A few new Parker teachers have joined our community this year. One of them is Mr. Stephens, who teaches English classes in both middle and upper school, including 8th, 10th and 12th grade literature classes. I took some time to catch up with him and to get to know some more about one of the new faces on campus.
Mr. Stephens grew up in Southern California, right across the street from the Huntington Pier, a place that plays a critical role in surfing history. It used to be the venue for surfing’s world championships, and is still, to this day, where the ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) is held annually, featuring many of the world’s best surfers. Growing up so close to the center of the surf world, Mr. Stephens would go on to journey all over the world in search of waves. Some of his expeditions include a journey down Central America and some time spent living in Bali. He continues to surf here in Hawaii and is hoping to figure out the best spots to surf before the winter swells start to hit.
Prior to Parker, Mr. Stephens was an international teacher and taught at schools all around the world. Before moving to Hawaii for this school year, he lived in Shanghai, China. He was drawn to the sense of community Parker offered, which he felt after just his first couple months. Mr. Stephens also came to the Big Island to raise a family. He and his wife are expecting their first child and he is looking forward to his kid growing up in Hawaii.
While Mr. Stephens says that this first year at Parker has been challenging, he thinks that it has also been a great experience. He is looking forward to seeing 8th grade promotion as well as seeing the seniors he teaches graduate at the end of the year. Mr. Stephens mentioned that he will be glad to further solidify the curriculum of his classes after his first year of teaching at Parker. Mr. Stephens is looking forward to becoming a greater part of the Parker School community and being someone people can see as approachable and able to help.