Eighth-grade math teacher Ms. Tamura has served at the Garvey School District for over 20 years. She has taught at Bitely and Emerson Elementary schools and she is a teacher who is kind and caring of each individual student in her classes. Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Tamura considered becoming an astronaut, a beautician, or a physical therapist. Once she started teaching she fell in love with it and became committed to being an excellent educator. She feels that teaching is most rewarding when students overcome their struggles and grasp once difficult concepts and “truly get it.” She said that she appreciates “students who can be talkative but also know when [to listen]” because these students help create a more engaging learning environment.

Ms. Tamura has been married for 22 years and she has two children, including a daughter and a son. Her daughter currently attends the University of Hawaii and her son is a Junior in high school.