with kids in this program that were in other grades.. so when they entered high school, they already had friends that were able to help them to choose their classes, clubs and pathways.. and guide them towards their goals. My son is now a junior and my daughter is a sophomore in high school.. they are both involved in various clubs, working very hard and getting straight A’s, because they know that they want to go to a good college, and receive the best education that they can.
This is why I am so grateful to Jennifer Suzuki!! Evan and Elise are the way that they are because of their learning and “LIFE” experiences. Life hasn’t always been easy, but they’ve learned not to give up, to work hard, always do their best, speak up when necessary, and to fight for what they believe in. They’ve also made wonderful friends for life, and are able to ask/get/give advice when needed.
Thank You, Jennifer Suzuki (and her husband Don), for making ALL of this POSSIBLE!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
I had the honor of meeting Ms Suzuki for the first time at my son's 7th grade fundraiser organized to raise money for their upcoming competition trip to Florida. She was a great inspiration for my son and many of the middle schoolers who felt a little lost and overwhelmed after leaving the comfortable and familiar elementary school environment. She encouraged my son to join the Media Club and Robotics and supported him throughout his middle school. As a parent its very important that your child is not only learning the basic academic subjects at school, but also building confidence and preparing for a real life ahead. Ms Suzuki provided all of this for my son and all the kids she took under her wings. She spent long hours after school and on the weekends supervising kids with their media projects and helping them prepare for State and National competitions. Thank you Jennifer Suzuki for all you have done and continue to do!!!
Ms. Suzuki encourages students to be better, as a person, as a team player, and most especially what they can accomplish in life. I have actually talked to one of her earlier students, and I am amazed at how optimistic he is, and is motivated to do more not just for himself, but for others too. As the world is changing dramatically because of the the advances in technology, we need educators like her that will prepare our children become better citizens of the future.
With a little push and persuasion from Mrs. Suzuki, I joined my middle school's Digital Media and Robotics club! I didn't know what I was getting into, but I'm glad I joined anyway. Because of Mrs. Suzuki's encouragement, I learned valuable skills that I now use in and out of the classroom. I've learned how to present myself professionally online, through email, and during interviews. Mrs. Suzuki gave me the opportunity to compete on a national level by flying me and a group of students to the Student Television Network (STN) and she still continues to give countless of students the same opporutnity each year. She's always saying that real-life experiences outside of the classroom is essential for learning and I agree. Competitions aren't just winning for a sense of pride and accomplishment, but it's where you take all your skills you've learned and use it to create an animation, a robot that climbs walls or 16-minute show.
I believe Mrs. Suzuki deserves the LifeChanger of the Year award because she continues to be a life long impact of opportunities and experiences for the young leaders of our generation.
Jennifer Suzuki is an amazing teacher. She treats her students like family. Each student that comes into her classroom knows that they will feel loved and appreciated. She has an endless drive and is very self giving to her students. I am in awe of the accomplishments of her students and know that they wouldn't be able to do what they do without her guidance. She helps to provide her students with so many once in a life time opportunities. I am honored to be able to support such an amazing person. Keep up the great work!
Mrs. Suzuki is such a wonderful amazing teacher for the kids at Maui Waena. She has given many students and my self so many great opportunities, such as being able to travel, compete, and to learn many skills. I first met her only last year of 2018 because of a student of hers. She gave me the opportunity to teach at one her STEM Work Days for kids, and from there she appreciated me and I got to see first hand on how hard she working she is for these kids. Although I did not personally have her as my teacher, she taught me a lot and showed so much love to me. She then later gave me the opportunity to work with her students during the summer and her afterschool program as well and would always be with joy to her student. She really help me open my eyes to teaching kids and helping them to their best ability in every way possible. Mrs. Suzuki is always very understanding to myself around my schedule and others she always will accommodate your needs and abilities to help students improve. She is so passionate on what she does every day during school and even outside of school, whether its digital media, robotics, etc. she loves what she does, and I admire her a lot for that. I would like to thank her for her hard work and the opportunities she was able to give myself and others. I look up to Mrs. Suzuki a lot as she is an amazing role model, for all these kids and to my self, she has helped me become the person I am today. Thank you Mrs. Suzuki!
Mrs.Suzuki welcomed me with open arms and thus the best three years of my life started. Going into middle school I was a just a kid who had a dream of being a famous Youtuber. Of course, that did not come true, but her Media Club has helped me learn so much about film and news production. Mrs.Suzuki also gave me so many opportunities to expand my horizons. She took my fellow peers and me to National Competitions such as Student Television Network where we were able to not only show off our skills but also to go on fun-filled trips. She holds the importance of education very strongly. To be in Media you must keep your grades up and on trips, she took us on numerous college tours. She's there through the thick and thin for her students and is just an amazing well-rounded person. Till this day I take my time to visit her as she has helped me become the person I am today.
Mrs. Suzuki is someone who will change a person's life at any age and any time. I first met her when I was in fourth grade. I am now a Sophomore in High School. When I first met her I was not sure what hobbies I was passionate about. I saw some cool effects the broadcasting in my school did and decided I wanted to try it out. That was the first step that led me to meet the wonderful women Mrs. Suzuki. I was a very shy child when I was younger and not very outspoken. I did the video camp my mother recommended that was run my Mrs. Suzkui at the time. Although I was not completely pushed out of my shell at the time, I was still able to express my ideas to her and she never put them down even if she did not understand my ideas. I later met her officially two years later my sixth-grade year. I went to the middle school she was the media teacher at. At that point, I had figured out that media was something I enjoyed. Me joining the club was something that changed my whole life. I was still considered a shy and closed off the sixth grader compared to others I know. I was not very serious at the time about being committed to the club but I still learned much in the cub. I learned the art of script writing which I still use to this day as well as how to edit and use a simple camera. My seventh-grade year was when Mrs. Suzuki really changed my life around. I had decided that I wanted to be serious about the media club that year. I had a good understanding of the basics but I wanted to take it a step further. Although I was not very dedicated the year before, Mrs. Suzuki gave me a chance to make it up and prove myself. She appointed me as "Co-Equipment Mangerager" which is a very important job since I was the one handling and taking care of all the equipment. This gave me the opportunity to discover how much I love and how good I am at organizing. She also gave me the chance to go on a national competition call Student Television Network with her where I got a taste of what working hard to gain a reward really means. Through her, I learned many life-changing skills. Through competition and pushing myself, she helped me discover my limited and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learned how to communicate with others and how to approach someone I do not know. Many of the skills I use in everyday life I learned from her. I would not have met all the friends I am close to if it were not for her dedication to the media club and to the students as well. Throughout the years I have known her I see her changing everyone she meets lives life little by little. It may not be a huge change, but knowing someone takes the time to care about you and appreciate you can go a long way and that is exactly what she does. She inspires and grows young children into amazing people. Even as a Sophomore I will go and visit one of the greatest and life-changing women in my life and every time she will greet me with a smile and open arms.
To this day, I see Mrs. Suzuki as a pivotal figure in my life. The amount of time, hard work, and most importantly, love that she has given to all of her kids makes me forever grateful for what she has done for me. Through this wonderful woman, I learned many things about myself, developed lasting skills, and gained the confidence to crave success. Thank you, Miss! I love you!
Jennifer is amazing. She has so much dedication to her students. Each year she takes students to compete and meet students from all parts of our country. To be able to do this she has fundraisers all year. Her time is centered around her job, never off her mind. She encourages her students to be better than they can imagine.
Mrs. Suzuki is the most successful, amazing, hardcore, dedicated, and passionated teachers that I know. I met her in my 6th and my journey of working by her side started from there. I was a shy small tiny filipino boy that didn't know much about technology or how to work with STEM. Mrs. Suzuki allowed me to learn something new with the assistants of her amazing teaching. I've learned to become more successful, more creative, smarter, how to work with technology I never knew about, and she gave me opportunities thanks to what she has done for me. She made me more set for the real world.She was a second mom to me. She created a place and environment were I was able to socialize and work with people who were similar to me. I've been with here for 3 years starting from a stranger to one of her best students she had. Opportunities such as jobs, competitions, and teaching classes helped me notice what I want to be when I get older. Mrs. Suzuki has touch my life significantly. She is more than a teacher she is a mom, superhero, pathway maker, and astonishing woman. I have no amount of word that can help me describe how grateful she is to me and many others. She still continues what she loves today, teaching students. I really believe she is a true life changer and she does really deserve this award.
10 years ago, the world has gifted me with Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki as my English teacher. You were the first teacher - first person rather- to encourage me to step outside of my comfort zone and join an after-school robotics program. I was very shy and didn’t speak much in class, but you gave me an outlet to speak my mind, do research and learn about robotics and real-world engineering problems. You opened up your home to your students and treated me like your own. You challenged us to think outside of the box and do things that nobody else is doing. I’ve stayed in touch over the years and you always surprised me with the community that you are fostering and the number of dedicated students that you have. The amount of time and love that you give to everyone is very clear. The number of lives that you have helped shaped and changed over the years is countless. It's teachers like you that are great agents of change, inspiring so many students and changing our future for the better. Thank you for inspiring me and so many others & thank you for acting as a second ‘mom’ to me. I am so thankful to have you in my life.
Where do I even start with Mrs. Suzuki? She is passionate, dedicated, and cares deeply for her kids. Anyone lucky enough to know her knows that she touches people’s lives (including my own) and is one of the teachers who inspired me to pursue a career in teaching myself! I struggle to even find the words to describe how grateful I am to Mrs. Suzuki for not only her impact on my life, but also for the impact she continues to have on her students today.
I had Mrs. Suzuki as my homeroom and English teacher and advisor for the Robotics club during my 8th grade year 10 years ago. I was kind of a stubborn student then and I was a bit lost with who I was and what I was physically, mentally, and academically capable of. She has a maternal, nurturing, kind, and fun personality that you can easily get along with her and you know she sees great potential in you, and I felt that during my 8th grade year. It was a year of change for the better thanks to her. She was a pivotal figure in my life who initially and greatly shaped me into the person I am today in and out of the classroom. She believes in you when you couldn't believe in yourself or had a difficult time believing in yourself. I had a reality check that year and got my act together, and she helped me realize my passion for writing and shape my leadership skills and responsibility. She brought out my potential and helped me use it to its full capabilities. She has changed my life for the better, and no amount of words can describe just how grateful I am to have her as my teacher, mentor, and friend throughout these years.
I've know Mrs. Suzuki for almost 10 years now and she is the whole reason I am where I'm at now. I started robotics in 6th grade with Mrs. Suzuki because I've always love working with my hands and making things. With her guidance I followed my passion for building and designing and now pursuing a mechanical engineer degree and work in a custom metal fabrication shop using my skill that I learned from her program. I thank her so much for that. I truly believe that Jennifer Suzuki deserves the Lifechanger of the Year award.
I've known Mrs. Suzuki only for a short two years but she has been nothing short of phenomenal with the students and others around her. She is caring, sensitive, compassionate, smart, patient and always willing to go above and beyond to get things done. She is always willing to put ALL her students needs before hers to make sure that things are taken care of. she has not only shown my child passion for the S.T.E.M. program but has completely changed how i view the program as well. The program has given my child a new outlook on the things he would like to accomplish in life and has been a complete life changing class for him. Mrs. Suzuki is deserving of any award that comes her way, as she has completely earned it. We love her to pieces!!
When I joined the digital media club I saw a very good jump in behavior before I joined i was a kind of a trouble maker. That was because i was hanging around with bad people and doing bad things after school. But as soon as i joined this club I saw a change in my behavior because i saw that the people I hangout with effects your behavior and the people here are very good and respectful especially mrs. Suzuki she has motivated me to change my ways and and make me a better person. And made me find some thing I enjoy.
I've met Mrs. Suzuki my sixth-grade year of intermediate school. As I write this now, I'm a senior in High School. Growing up I didn't really have parents. Both my mother and father were gone, I only had my grandma. I never really had a chance to understand what a motherly figure was, or actually know what a mother did until I met her. She took me in. I didn't live with her, but I spent every single second possible with her, and she let me. The toughest moments of my life were spent with her. If it was extremely difficult, sad, enraging, anything, I'd go to her and we'd just talk. Mrs. Suzuki was someone to me who really didn't just acted as they cared, she was a person who saved my life and turned it around. She was my mom. And it was simply that easy for her. She's a teacher of course who taught and developed my best skills: engineering, organizing, leadership, how to write, etc. But more importantly, she taught me how to live life, how to learn how to love life, and simply move on. She didn't have to take me in. She didn't have to teach me the sense of life and why it's so hard, but she did. She turned me, a sad good for nothing kid into something that people are proud of. It was that easy for her. That's the type of teacher she is, caring, loving, wise, intelligent, fierce, and the list goes on. As I said before, I'm writing this as a senior in High School, she has become my best friend, teacher and my mom. No one else has made such a big impact on me like Mrs. Suzuki.
I’ve known Mrs. Suzuki for 15 years. She completely changed my educational mindset so much that I received 3 degrees (B.S., MEd and DPT) and I owe a huge part of my success to her. She is selfless, kind, supportive, passionate, patient, and most of all puts her students needs before hers. She is the best teacher you could ever ask for and deserves every award out there.
When I joined the digital media club I saw a very good jump in behavior before I joined i was a kind of a trouble maker. That was because i was hanging around with bad people and doing bad things after school. But as soon as i joined this club I saw a change in my behavior because i saw that the people I hangout with effects your behavior and the people here are very good and respectful especially mrs. Suzuki she has motivated me to change my ways and and make me a better person. And made me find some thing I enjoy.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the kindest, most dedicated and generous people I know. She taught more than just how to use photoshop and make some videos. She was more than just a teacher. She was a life changer. I became a more confident person thanks to her. I could go to her with my deepest insecurities and she always knew how to make me feel better. Mrs. Suzuki gave us a place to be ourselves. Media wasn't just a class, it was a place to go where I knew I could fit in. Where everyone accepted me, where my family was. She took a bunch of different kids and brought them together. She taught us to work well together and learn to love each other. I met so many amazing people through her program that I'm glad to have in my life. Mrs. Suzuki's loving personality has an effect on her students that sets her apart from the rest.
Jennifer brought out the best in my son under her care and guidance in the STEM program.
She helped him to see his potential and helped build up his self worth. As a sophomore in high school he is thinking ahead after graduation and wants to pursue a career in computer science and believes in himself.
You see this is huge for him as he lives with a life threatening condition that limits his contact with peers and his daily treatments takes away a lot of his extra curricular time. Jennifer made him feel a part of the group no matter what his contribution could be. He consults with her still and we are thankful that she became a part of our sons future.
Jennifer Suzuki has been a great mentor and teacher of mine for the past four years! Through the PBS NewsHour student reporting labs program workshop in Washington DC, where we met, was when this impactful leader came into my life. She has been a willing and helpful guiding hand that has played a pivotal part in my growth as a journalist, and I am forever grateful! She is more than deserving of this honor !
Joining the Digital Media club under the instruction of Mrs. Suzuki, was unquestionably the best decision that I made in middle school. Although it's probably expected for me to say this, Mrs. Suzuki REALLY is a person in my life that has left an impact on me. She has a great passion for the work that she does, and the numerous awards that her students have received under her mentorship is a testament to it. Aside from all the notable awards, Mrs. Suzuki also instills in us the importance of knowing that there is always room for improvement. This piece of knowledge not only encouraged me to do better in the classroom, but purely just life in general. This and many other reasons is why Mrs. Suzuki is so deserving of this award.
Mrs. Suzuki is the most dedicated, selfless, hardworking, patient, generous, inspiring, and life-changing teacher and friend I've ever had. Throughout the three years I've known her, she's shown me nothing but love, support, inspiration, and dedication. Through Maui Waena's STEMworks program, I've been exposed to so many new opportunities, experiences, and people including Student Television Network in Anaheim and Tennessee, being selected to attend PBS's SRL Academy in Washington D.C., International Microwave Conference, and producing stories to be aired on Hiki No and Student Reporting Labs. From these experiences I've not only gained exposure and journalism skills, but I've also learned professional etiquette, time management, problem-solving, self-confidence, and career readiness. Over the years, she's served as a significant mother-figure in my life; constantly pushing me to do better than my best, explore outside my comfort zone, and just to be a better me every single day. Her first instinct is to always put the students first and sacrifices so much time, money, and energy just so we can compete, travel, or just film. I'm forever grateful for her and the program, and it always warms my heart to see new students walk into her room and watch her impact their lives as well. Thank you Mrs. Suzuki for all of your guidance throughout the past and in the years to come. You are the definition of a life changer, and I can't wait to see how many more lives you'll impact.
I have never in my life met anyone who is as dedicated to their students as Jennifer Suzuki. She doesn't just care about whether her students can pass tests, know how to make videos, or if they're doing their homework; she cares about the whole well-being and development of her students. In fact, "students" isn't even the right word to describe the relationship she has with the kids, because they're straight up her children, and she treats them like it. I know this because for six years I had the absolute honor and privilege of working with her and the kids in their media program.
She started the video production and robotics programs regardless of having no prior experience or knowledge and built it to where it is now: award-winning and nationally recognized. I was there when she opened up her home and cleared out her dining room table and garage so that the kids could build their robots and practice. I've seen the ways that she has worked nonstop trying to arrange college tours, community service events, and other educational opportunities for the kids during while on their 1.5+ week trip to the mainland for a national video production competition. She has written grants and letters to cover the cost of a five week summer camp that taught video production, robotics (including coding), and graphic effects, so that families could either pay a heavily reduced registration fee or no fee at all. But all of these weren't just a one-time thing; she's been doing this for years out of the pure love she has for the kids and her drive to give them as many opportunities as possible.
That's only the big stuff, too. The daily love and care she gives to her kids is where the real change happens. She's always teaching and modeling real-life skills: communication with adults and businesses, grace under pressure for video and robotics deadlines, empathy, and problem-solving and conflict resolution. And that's before you account for how she works nonstop to raise money for both the program and the kids, some of whom can't afford the trips to compete but who work hard. I know for a fact that on multiple times she has invested her own money into her kids because she believes that they're worth it. She's someone who literally puts her money where her mouth is, and it pays off. Alumini of the program have gone off to MIT, become engineers, have been recognized by PBS, photographers, and videographers. I'd like to think that's because of the opportunities, confidence, and discipline that they learened under her.
And then there's the love and support that she's given me and the change she brought to my life. When I was presented with the opportunuty to go back to college in the mainland and finally pursue my dream career in film, I wanted to get her blessing to go. That meant leaving the program that I had been with for six years that I had seen grow from 20 kids to 100 kids daily, with no guarantee that I could find a replacement. I was scared, because I didn't want to abandon the kids and her. But before I could even finish talking, she just hugged me and told me with a mixture of happy and sad tears in her eyes, "Go do it!" She went on to say how she had always wanted that for me and to not worry about her and the kids, that this was meant to be. She willingly let me go so that I could become the person whom she knew that I could be.
I tell you all of this because I need you to understand how fiercly she fights for her kids, how much she's willing to sacrifice for them, and how deeply she loves them. She's cried for them, rejoiced with them, and has given absolutely everything of herself for them. Right now, like she does every other year, she's trying to secure funding for the afterschool program so that it can be free for any student who wants to join. She wants to make sure that the program doesn't have to turn anyone away simply because they can't afford to be there. She knows that the next great inventor, humanitarian, farmer, politcian, teacher, or engineer can come from anywhere, and she doesn't want money to be the thing that stops them.
So please, I implore you to not only consider Jennifer Suzuki as the Lifechanger of the Year, but to also follow her example. Because then at the very least we'll produce and nurture generations of future lifechangers.
To say the least since the day I met her, Jennifer Suzuki has got to be the most ambitious, exuberant, intuitive, amiable role model that I have ever had. Eight years ago I was fortunate enough to be placed in her classroom, and at the time I would have never predicted it, but that is when she changed my life. In my eighth grade year, I joined her Media club, and I honestly had no idea what I was doing; however, Mrs. Suzuki was able to see how committed I was so she dedicated her time and energy to teach me. By the end of that year I attended a national competition with her, and the night before the award ceremony we were sitting on the couch, and she was telling me how proud she was of me no matter the results. I turned back to her, and I said to her I’m going to win this competition, and I’m going to win with first place. I remember this moment vividly, and that is because Mrs. Suzuki had instilled a confidence in me that would never fade. She showed me how far hard work and determination could take you; she showed me the effect of believing in someone could have. Mrs. Suzuki truly shapes students for success, because she knows that each of her students is bound for greatness. Till this day I carry the knowledge she has taught me, it has inspired me so much that I have decided to also pursue a career in education; with hopes of passing her wisdom down. So, if my opinion counts for anything I would like to reciprocate all the positive energy that Mrs. Suzuki has given me time after time and say that I genuinely believe she is the best candidate for this award.
Mrs. Suzuki is an exceptional woman. She's played an important figure in countless people's lives, whether they be students, teachers, friends or family, its undeniable that she's definitely the one person that deserves the Life Change of the Year Award. I, a former student of Mrs. Suzuki's, and hundreds of students got to experience the love, dedication, and pride for her students. With that said, she's an astounding teacher. She's entertaining, knows what she talks about, and takes constructive criticism very well. She understands the students and is able to help every student individually, when they need it. Not only does she know students in the classroom, but she's able to relate to many of them at a personal level. I can definitely say that I've experienced that myself, and might I add, it's absolutely amazing. She's taken care of me since I first met her in my sixth grade year. Over the past 7 years, I've considered her to be a mother figure to not only her beautiful family, but to me, and many of her students as well. There are very high expectations for Mrs. Suzuki and her students, and she'll always be by her student's sides when they need help. The amount of dedication she puts into everything she does is astounding. To her, every student that she's been able to shape thus far, will always be her pride and joy. To us, students, teachers, friends and family, she'll be someone to have had a monumental impact on where we all are now.
Mrs. Suzuki is truly one of the most caring, diligent, and generous people I've gotten to know throughout my life. I can't think of a time where she didn't put others in front of herself. She has impacted my life in countless ways and has helped shape me into the person I am today. Her persistence and determination has inspired me to work hard toward my goals and to never give up on myself or others. Since joining the media program I've had many life changing experiences, gained so much confidence in myself and my skills, and overall, I grew as a person. Being in her media program for three years taught me so much more than I could've ever imagined about media production. On top of that, the program got me involved in the community, and I am so fortunate for that. Mrs. Suzuki provided me with so many amazing opportunities, and I am so thankful to have had someone like her come into my life.
Mrs. Suzuki is the most hardworking and determined teacher I have ever met. She’s not only a teacher but she is like a mom. Mrs. Suzuki is the one that made me come out of my shell. In the 6th grade I was shy. I barley had friends and I rarely talked because I didn’t know what was happening. She change my life by making me more involved. In middle school she gave me many opportunities to meet people. I felt important and useful during middle school because she gave me many opportunities. I got to travel to California, Tennessee, and New York because of her. She taught me every thing I know. I use all the things she taught me to this very day. Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing teacher and my life changer !
Jennifer Suzuki is an outstanding teacher who is committed and dedicated to giving our
students the very best skills for their future. I have seen my daughter grow
tremendously these past few years - from being focused in her academics, her future
inspirations, her social confidence and especially her tech skills! Jennifer has an
awesome STEMworks program for these students, which provides them even more
amazing opportunities with Media, Robotics and CAD. It is wonderful to see these kids
excited about STEM, which only means that they have an amazing mentor! When you
are around Jennifer, you can feel her energy! You can feel her enthusiasm and see her
dedication towards teaching her students. She is so caring and nurturing in spirit - I
see why these students don’t think twice about how much time they spend after school
with her! I wish I could have been fortunate to have Jennifer as a teacher! When you
mention Jennifer Suzuki to other teachers or acquaintances, they know exactly who she
is and what she’s accomplished - nothing but praise and honor!
We cannot wait for our other child to have this opportunity to join STEM and gain all the
wonderful qualities like her big sister. Thank you Jennifer for changing not only our
daughter’s life, but for the many students past, present and future! LIFECHANGER =
Jennifer Suzuki
Knowing Mrs. Suzuki has been a life changing part of my life. She was one of the main figures in my life who took me under her wing to teach and guide me in my many endevours. She taught me many valuable skills and characteristics such as, valuing the importance of time and understanding those around. Her valuable knowledge and countless acts of compassion have not only impacted me and my outlook on life, but many of her other students who have turned out to be my closest friends. Aside from being an amazing teacher, Mrs. Suzuki is a leader, guidance and someone anyone can look up to.
Mrs. Suzuki is a spectacular woman and teacher. Without her, I probably would not have had so many different opportunities to work on stem related projects and wouldn't have gotten to meet so many different people.
Mrs. Suzuki is the most determined, hardworking, and selfless teacher I've ever met. I had been in her media club for all three years of middle school, and those years were full of nothing but huge opportunities and growing. Not only has she helped me grow through using cameras and computers, but also as a person. Through Mrs. Suzuki, her club, and her class, I've improved in social skills, communication, and learned more about STEM and the careers that I'd like to pursue in. She gives up her free time to help students find their passion and provide and find them more opportunities. I'm extremely grateful to have been one of the many students to walk into her classroom and have my life changed through all the amazing things she is doing. She puts everyone before herself, but still finds love in everything she does for and with her students. Her drive is like no teacher's I've met before and is a true inspiration.
I've worked with Jenn for the past three and a half years. Her dedication to making a positive difference in the live's of her students is obvious to everyone around her. She's the only teacher I know who regularly eats dinner in her classroom so that students in her club activities have more time to learn and hone their skills. She provides a safe place for dozens of students to pursue their interests and consider fields they would not normally be able to explore. In addition to exploring interests, the students in her clubs and classes have excelled and won many awards at the local, state and national level. Her students are being built up to expect nothing less than excellence which will impact the rest of their lives. Her example even challenges me to be a better teacher.
As an alumnus of Maui Waena Intermediate School and a former student of Ms. Suzuki’s, I have experienced firsthand the tremendous impact that her STEM programs have had on students like myself, and I do not know anyone who could be more qualified or deserving of the LifeChanger of the Year Award than her. I was one of the first students who participated in Ms. Suzuki’s robotics and media programs when it started in 2010. Despite both programs being new and there being severe financial and material constraints, Ms. Suzuki labored tirelessly to build these programs into something that offered more than the traditional classroom experience. It reflects how much she believed in us and our potential to create and inspire through our work, and the unparalleled success that the Maui Waena Robotics and Media programs have achieved on both the state and national level over the past nine years is a testament to her continued commitment to investing in her students and working to bring out the best in them. In addition, the opportunities and experiences that my participation in robotics and media gave me, such as traveling to the continental U.S. to represent my school, island, and state at national competitions, profoundly shaped my view of what was possible for a small 12-year-old boy and instilled confidence and drive in me to reach greater heights. It was the essential first step for me to discover my passion for inquiry and intelligent design which has been crucial in guiding my academic and professional careers. As much as I have gained in terms of knowledge and applicable skills, I have realized that the broader lessons and takeaways from my time in Ms. Suzuki’s programs have served me far more valuable. One of the biggest insights I gained through my participation in the digital media program was the importance of recognizing that everyone has a story. This has helped me see the humanity in every individual I meet, and I sincerely believe it has made me a kinder and more empathetic person. If more educators could instill these values in today’s students like Ms. Suzuki does through her love for her students, I know, for a fact, that the world would be a better place. I am confident that if the LifeChanger of the Year Award is awarded to Ms. Suzuki, it will significantly increase accessibility to incredible opportunities that cannot be found in the classroom. I am only one of countless students whose lives have been profoundly touched by her, and I'm so proud of and grateful for the meaningful and tangible impact her programs are having on our community.
Ms Suzuki is an incredible and inspiring teacher. I am amazed on a daily basis the extent to which she will put her students, their well being and their academic success as a top priority. She is the teacher that I always wanted to have, and endeavor daily to be! In addition to being a highly educated professional on a multitude of topics, she is has a unique level of personal investment with each of her students. I have had the pleasure of talking to students ranging from her early days of teaching to her current pupils and their testimony is consistent; Ms. Suzuki genuinely cares about her 'kids'. Her constant positive attitude and modeling of a great work ethic are contagious and follow them well past their days at Maui Waena. I know with absolute confidence that many of the special beings who have filled her classroom will go on to do great things and provide amazing contributions to our world, and she will have played a foundational role in that.
I know that I myself, as someone who has had the incredible pleasure of being able to work alongside her (and learn by osmosis), have been positively affected by her contagious enthusiasm and exemplary work ethic. As you will read below if you peruse the many testimonials, she has done this for countless other individuals and I know will continue to do it for many more for the remainder of her life. She is just that unique of a person. In my humble opinion, there can be no more worthy of a recipient of such an award and it brings me great excitement to see Ms. Suzuki's contribution being commended on such a level.
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing teacher who truly goes the extra mile for her students and community. Frankly I do not know how she finds the time! I've known her as a colleague and friend for several years now and she really goes out of her way to extend learning beyond her classroom. She's an award winning digital media and robotics teacher and her students consistently win state and national awards every year. She tirelessly fundraises all year long so that all of her students can experience wonderful opportunities in digital media and robotics. She is genuine in her love for her students and is a role model to teachers everywhere. She rightfully deserves the title of Lifechanger of the Year!
I have had the privilege and honor to work with Jennifer Suzuki for the past eight years and to discover what a profound impact she has on so many lives in our community. A tremendous advocate for student growth and opportunities, Jennifer not only challenges students to succeed but she challenges herself to learn new fields and be open to our ever changing world of technology. She is an outstanding role model to thousands of students as she helps shape their character into positive members of society who don't hesitate to give back to our community. She opens her heart, her home and tirelessly devotes all her time and energy into each student's success staying in their lives as they grow into amazing adults. Our community is blessed to have a teacher like Mrs. Suzuki whose continual devotion positively changes lives - LifeChanger of the "Century", I say! Mahalo for all you do, Jenn!
She changed my life by invoing more stem in my daily school life.
I met Jennifer Suzuki two years ago, when I participated in the Open World program, to say that I was impressed with what she was doing was just to remain silent. There are people who are born to teach, Jennifer is one and them! She acts as a teacher, mentor, assistant, friend. I saw not just a training or work situation, I saw an interdependent relationship. Students see the openness, sense of purpose of Jennifer and her focus on the result of each child, and each of them responds not only to her reciprocity, but they realize that their actions can affect the life of their school, city, state, country. They are ready to work in order not to let down their teacher. Despite the large number of students, Jennifer will choose a key to everyone, be able to find words that will help to open up, realize her opportunities, look at the world with different eyes. Thanks to Mrs. Suzuki, students form and, most importantly, realize their professional competencies at different levels, because there is not even a month for them to participate in any project. Each student knows that with whatever he turned to Jennifer, she will surely help, do it as the most subtle psychologist, when the child himself comes to understand the problem and finds a way to solve it. Such an attitude to their profession can not but cause delight! I am grateful that she allowed me to be acquainted with Jennifer Suzuki!
Have you ever meet a person who changed your life for the better..? If you have, you'd know how dear you hold that person to heart.
For me, and countless other students, that person was, and is Mrs. Suzuki. If theres one thing I can say about her, above anything else, is that she has given, close to everyone she's ever met, a life changing experience. You can say were like a family, but thats minimizing the extent of her company. From the six grade, all the way until high school, she's always welcomed me with open arms. In other words, she a mother to all who are willing to give her chance. The only thing she asks for in return is, participation, and the smiles on children's faces. When it comes to judgment, she falls in the line of open arms.
I guess the big question is: why is she deserving of a reward. In all my life, I have never met someone so giving. Finically and emotionally, she is a giver. These are the reasons why I say, Mrs. Suzuki has given me, and countless others a, "Life changing experience, and experiences."
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the most selfless teachers I have ever met. I was already in high school when I met her over 6 years ago at a video camp or competition, can’t remember which, and have loved her ever since. We became so close that I even call her my mama till this day. She always goes above and beyond what her duties are as a teacher. She has changed so many children’s lives for the better and turned them into respectable and responsible young adults through her media program. Can’t say enough good things about this woman. Love you Mama Jen!
If you get the opportunity to meet Mrs. Suzuki you will never forget her and neither will she! I had the opportunity to have her as my middle school English teacher and advisor 13 years ago and now I get the opportunity to work. She is a dedicated, inspiring, positive role model and teacher. She pushes you to be the best you can be and treats you as you are part of her own family. As I continue to work her, I continue to see the passion and love she has for teaching and her students. Her STEM students puts out amazing work that I wish was the “in” when I was in her class. I nominate Mrs. Suzuki for the Lifechanger of the Year award as she continues to be an inspiration to me and upcoming generations.
Jennifer is an outstanding teacher who transforms her classroom into a safe place where students grow into themselves by developing student's interests into passions, creating an inclusive environment- where each student feel confident in themselves and recognizes the unique contributions, talents and gifts of others, and making the classroom a place where students feel like they are part of a supportive community. Students look forward to their after school classes and through much support, training, mentorship and team skills, student dive into projects using industry level technology and software as they work on projects that ultimately may drive future career pathway choices. The STEMworks AFTERschool program has shown academic success in student's grade improvement across subjects, improved student's confidence in their academic abilities, improvement in abilities to work both cohesively and become a responsible part of a collaborative team, boosts of student's seeming themselves as creative and capable individuals who are committed to help others. Students use the iterative design process to refine their work, and almost always improve their projects. Students explore and pactice career ready skills in the areas of digital media, robotics, coding, computer aided design and so much more during the program. This wonderful environment truly changes the direction of student's lives, which is evident by how many of Jenn's (previous students) graduated students return to give back to the program by mentoring the young people in her classes!
Jen is an amazing teacher, mama and friend! I have had the privilege of working with Jenn for over a decade. Her continuous drive and passion for giving her students opportunities and experiences is unbelievable and is truly giving these middle schoolers the best years of their lives. There are so many of her former students, now adults, who reminisce of that "one time when Mrs. Suzuki took us.... it was AMMMAAAZZING!" Many of these students took their first mainland trip with Mrs. Suzuki and without this exposure they may have never gotten the opportunity to travel and see the many possibilities that await them. Middle School is the age where these young people are being shaped and looking for guidance. Those who enter a class, media or robotics club with Jen not only has a wonderful teacher but gained a mama for life. She is definitely the most dedicated and hard working teacher I know.
For years, Jennifer Suzuki has been inspiring young minds to explore valuable STEM skills. Through her efforts in both her digital media and robotics programs, she has given her students a head start into developing talents they can continue to build off of later on in their academic career. Mrs. Suzuki encouraged me to join her robotics team when I was in 8th grade and I decided to continue robotics throughout high school. With her help and guidance, I was able to discover what I wanted to study in college and I will never forget the impact she had on shaping my future. Not only does she teach her award-winning students technical skills, she also encourages compassion, teamwork, and prepares her students to be successful for the rest of their lives. Jennifer Suzuki is the epitome of a life-changer, and has impacted every student who has been lucky enough to enter her classroom.
When you get a hug from Jen, the world becomes more calm, thoughtful and joyous. I've worked with Jen for over eight years. Through PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, she has become a critical support and role model for journalism teachers across the country. No doubt years from now there will be dozens if not hundreds of amazing young journalists and film makers on the stages of major award ceremonies thanking Jen for encouraging them and giving them a start. Thank you Jen!
Leah Clapman
Managing Editor, Education
PBS NewsHour
Hi I enjoy your class and the things you do for our school
When I first joined the media club in 6th grade I had no idea what to expect. I was just a careless child who enjoying making small videos with no experience. Then I met Mrs. Suzuki, the one who had started up the program. She has taught us so many things from taking videos and using cameras, to using computer programs. Without her and the program then I would have no idea with what I would want to do in life. Even as an 8th grader I still don't know what I want to do in life but, at least I have a start. Mrs. Suzuki is my life changer.
Hi I am one of the many kids in Mrs. Suzuki's class. I am here to say that Mrs. Suzuki should because she is a very carrying person that often times has to take money out of her own account to buy equipment for her class thats why I think she deserves to win this contest.
Mrs.Suzuki is the best teacher I ever had. She helped me edit and code and not to be shy on camera and be yourself. She always lets her students stay in her room and do work or hang out because she wants us to feel safe in our school without her I wouldn't have opened up to the friends I have now. I love her and she changed my life and everyone around hers.
Don't ever stop being a teacher!
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing, inspiring, and committed teacher. She has opened up my shell to new experiences and learning opportunities that I had not thought of before. Although I have only been with her for only two years I have learned more from her in terms about life than I have ever learned before. Before going to the media program I didn't think of my future or high school, but after joining the program I experienced many ideas of careers and what to do to have a successful future. Also, even though she does teach writing, filming, and editing she also has taught me how to built up my confidence and to speak, to have a voice in the school and community. With all that she does she is truly one amazing life changer in my life and all of my classmates lives.
Jenn is a tireless, passionate, engaged advocate and mentor for hundreds of keiki (kids) at one of the most challenging ages—middle school. She juggles a daytime teaching job with an ENORMOUS after-school program—STEMworks After School, coordinated by the Maui Economic Development Board Women in Technology organization—that serves literally hundreds of kids a year. She mentors award-winning videographers (who bring back prizes from PBS Hiki No and STN, the Student Television Network), shepherds an immensely successful and competitive robotics team, coordinates a variety of adult hench-persons who coach kids in tinkering, invention, computer aided design (CAD) and 3D printing, graphic design, computer animation, and so much more. Her students are so lucky to have her, as are we, her peers and supporters, not to mention her community. She is the hardest working, most deeply invested teacher I know, and as a teacher myself, I know more than a few.
Mrs. Suzuki is an excellent teacher and is always inspiring her students to do more than the minimum. She changed my life from a boring repeat of procrastination and low effort into an open mind continuously looking for something to do and try my best at. Although my interest for film and animation was there Mrs. Suzuki helped me realize that I wanted to do that. Mrs. Suzuki taught me how to keep trying and to look at things from a different angle instead of do,fail,then give up. She changed my life and changed many others, Mrs. Suzuki is a life changer.
I am positive that anyone that has had the opportunity to meet Mrs.Suzuki, let alone have her as a teacher, has had their life changed. Mrs.Suzuki was my middle school english teacher about 12 years ago and is still a part of my life today. I have the privilege to work along side her as an educational assistant as she fearlessly leads an after school media/robotics program of around 50 to sometimes 90 middle schoolers. Out of all the things she has taught me, I would have to say her humble and loving heart is what has changed my perspective on life and people. She cares for her students as if they were her own children. Her passion to see her students exceed in everything they do lasts even after they graduate middle school and I can attest to that. She has and is continually teaching me how to be intentional and caring to people in all walks of life. I think everyone in the world needs a Mrs.Suzuki in there life! I can't think of anyone else that deserves this Life Changer Award than her!
I don't think I've ever met a person like Mrs. Suzuki. Every year she has to teach hundreds of kids during school about media and although that may seem difficult, she voluntarily runs an after-school program with a hundred more kids to teach everyday. They don't know a thing about cameras, editing, or anything else to do with media. To her it's literally like teaching a child to talk, but within a year she has almost all of them creating videos while at the same time having fun. Mrs. Suzuki has extreme patience and kindness when dealing with kids who either don't understand what she is saying or act up when she is teaching. She tries to give everyone the chances they deserve and invests so much of her time, energy, money, and patience into media. For myself, before coming into media, I did not know how to operate any sort of camera and did not even have the slightest idea of what video editing was. I was just an elementary student that was coming into middle school and by the time the middle of my six grade year came about, I knew how to film and edit videos fluently. She is a teacher that is kind, smart, compassionate, fair, determined, and inspiring and I believe she should be the lifechanger of the year.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the best teachers I've ever known. She is a life changer! Mrs. Suzuki helps students and helps us become better people. She encourages and motivates others. Mrs. Suzuki is also just a great person in general!
Ms. Suzuki is great teacher, and motivator. Ms. Suzuki helped me get the courage to talk in front of a camera and join a group. Ms. Suzuki taught me how to export a falcon features video into the drive so it can be shown, and she taught me to just do things I'm scared of so it wont be so scary after.
Mrs.Suzuki has help me through rough times ever since I joined the STEMWORKS program. She taught me how to be a good videographer. She helps me get ideas for a video and teaches me how to be a video producer. She has also dedicated her time after school, on weekends, breaks, and summer for all her students to keep on improving. Also she fundraises for money to keep on supporting our program. Mrs. Suzuki also has an elective in our school and she teaches media to other students. Also she went from an ELA teacher to a media teacher. She gives me advice about school and life. She is a big help in finding a career I want to do in the future and helped me find a hobby that I enjoy really much. I am thankful for her in my middle school years and she is a big life changer
Ms. Suzuki is the best and funniest teacher I've met in 6th grade. She helps us one how to use the camera, and how to make the most awesomest videos ever!! Without her I wouldn't know how to use the camera. She is like my idol. I want to be a good photographer like her.
Mrs. Suzuki is a very inspiring person to encourage other people to join media. She also works hard for this club so that everyone can join. She is a very good geographic(idk what the word for taking pictures) and good at supervising everyone. When I was feeling down, she helped me up and made me feel happy about myself.
Mrs. Suzuki is on of the greatest teacher that I ever knew. she taught kids like us how to make films. She helped kids find what hobby like her group helped me find a interest in filming and animation. Mrs. Suzuki inspired all of us to do our best and reach our dreams to adulthood witch can help us succeed. Mrs. Suzuki even helped us make friends with people in her stem club. Mrs. Suzukis club is a place where me and my friends can be our self.
Mrs. Suzuki is an inspiring teacher and person. She created a club called STEM which I joined this year as a 7th grader. Watching her videos every Wednesday last year made me feel that I want to be a part of that community. I never had courage to join this club because I was scared to. This year as a 7th grader my friends wanted to join media and I did too, and I'm glad I did. Before joining I was shy, I never had the confidence to do anything, and I always had a hard time to just talk to someone. Not only did the club, people, and the community change this life but, as well Mrs. Suzuki. As a teacher I think we need more people like her in our lives to not only give us support but, to teach us that nothing great ever comes great. She wasn't only just a nice teacher but, gave us confidence and to teach us about the real world in a nicer way. She helped me come out of my shell and became more confident. Mrs. Suzuki is the type of teacher that I would be glad to see everyday and would look forward to see in my day. Everyday when I feel like I could no longer handle it I would remind myself that I go to this club everyday. There were multiple times where I felt like I had to go home because I felt like I couldn't handle the pain but, I remember the amazing club that I joined that was after school. Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing person that gives unconditional love and euphoria to her students everyday. Mrs. Suzuki to me is the life changer of my life and year.
Mrs. Suzuki is a very loving and patient teacher. Over these few school months, i have learned so much from her media program and life skills too. She taught us respect, and of course, camera basics and editing skills. She has of course changed my life for the better.
Ms. Suzuki is very inspiring and the best teacher I ever had. She is a life changer and makes me a better person. Ms. Suzuki is kind, funny, and creative. She inspires us to do great things when all of us grow up. She made me fit in more at school and she been very caring to me. She wants us to achieve our goal in a fun way. She is the most greatest teacher in the world.
Mrs. Suzuki is a life changer who inspires students to do their best and to pursue their dreams. She helps students find what they are passionate in and she helps students get better by being honest and giving ideas of how to get better. She works hard to help her students like me know what they are best at and what needs to be improved. When I was in seventh grade, I was introduced to STEMWorks by Mrs. Suzuki and this really opened up more opportunities.
Mrs. Suzuki is not just a media teacher, she is a life changer and mom to all of us. Mrs. Suzuki spends her mornings, recesses, after school, lunches, weekends and holidays training and helping us for competitions or conferences. She also created an event called stem exploration day where other children can learn about stem. She also feeds us. She trains us to work hard and do our best. She is always there for us even if we have a rough time. I always learn something from her every time I see her. She is my favorite teacher at Maui Waena. I use to be a shy person but she opened me up to new experiences. She made me become more social and smarter. Mrs. Suzuki wants us to have a better life in the future so she talks about college and degrees and she also invites people to our classroom and the guests talk about their life. She invites college students, professional people and more. Mrs. Suzuki inspired me to try new things!!!
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the people who opened me up to many STEM related careers and ideas. She takes her own personal time to teach us skills that we would have never attained if it weren't for her to run this media program. Even on weekends when she could be doing other things with her family, she is here for us so we can practice our skills so that we are ready for STN. Mrs. Suzuki is a very caring and kind teacher who devotes time and money for us to have more opportunities even after we finish middle school. Mrs. Suzuki is a life changer for me and many others outside of the program.
Mrs. Suzuki is not just a media teacher, she is a life changer and mom to all of us. Mrs. Suzuki spends her mornings, recesses, after school, lunches, weekends and holidays training and helping us for competitions or conferences. She also created an event called stem exploration day where other children can learn about stem. She also feeds us. She trains us to work hard and do our best. She is always there for us even if we have a rough time. I always learn something from her every time I see her. She is my favorite teacher at Maui Waena. I use to be a shy person but she opened me up to new experiences. She made me become more social and smarter. Mrs. Suzuki wants us to have a better life in the future so she talks about college and degrees and she also invites people to our classroom and the guests talk about their life. She invites college students, professional people and more. Mrs. Suzuki inspired me to try new things!!!
Ms.Suzuki helped develop my interests in photography and film making. She makes me feel comfortable making videos, especially since I am new. I think she will continue to inspire kids to just be themselves.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the best teachers to ever encounter. She has taught me how to use different types of technology and improve my skills. The first time I met her she was really kind and still is. Mrs. Suzuki is one of the kindest teachers to live. She is the best.
Like every single teacher Mrs.Suzuki help students. You are more than that, you are a life changer! You helped us to be more efficient and make are brains stronger ever single day. You are the most different teacher and I like that. You shape me and other people to be a better person. Thank you for everything.
From,
AA ron
In my 6th grade year I decided to join the media program ran by Mrs. Suzuki. At first, I thought it was going to be another boring after school program, but it turned out to be more then a program, it was a family. With Mrs. Suzuki putting all her effort and love into this program I found my passion of videography. She searches for the best in people & does not give up even though the situation seems impossible. Mrs. Suzuki is more then a teacher, she is a life changer.
Mrs. Suzuki has been a great teacher to me and many other students for the past 2 years that I have been at Maui Waena. She has given me many different opportunities. My older cousin who was in the program made me join and told me that I would like it even though I wasn't so interested. But once I started taking the classes over the summer and actually trying out the program I found it very interesting. And now media is one of my favorite hobbies.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the best people I have ever known. She is kind, caring, and loving to her students. She teaches them many things and in a fun way.
Mrs. Suzuki has been one of the best teachers I have ever met. She's definitely taught me a lot especially with how to use a camera and how to edit. She knows how to teach her students correctly while still keeping them interested. She shows so much hard work and dedication towards her job and she truly enjoys teaching us.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the best teachers i've ever had! I've always loved media but I've never known what i could do with my passion. When i heard about media, i instantly joined. She was super welcoming and willing to get me started. This year i am in 7th grade and got into STN! We will be going to Seattle in March and I'm so excited. We have been having STN practices where we make videos in groups separated in two different categories. There is individuals and crazy 8's. Every time we come to our STN practices she helps us with good tips as well as making us feel successful. There is so much more we love about her and the list goes on. I cannot thank her enough for this amazing opportunity and i couldn't ask for a better teacher.
In my 6th grade year I decided to join the media program ran by Mrs. Suzuki. At first, I thought it was going to be another boring after school program, but it turned out to be more then a program, it was a family. With Mrs. Suzuki putting all her effort and love into this program I found my passion of videography. She searches for the best in people & does not give up even though the situation seems impossible. Mrs. Suzuki is more then a teacher, she is a life changer.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the greatest person I've ever met in this world because she inspires me to get better and helps me when I need something or if I'm having trouble. She teaches me new things that I haven't learned yet or don't know about. I really appreciate all the time and effort she gives me and her other student whenever she helps us or teaches us about something new to our lives and might be using it in the future.
She is an amazing person, and i'm grateful for her teaching all of us in the media club lots about how to make a film, edit and animate it, and so much other things related to making a film. She is a life changer in the way she helped me learn all of this, and all of the other people in the media club.
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing life changer! She has opened up many new careers for me and helps me whenever I need help. Although I have only been her student for one year now, I have learned a great many things from her and I strive to make her proud. She is one of the most encouraging, life changing teachers I've ever had!
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing, creative teacher that has made me feel happy in my first year of middle school. When I first met her, I already knew that she was going to be a fun, kind hearted, teacher that will help us with problems we have.
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing life changer! She has opened up many new careers for me and helps me whenever I need help. Although I have only been her student for one year now, I have learned a great many things from her and I strive to make her proud. She is one of the most encouraging, life changing teachers I've ever had!
She changed my life by giving me an opportunity to join STEM Works at my school which I am grateful for because not only I have something to do but I learn a lot here and I feel happy here.
Jennifer Suzuki introduced the media program to me which she runs and this media program helped me because in the future I want to be an actress and for Mrs.Suzuki to have a program to help me achieve this dream is very helpful for me. Mrs.Suzuki puts in her time after work to help us learn about media and stem. She puts in many hours and I greatly appreciate this.
0Mrs. Suzuki is a fantastic and an enthusiastic teacher. I used to stay at home, play games, being bored but, now i've made new friends and learned new things I was good at. For example, robotics, I learned new things like building, programming the robots, and making new friends. With robotics it opened me to new opportunities i'm able to do like computer programming and engineering. Mrs Suzuki is energetic and a helpful teacher that opened me to new ideas to do and to not be afraid to learn new things. She always sacrifice her times so we can finish our work including weekends and during our break. Im only going to be with her for another semester but she has done so much the past semester and showed me to stem and now STN. Overall, she changed my path to my future and i'm glad I walked into the room.
Mrs. Suzuki isn't just a media teacher, she is a mom to all of us. She gives us her personal time after school, during recess, in the mornings, and on holidays and weekends. She makes sure that we understand something and she always makes us learn something. She encourages us to work hard every single day and she wants us to try our best. She feeds us while we spend her weekends with her. She pays for us to go on trips like conferences or competitions. She made me become more social because I use to be a shy person but she made me open up to the world and experience new things. Mrs. Suzuki is the best teacher I ever had!!!
Mrs. Suzuki is an amazing person who will push you to fulfill your dreams. She has helped me in many subjects. She encourages me to be the best i can be. I wouldn't be the person i am today without her. She provides for us and acts like a mother but at the same time a teacher.
As long as I have been in Ms.Suzuki's after school program I have discovered new hobbies of mine that I really enjoy! She has helped me a lot during school and has always found a way to bring a smile to my face. If I am ever discouraged I know I can go to her for advice to be motivated. She has an incredible work ethic that seriously makes a big difference at our school. Ms.Suzuki also is very easy to work with and to be comfortable around. She is a mother figure to all of us students and really made a big impact in my life. I am very thankful to have Ms.Suzuki during my intermediate years here at Maui Waena and to continuously have her in my life!
Choosing a most liked teacher is hard because you could change your mind any moment, not for me. Mrs.Suzuki is that teacher in many ways. she makes me look forward to going to class and I don't like class but not this class. this class teaches me thingsI want to use in the future. She is someone you can trust and the best for brainstorming ideas to improve our work and mind set. She is a life changer
Ms. Suzuki is an amazing teacher who dedicates her time to her students. She opened up my eyes to new things. Before this class, I didn't really know anything about working a camera or how to edit on Final Cut or After Effects. She is a LifeChanger to me because she taught me how to socialize and not to break under pressure.
Mrs.Suzuki is my most favorite teacher for 3 years. I wished I met her in the past because she is a LIFE CHANGER to me. She has given me the courage to speak out my opinions when I knew I couldn't. She also gave me the opportunity to learn more about technology through out my 3 years.
I joined this media and robotics club when I was in 7th grade and it was the best decision of my life because before this I wasn't doing much outside of school and would get into trouble. So for me, Mrs. Suzuki is a life changer because she got me involved in something that I am actually passionate about. She got me out in the world doing things like shooting filming and even traveling to places to compete in competitions around the world for robotics. And this forced me to push outside of my comfort zone and do things that I would have never done before. So for these reasons, she is more than just a teacher she is a Life Changer.
Mrs. Suzuki taught me professionalism and to always turn in quality work. She taught us camera skills and editing, letting us be able to make video ideas come to life. She opened my eyes and let me see things and situations from a new perspective. Being one of her students is an amazing experience. She makes you excited to learn and actually teaches us! While other teachers might not consider the student as more than someone to shout facts at, Mrs. Suzuki made bonds with us and encouraged us while we made our ideas a reality. She gives constructive criticism, making us improve. Being in her class for 1½ years and being in the media program showed that she is a charismatic person that looks out for us students. It is without a doubt that she was anything but a life changer. A truly amazing person that inspires us all.
Ms.Suzuki taught me many things about media, but more life skills. She taught me to always strive to be better then my best, and to never give up. For example, if I was struggling on Photoshop, then she would always help me push through that block and keep going. In addition, she also taught me that there is more to media beside working with technology everyday.
Mrs.Suzuki has given me many opportunities. She stays every day after school to help us learn more things about technology. She has taught me to work more harder and to express myself more.
Mrs.Suzuki is an amazing person. She teaches me a bunch in period 2 because if it wasn't for her I would be really bored from not knowing what to do or how to do stuff. She is encouraging, hard working, and inspiring. She knows exactly how to help everyone of her students. She knows exactly how to get them on task. She takes a chance on us because she believes in everyone of us.
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the most inspirational teachers i've had. Whether it be letting us work at a photo booth or running a whole STEM event that let's us share our talents with the community, Mrs. Suzuki always encourages us to do our best and never discourages us. She has given me so many opportunities to succeed, and I have met so many amazing people through her. She has brought so many people in to talk to us to show us what kind of jobs we can pursue. She has always been so kind to us and has always wanted us to be included. She has given me a home in this club and made these people my family. I would have never found all these amazing things that I enjoy to do or met all of these amazing people if it weren't for her, she is truly a Lifechanger.
Jennifer Suzuki has been inspiring and uplifting students for 20 years. I don't think there is a place she goes where past students don't come up and say hi. They all share stories of how she impacted their lives. Many past students return to her classroom to give motivational talks about colleges and careers. She possesses the ability to connect with the students on a deeper level and encourage them to be the best selves they can be. How do I know this? I am lucky enough to be her husband and have personally experienced her gift. Ten years ago she took over the robotics program and 8 years ago launched a digital media program in the school in the forefront of the STEM/STEAM movement. She has built an afterschool program with over 120 students that has won numerous national awards for digital media and a robotics program that is highly competitive at a state level. Her passion for empowering her students drives her to spend countless hours afterschool, weekends, and holidays working with the students. Jennifer creates a sense of family and belonging with her students. I've never seen adolescents work so hard, achieve so much, and have fun along the way. She teaches her students to have integrity, great self esteem, be confident, problem solvers, great communicators, and to give back to the community. That is the greatest gift she can give her students.
I joined the Maui Waena STEMworks program in 6th grade and I am currently in 7th grade. Ever since I started the program I didn't expect it to be this amazing. Mrs. Suzuki has changed my life in so many different ways and gives me plenty of opportunities. She provides me with opportunities such as teaching kids about STEM, making connections with people, and filming many interesting places and people. Mrs. Suzuki is like a motherly figure and is always there for us when we need it. Personally, Mrs. Suzuki changed me and gave a boost of confidence, and gives me a place to be. Anytime I am around Mrs. Suzuki I am always happy and can be myself. Mrs. Suzuki is a lifechanger.
Jen is an inspiring encouraging and beautiful person!! She was my teacher over 18+ years ago and inspried me to pursue my dreams and gave me permission to be myself and still continues to inspire me still.
As a youth those were the words I needed to hear. I know she is making such a huge impact here in Maui and around the Nation. The youth she is working with have such an amazing teacher !!!
Mrs. Suzuki is one of the greatest teachers I've ever encountered. She taught me hard work and dedication, communication skills, and professionalism. Through her media club, I've created unbreakable bonds and friendships. She gave me reassurance through the most challenging times and eased our middle school stress. As a highschool student, I apply my knowledge that I've learned and the advice given to me from her media program everyday. Mrs. Suzuki always told us we could go to her if we needed help, even if we're not in middle school anymore. I cannot thank her enough for the experience and knowledge she has given me and for opening me out of my shell. She isn't just a teacher, she is our life changer.
Ms. Suzuki is definitely a person you can never forget. To know her, see her with her kids and see such unbelievable work they produce is definitely life changing. My son had the honor of her tutelage for 2 years. Because of Ms. Suzuki, my son blossomed out of his shell, found a confidence in himself and found such a love for video production. My son is now in high school still pursuing his love of video production and still reminisces about his days with Ms. Suzuki. Thank you Ms. Suzuki for being such a caring, passionate, nurturing educator. There is no doubt that you are indeed a life changer as the proof is seen thru your students and the many lives you've touched.
Every time i enter the media club classroom or see Jennifer interact with her students i feel so inspired. Plus i see how everyone around her gets positively overwhelmed with creative energ and motivation to aim higher . Her drive, her deep care for students' and their future is 110% evident. I believe the impact of Jennifer's passion and hard work is truly life changing for many students as well as Maui community.
I have known Mrs. Suzuki for a couple of years now through her work with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs. Lifechanger is just one word that describes her. Mrs. Suzuki is inspiring, hard-working, and embodies the best values of education. Every year, she travels with students to Washington, D.C. for an annual video journalism academy that I run, and I wouldn't know what we would do without her. Her reassuring energy helps students believe in themselves and that they can accomplish anything, no matter how hard the task may be in front of them. I honestly don't know how she does it. She has changed my life, and I couldn't recommend anyone more deserving of this recognition than Mrs. Suzuki.
I have lived in my mom's class since I was a little lad. She has given me so many experiences from getting her class food to going to other states every year for competition. She gives her kids new experiences every year i see kids grow so much going from shy kids who never talk to open and passionate and courageous. Mrs.Suzuki doesn't only teach but she experiences with her students when we don't turn in a video she feels our pain all the way through. She works extremely hard to not only keep the program running but tries to help it flourish, she gives us opportunities with professionals, and gives us thoughts on how to troubleshoot
Mrs. Suzuki has provided me many opportunities throughout the 3 years I have spent with her. She has taught me many things but to most importantly do your absolute best and strive for greatness.
Oh, I love Jen so much! I worked closely with her two summers ago as co-mentors of a group of student video producers / journalists at the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs Academy. Jen is truly gifted at mentoring students and is a wickedly talented video producer herself. She knows how to teach video production and storytelling to middle and high school students and is very good at facilitating safe and collaborative learning environments to students of all levels. I learned a lot watching Jen do her thing that Academy. Moreover, I had the chance to meet some students of hers at Maui Waena who just adored Jen and really respected her for her enthusiasm, leadership, and intelligence. Happy to support this nomination. Go Jen!
I would like to recommend Mrs. Suzuki as the Life Changer of the year! There is no teacher that gives more time and energy to our haumana (students) than Mrs. Suzuki. Her dedication shines when her room is filled with over 100 students (nearly 10% of our school population) every day after school and on Saturdays. It is amazing to watch our middle school students make short video's, code robots, and compete at high levels at a National and International level. She shows our keiki that they can achieve their dreams with dedication, hard work, and perseverance.
As a fellow teacher, she is incredibly supportive and always positive! She has also changed my life. She asked me to be a chaperone in order to take our students to a robotics competition in Hilo. It was amazing watching our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders compete at a very high level against mainly high school teams. They built their robot, trouble shooted it, coded it to be autonomous, and learned about team work within our school as well as partnering with other schools.
I am so glad our students nominated Mrs. Suzuki for the lifechanger of the year award. Whether she wins this or not; she has earned a life changer of the year award in my eyes! Mahalo!
Ms. Suzuki works tirelessly with students to inspire them to achieve incredible heights in developing technology skills. Every year, she has different groups of students, but the results are always the same--they achieve success locally, state-wide, and nationally. The only common factor every year is Ms. Suzuki. Having been a team member with Ms. Suzuki before she took the position of teaching media, I know that she has a way of inspiring and motivating students to become their very best. She is truly a LIFE-CHANGER for these youngsters!
I have had Mrs. Suzuki for 3 years and the experience is surely unforgettable. To me, it was the stepping stone of my future. I did not just learn how to edit or film. I learned organization and more about my community. I am now currently in High School using the skills I have adapted. Mrs. Suzuki was a great mentor, she wasn't just a teacher she was a life changer.
Passion, Dedication, Commitment. She's got it, all the traits we hope for in our educators, mentors, leaders, etc. Her entire community sees, knows it, and loves her tremendously for it. Kids respect her because there is no denying that kind of sacrifice. Year after year, she does not relent. She is right in her element, and yes, she changes lives. Mrs. Suzuki is truly an amazing shining example in our education system.
Jennifer is so AWESOME! She has helped to mold and shape so many youth vat her school, including my niece and nephew and several youth from our church. She's given the youth at her school so many opportunities to SUCCEED...and they have! And she's encouraged the youth to GIVE BACK to our community....snd they continue to do so. She has definitely changed the FUTURE of our community in so many different ways...and WE LOVE HER for everything she's done....all with ALOHA and PERSEVERANCE...unmatched qualities!
Has it been 15 years already? Ms. Suzuki changed me. From being a shy student in her English class that was too timid to actualize her dreams-- into a vibrant human being that began to visualize the world of possibilities at her fingertips. I am immensely thankful to her for that. She has become a second mother to me and many others. She devotes her time and passion into inspiring students in and out of the classroom. She helped me to see talents that I did not even recognize. Finding something in middle school to be proud of, boosted my self-esteem. In a world where there is so much negativity, she helped us to find positivity in ourselves. And even as a twenty-seven year old adult, I still remember her classroom, her warmth, and her care like yesterday. Her lessons carried over through the years. Thinking of her fueled a fire of inspiration for a competition that I was competing in. Needless to say, her everlasting enthusiasm for pushing students pushed me to win first place in a talent phase for a pageant. I performed a slam poem that I didn't even know that I was capable of creating. But thinking of her inspired me to. Thank you, Ms. Suzuki! You are so loved and cherished by all students that are fortunate to have you in their lives!
Ms. Suzuki is a life changer. She goes the extra mile for her students and I'm so glad I was able to have her has a mentor. I look up to Mrs. Suzuki so much and I hope to make a difference as she does. She has completely helped me change my life before I met her I wasn't the best in school and never really cared about much but when I met her she helped me realized how important school is and she introduced me to media and robotics, one of the biggest events of my life. Most importantly she though me to believe in myself Even now in high school I still imply the skills and knowledge she has thought me.
I don’t know Ms. Suzuki personally, but I know many people who have been affected by her amazing work! I have never heard a single negative thing about Ms. Suzuki. She seems to invest a lot of time and energy into her students and making sure they feel supported. She is obviously an above and beyond mentor for many students!
When I joined the media and robotics club in 6th grade I imagined it to be much different than it was. I didn't expect it to be as demanding as it was but the pressure taught me to manage my time. In addition to this, I was able to be more open with my ideas and opinions and also enabled my imagination especially with coming up with topics and ideas for short films, movie trailers, etc... In my 7th grade year Mrs. Suzuki taught me an important lesson about putting myself first. She told me to decide which was more important to me between robotics and media. She prioritized the well being of her students over the club. In my 8th grade year, I quit the media club after deciding that it wasn't something I wanted to pursue in my future, however I am still a member of the robotics club and am now the programming captain for our vex robotics team. Being a part of the media club allowed me to travel around the country and see thousands of students undergo an extremely stressful process for days on end. In the end this provided me with many amazing opportunities that I will never forget. The robotics club taught me skills such as teamwork and time management and allowed me to continue something I feel passionately about. Mrs. Suzuki truly changed my life, past, present, and future.
I joined the Maui Waena STEMWorks in seventh grade and I thought that the club would just keep me busy after school but, Mrs.Suzuki ended up giving me an opportunity to make new friends, work on skills such as script writing, filming, and editing. Joining the club also taught me to persevere through the difficulties of turning in videos on time. Not only this, but it taught me the lifelong skill of teamwork. I've had to adapt to working with many different people with different work ethics. Mrs. Suzuki taught me skills that will help me throughout my life whether or not I pursue a career in the STEM field. This is why Mrs. Suzuki is a life changer.
Jennifer Suzuki is amazing! I was in her class on a Saturday morning, helping students assemble 3D printers to learn how they work, and I was struck by how joyful the kids were to be there. It is such a healthy sign when kids have fun learning and are doing it spontaneously!
I wish I'd been in her class when I was young!
I first met Jennifer Suzuki nine years ago. Our son was still in elementary school, and we were trying to decide whether he should enroll at Maui Waena Intermediate School, which is the third largest public middle school in the State of Hawaii. The school’s Technology Club hosted an evening community event, so I took my son. It was a fantastic and engaging experience for him. Jennifer and her students made him feel welcome, and he participated in their robotics and media programs. (Our daughter has continued the family tradition with robotics programming, so I have had eight years of experience of dealing with Jennifer.)
Jennifer’s passion for developing her students is overwhelming. She welcomes athletes and nerds, and taught them it is okay to be smart. When my son was in the program, there were less than 20 students. The program has grown to over 100 students in the past eight years and now occupies a classroom twice it’s original size.
Many of her former students, who are film and media producers,return to visit Jennifer and Maui Waena to mentor the younger students. Jennifer has truly changed the lives of my children and hundreds of her students over the years. I would consider her as the Lifechanger of the Decade.
I have known Jennifer for many, many years; in fact, I was her English teacher at UH-Maui College when Jennifer returned to college to attain her teaching degree. Jennifer is one of those rare people who was born to teach, to inspire, and to encourage. Every year she touches the lives of many to ignite a spark that many didn't know they had. One only has to look at the trips to competitions, the awards won and the accolades heaped upon Jennifer's classes and students to see what Jennifer has been able to do for the young people in her classes. Jennifer devotes herself fully to her job, often using her own funds and working long non-paid hours to raise funds for her students to travel to conventions and competitions. One wonders where her energy comes from in face of budget cuts and extra requirements often demanded of successful programs. Jennifer says that her energy comes from the love of her job, commitment to what she knows to be the right thing for her students, and from the support of students and parents and the community. It is time now to support and acknowledge Jennifer with the Life Changer of the Year Award, an award she richly deserves.
Ms. Suzuki is a life changer. She goes the extra mile for her students and I'm so glad I was able to have her has a mentor. I look up to Mrs. Suzuki so much and I hope to make a difference as she does. She has completely helped me change my life before I met her I wasn't the best in school and never really cared about much but when I met her she helped me realized how important school is and she introduced me to media and robotics, one of the biggest events of my life. Most importantly she though me to believe in myself Even now in high school I still imply the skills and knowledge she has thought me.
Ms. Suzuki is a life changer for me. Before I was in the media program, I didn't know what I was doing. Entering middle school was already tough for me. A friend of mine wanted to join the media club, so I joined with her, thinking that this was just an average club with an average teacher. I soon realized that wasn't the case. I saw how kind and compassionate she was towards every student. She taught me to look for small details, pay attention, to be organized, and be confident in what I do. She has given me so many new opportunities that I didn't know were even possible for me. Ms. Suzuki truly is a life changer.
Jennifer Suzuki is an amazing asset for her students, going far beyond the call of duty with her time and resources, she is understandably loved by all her students and is an example of what a outstanding teacher could be.
Jennifer is an amazing educator. The kids (including my daughter) as well as our families respects her and commend her for everything that she does with her students. She is not just a teacher but she is a mentor, a friend and a role model. Her patience, her wisdom, her enthusiasm, her energy and everything she gives to the children is a huge gain for the community. Jen, I appreciate what you have done to help my daughter and we will always be thankful.
Good luck and wishing you the best! You deserve to win, you are definitely a LIFE Changer!
Jenn is one of the best teachers I have watched evolved from when I was in 8th grade and watched her incorporate so much STEAM into her curriculum. It's amazing how much technological advances she has made to being nationally acclaimed for her efforts in curriculum and also just being an approachable teacher with her every day students and even her students later on in life. She's always been approachable and you can tell her helps her students socialize their social lenses to an ever evolving workspace.
Jennifer is a truly outstanding educator and exceptional leader. She is resourceful, talented, dedicated, innovative, creative and fearless. I had the privilege of being her student years ago, and working with her right after college. What she has built in that time is nothing short of extraordinary. She has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for Maui students in journalism, video production, robotics, and so much more. Her media team consistently participates and wins top honors at national competitions, is involved in many community organizations, and is always giving back to local people and causes. Many of her former students go on to become community and industry leaders. She is one of the few and rare teachers who you still talk to years after you’ve been her student. She invested a significant amount of time and energy into both myself and my brother as we made our way into the career paths that we are now pursing. And, as the person who also introduced me to my now husband, I can’t think of a better term for her than “Lifechanger.” I know I am far from being the only student who has been impacted by her generosity and encouragement. She is more than deserving of the Lifechanger Award and I can not recommend her highly enough.
Mrs. Suzuki is the definition of a life changer, she is more than just a teacher, she's like another mom to me, she made me a person that I never thought I could be, now i'm the leader of the stemworks after school program that she runs and have a lot of opportunities that she provides for all her students. She's just the best.
Mrs. Suzuki was my English teacher back in 2006. It is an honor for me to say that I was fortunate to have Mrs. Suzuki as my teacher. Honestly, I felt like more than a student, but like family. Thank you so much for making a big impact on my life!
I wouldn't be the person I am today without this woman. She changes lives of so many children. I've never met a teacher that was so committed to their students like Mrs. Suzuki. She goes above and beyond to make sure her students find their passion whether it be in Broadcast or something else. I wasn't really interested in Media or Broadcast because it wasn't my passion but I've developed phenomenal leadership skills through her class and after school program and leading is my passion. I've found myself and more of what I like to do because of her guidance. She is truly the best teacher I've ever had and she deserves this Life Changer award.
Mrs. Suzuki is genuinely a life changer. I have worked with some of her students who she has inspired to greatness. I am truly inspired with how much she gives of herself.
Mrs. Jennifer Suzuki changed the life of my children. Media helped them in so many ways. They became so focused in want they want to do in life, became so responsible and excelled in school. As a parent, I couldn’t ask for anything more. Jennifer inspired them to be better. I will be forever grateful to her. She is so wonderful and the best teacher any student could ever have.
The video says it all. Ms. Suzuki is a life changer. Her class is more than students; it families and students. In fact, it's communities and students.
Ms. Suzuki's classroom is a safe place to live and learn. She opens doors to new possibilities, while at the same time creating a nurturing environment, and instilling a sense of responsibility and discipline. Her classroom is a safe place to hang out and learn. Her students exceed expectations because they know she believes in them and they believe in themselves. I taught at an elementary school that sends students to Maui Waena. Her program has changed many of their lives. The places they have traveled to and the experiences they have had have opened their lives to a world of possibilities.
You are the best Jennifer!
She changes more than children's lives, she changes the lives of the entire childs family!
I am a Professor at Georgia State University in Atlanta For the past three years I have come to Maui at Jennifer's invitation to spend a week mentoring her students in digital media production. Being immersed in Jennifer's world and experiencing the love and respect she has for her students has been a remarkable experience for me.Her students grow and nurture under Jennifer's care and not only have fun learning bur experience important life skills like mutual respect for one another and what the true value of team cooperation means in striving for success in whatever task you take on. Jennifer is one of a kind and most deserving of this honor.
In their video, Jennifer Suzuki's students capture what makes her such an exceptional LifeChanger. Maui Waena Intermediate is a Title 1 school, and students in Title 1 schools don't have the opportunities and often the confidence that students from more comfortable or affluent households do. Jennifer is always looking for programs and activities that will give her students the skills and perspective to succeed and excel. She opens doors to new possibilities, while at the same time creating a nurturing environment, and instilling a sense of responsibility and discipline. Her classroom is a clubhouse and a safe place. Her students exceed expectations because they know she believes in them.
During the eight years I've known Jennifer, she's been a life changer for the students who've been through her STEM and media program.
Jennifer Suzuki is a mentor, mother-figure, and friend! I consider myself incredibly blessed to have her in my life!
Mrs. Suzuki is a real lifechanger! As the parent of an eighth grade student in the program, I have had the honor and privilege of watching Mrs. Suzuki work with her students for the past three years. The positive impact she and the program have made in the lives of so many students is truly amazing.
Mrs. Suzuki teaches five media and technology related classes a semester, consisting of over 120 students, and her afterschool STEMworks program has an enrollment of over 125 students. The media arts, video production, and broadcasting arm of the STEMworks program runs everyday afterschool from 2:00p - 4:30p, and on most Saturdays from 10:00a - 6:00p when preparing for competitions. The robotics, coding, and CAD group meets weekday evenings from 5:00p - 8:00p, and on Saturdays during competition season.
While the sheer time commitment required to run, organize, and mentor students through these programs would seem too much to ask of any one teacher, Mrs. Suzuki has selflessly devoted her time, shared her knowledge, and given her own funds to make these opportunities open and available to any student interested in STEM related learning and willing to make the commitment.
Her exceptional dedication to her students and the STEMworks program are exemplified through the countless state and national honors awarded to her students time and time again. This year, in addition to winning seven national awards (four of which were first place awards) at the prestigious Student Television Network competition in Nashville, the Maui Waena team was also presented the Award of Excellence for the best middle school broadcast show in the nation.
Mrs. Suzuki and her students have also created important public service videos for community agencies like the Maui United Way, Maui YMCA, Kihei-Wailea Rotary Club, and Maui Adult Day Care Center. One recent and significant contribution was the production of a training video that was written, edited, and shot by the Maui Waena students for the State of Hawaii Child Welfare Services and Department of Education, which was used to educate teachers in responding to abused students. These experiences provide a valuable service to the community while also teaching students the skills and fundamentals of running a business. Students are required to meet with clients, assess their needs, plan the logistics of the video shoot, shoot and edit the video, and present the finished product to the client for review.
Mrs. Suzuki has not only taught her students technical skills that will prepare them for college and careers in a STEM-related industry, if they choose, she has also imbedded in them the importance of teamwork, respect for people and property, empathy, integrity, resourcefulness, responsibility, time management, problem solving, and giving back to the community - all the important values that are necessary to be successful and meaningful community contributors.
The STEMworks program has also been an ongoing source of pride and hope in our community. Maui Waena Intermediate School sits in the heart of Kahului, and students attending the school come from very diverse backgrounds. While some students have college educated parents, a significant amount of the population comes from families living and renting multi-generational homes with parents who may only have a high school education or do not speak English as their primary language. The STEMworks program continues to offer students opportunities to learn college and career ready skills, apply those skills in real world situations, travel off island, and earn recognition on the state and national levels. The personal growth and self-confidence nurtured in these students, as well as the community support garnered by their success, is immeasurable. Without a doubt, this program positively changes lives.
While Mrs. Suzuki is continually inspiring her students to achieve excellence, this particular path to excellence is, by its nature, very expensive to maintain. Media production, robotics, drone technology, and computer-aided design are heavily dependent on having the right equipment. Keeping up with the quickly changing advances in technology on the limited budget of an overpopulated public school in Hawaii is an immense challenge.
The STEMworks program organizes a variety of fundraisers each year and solicits donations from like-minded community partners in an effort to simply maintain the status quo. This onerous burden to scrape together sufficient funding has been tirelessly and graciously carried by Mrs. Suzuki for years. Having hundreds of hands touch video recorders, cameras, microphone sets, robots, and computers each week naturally takes a toll on the program's limited equipment. Students preparing for competition or getting ready to tape a news segment routinely race to the equipment room to reserve one of the two "decent" cameras, or comb through containers of microphone sets to find one that works "good enough”. For those students that are not able to snap up one of the acceptable cameras, they figure out ways to make due with what is left or find creative ways to share equipment. The reality is, unfortunately, that much of the program's equipment is outdated, broken, or on its last leg, and in desperate need of replacement.
While it is truly amazing what Mrs. Suzuki has done on an extremely limited budget, I can only imagine the greatness and new levels of excellence she will lead her students to with the financial assistance of the Farmers Insurance grant. Replacing outdated equipment with new industry standard equipment, obtaining new robotics, CAD and STEM learning tools, and creating an in-class set and studio would allow the program to continue to do good works as well as provide new and exciting experiences and opportunities for so many more students. These additions would not only prepare students for college or careers in a STEM related industry, but also excite and inspire the next generation to discover their calling and make a positive impact in their community, wherever their journey may take them.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful consideration of this grant application and for this opportunity to share my unequivocal support of Mrs. Suzuki and the Maui Waena STEMworks program.
Jennifer is a life changer because she gives her time and love to each and every student in the program. Our son has been a part of STEM for 2 years. We have seen him come out of his shell and develop a love and passion for media.Because of Jennifer, he wants to pursue a college degree in media and film. As a parent, I am very thankful that our son has such an amazing teacher and positive influence in his life.
Jennifer has been an inspiration for me as an educator. Her endless energy and genuine love of the work she does and the students she works with should be commended. Jennifer has proven to be a true LifeChanger!
