UH Hilo Alum Earn Top Teaching Honors

Two University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo graduates have earned the state’s highest accolades for teaching.

Keaʻau High School educator J. Elise Hannigan, Teaching Certificate ‘13 and M.Ed. ‘21, was named the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year, earning top recognition amongst more than 13,000 educators statewide.

J. Elise Hannigan (Photo courtesy: Hawaiʻi DOE)

“Little-kid me would never have believed this was possible,” Hannigan said. “More than anything, it shows that with hard work — and the support of people around you — amazing things are possible.”

Hannigan has spent 13 years at Keaʻau High, first as an English teacher and now as the Freshman Academy Coordinator. DOE officials and colleagues say her leadership has transformed the campus experience — reviving the school’s Summer Bridge program, mentoring seniors who guide incoming students, and helping Keaʻau earn national certification as a Model Academy.

“With teaching, of course, there are good days and bad days — but there is never a time when I feel like I’m in the wrong place or doing the wrong thing,” said Hannigan, who made the switch from a career in ophthalmology. She points to her personal experience as an example for her students, when encouraging them to follow their own passions. “With teaching, I’m always where I feel I’m meant to be.”

Hannigan credits UH Hilo for lasting mentorship and personal attention. She says her former professor, Jan Ray, reached out to express her pride for all Hannigan has achieved even before the ceremony, and since receiving the award she has heard from several others.

Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo, B.A. Hawaiian Studies ‘97 and Teaching Certificate (Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program) ‘99, was honored as the 2026 Hawaiʻi Charter School Teacher of the Year. Domingo has worked at Ke Kula ʻo Samuel M. Kamakau LPCS for the past 25 years. She says to this day the school’s nuʻukia or vision — “E mālama ʻia ana ka mauli ola o kākou mai kēlā hanauna a i kēia hanauna (Our spirit of being is nurtured from generation to generation)” — guides her teaching practice.

Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo with her ʻohana (Photo courtesy: Kalaunuola Domingo)

Each day begins with kilo (careful observation of the natural world) as students count lehua blossoms or feed the school’s goats — a practice she says helps her kindergarteners recognize their own development. “I would like my students to love learning — in school, with their families, everywhere,” said Domingo.

Domingo plans to use her platform to advocate for charter school funding equity. “Our charter school students receive about half the per-pupil funding of other public schools,” she explained. “I hope to bring attention to the resources our keiki deserve.”

Domingo says her time at UH Hilo helped ground her in her culture and prepared her to share it with future generations.

“Haʻaheo maoli nō mākou iā Kalaunuola no nā makahiki he nui loa i aʻo i nā haumāna kaiaʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma ke kula ʻo Samuel Kamakau, he kula hoʻokolohua a Ka Haka ʻUla ʻo Keʻelikōlani,” said Keiki Kawaiʻaeʻa, PhD, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “We are so proud of Claire Ann Kalaunuola Domingo and her recognition as Charter School Teacher of the Year. Her journey through UH Hilo’s College of Hawaiian Language Hawaiian Studies program and its Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education Program reflects the strength of our commitment to prepare educators who are deeply rooted in language, culture, and community and the education of Hawaiʻi's youth through ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Kalaunuola’s accomplishments exemplify how our alumni carry this mission forward, uplifting their students and communities while inspiring the next generation of leaders.”

Both Hannigan and Domingo credit UH Hilo’s unique combination of being able to offer a world-class education with personal connections that provide ongoing support for their success.

“All the beautiful relationships I made at UH Hilo have continued throughout my career wherever I have gone,” described Domingo.

Hannigan agrees, saying the strong foundation she built at UH Hilo has empowered her to serve her school and community.

“One of the things that I love about UH is that the connections last forever. We still talk, we still check in with each other, we have each other's resources available to our students,” said Hannigan. “I’m really appreciative of that.”

Hannigan will represent Hawaiʻi in the National Teacher of the Year program in Washington, D.C., next spring.