The honor of teacher of the month for December 2018 belongs to our humble Mrs. Nani Vegas. Mrs.Vegas has been inspiring minds here at Kalaepohaku for over 16 years. Though she taught at Cathedral Catholic Academy for eleven years, it was quite possibly destiny that she would teach and lead here at Saint Louis, because her father was proud Saint Louis graduate of 1955. Perhaps her father’s values and morals have influenced her teaching and leadership style with her students.

One thing that Mrs. Vegas really likes about Saint Louis is being a “single gender school, it empowers our young men to build character, brotherhood, their spirituality, and to learn the best way boys learn.” Mrs. Vegas emphasizes the need to encourage her students to step up into leadership roles. As a former coach she relates to her students through sports and often gives examples of being a leader on and off the field. Although she is not currently coaching any sport her students often see her as a life coach on a daily basis. Her life experiences throughout college at UH Manoa, and Chaminade University have helped guide many students that decide to stay on island for there education.

Her guidance of students, stem from the example her father set for her and her sisters. She speaks very highly of her father, “everything great that he did he gave the credit to God, his wife, and those he empowered. He was humble, fair, and a man of prayer. I hold his integrity and what he stood for close to my heart and do my best to make him proud by expecting the same from my students.” Mrs. Vegas hopes that future Saint Louis graduates, instill these characteristics of a Saint Louis man in their children.