Faculty Directory

Get to know our full-time faculty members, listed in alphabetical order by last name. We are proud that 100% of our faculty bring international experience to the classroom, and each has a unique story to share.

Vanessa Balagtas

College Preparatory Program

  • ESL, EAP, AI in education

  • Bachelors Media & Communications, MA TESOL

    MS Learning Design & Educational Technology

  • Vanessa’s journey has taken her from the Philippines to the United States, Korea, France, Japan, and beyond. With every move she embraced new cultures, languages, and communities. “I know what it is like to be dropped somewhere with no language, no friends, and no phone service,” she says. That perspective fuels the empathy she brings into the classroom. “I think students are so brave for doing this,” she adds. “It is never easy to leave home, but it is always worth it.”

    For her, teaching is never just a transfer of knowledge. “I am learning from my students all the time,” she explains. “The energy comes from seeing them progress.” She describes the classroom as a place of exchange, where both teacher and students grow together. Staying connected to her own experiences abroad helps her better understand the challenges her students face, and she works to create a supportive environment where they can thrive.

    Change, she believes, is the most powerful driver of growth. “Every time I look back, stepping into the unknown always led me to something better,” she reflects. Outside the classroom, Vanessa channels that same energy into learning design, building educational tools, and leading workshops that introduce people to new technologies. Her message to students is simple: “Change will always feel scary, but it is also the thing that helps you grow.”

Jon Beadle

Liberal Arts Program

  • English Literature, Composition, and Creative Writing

  • MA English, California State University, Northridge

  • Jon grew up in rural England before moving to Los Angeles, a shift from a small, uniform community to one of the most diverse cities in the world. “In England, everyone I knew was English,” he says. “Then in L.A., suddenly everyone was from everywhere. It was a big change.” That contrast shaped how he thinks about belonging. In the United States he was the person from England. Back in England he was seen as American. “No matter where you are, you find yourself an outsider,” Jon reflects. “But that gives you perspective.”

    Now teaching in Hawaiʻi, he draws on that experience to help students think critically about culture and identity. When his class reads The Great Gatsby, he asks them what the American Dream looks like from their point of view. “For students from Japan, their answers are very different from someone who grew up in the United States, and that difference is the point.”

    Jon also emphasizes the importance of recognizing common ground. “Generational ideas about race, gender, or technology may look different, but you realize students share more questions than they think.” For him, literature is a way to explore those connections. “It is not about a single right reading,” he says. “It is about navigating perspectives and finding meaning across cultures.”

Danilo Marrone

College Preparatory Program

  • TOEFL, History, Copy Editing, Google Apps (2013-2023)

  • BA: St. John's College, NM

    MA: Uppsala University, Sweden

  • Raised across Pakistan, Sweden, and Chile, and later teaching in Tunisia, the Netherlands, and Sweden, Nilo describes himself simply as a global citizen. Moving between cultures showed him that while traditions and customs may differ, people everywhere share the same hopes: family, dignity, and joy. “It is really impossible to be a racist,” he says, “when you have lived in so many places and seen how every culture has something amazing to offer.”

    Hawaiʻi has also shaped how he thinks about connection. Nilo often points to the shaka as more than a casual greeting. “There is the mellow shaka, the strong shaka, the playful one,” he explains. “The way someone throws it tells you about their personality.” For him, the shaka reflects a spirit of warmth and openness that is deeply woven into local life. He sees it as a reminder that small gestures can carry big meaning, just like the everyday acts of kindness he has experienced around the world.

    “In Tunisia, my neighbors made me dinner every night for six months,” he recalls. “That is when you realize people just want to share, to live full lives with their families.” He hopes students leave his classroom with that same sense of curiosity, empathy, and respect for others.

Jaysievel Pacpaco

College Preparatory Program

  • TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), language teaching and pedagogy, materials development, curriculum design

  • BA in International Relations from Hawaii Pacific University

    MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Hawaii Pacific University

  • Jay was born in the Philippines and grew up in Hawaiʻi, surrounded by languages and cultures. In high school she studied Japanese for four years, then chose International Relations at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. A summer at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul sealed it. “I felt, this is what I want to do. Live in an international environment and meet people from everywhere.” Planning a return to Korea, she caught herself: “I realized just because I speak English does not mean I know how to teach English.” She stayed for an HPU master’s in TESOL and discovered her path as a teacher.

    Instead of moving abroad, Jay began teaching at language schools in Honolulu. Students arrived from Japan, Korea, Brazil and across Europe. “I did not need to go abroad. Everyone comes here.” At HTIC she now channels that same energy into academic English and critical thinking, shaping lessons around student goals. “The first step is knowing what students need to do, then building toward it.” She brings local perspective into class and into field experiences, sharing everyday Hawaiʻi alongside vocabulary and structure. Her message to learners is simple and personal. Growing up, she wishes she had practiced her parents’ language more. “Put yourself out there. Do not be afraid to make mistakes.” She keeps in touch with former students, points current ones toward mentors, and celebrates every small win. For Jay, the classroom is a place to discover purpose, connect cultures, and turn practice into confidence.

Kristi Smith

Liberal Arts Program | Accreditation

  • Course, curriculum, materials, and assessment design, educational statistics, language acquisition, socio- and psycho-linguistics, pedagogy of research practices, pedagogy of reading, writing, listening, and speaking

  • MA and BA in Second Language Studies from University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa

  • Kristi has more than 13 years of experience teaching international students in Hawaiʻi, from short-term cultural programs to adult education and university classrooms. Her students have ranged from teenagers preparing for college to retirees in their 80s. “What I have learned is you cannot assume what students need,” she says. “You have to listen, to what is said and to what is unsaid.” Her own struggles with reading and writing also drive her approach. Rather than assign essays with little guidance, she breaks work into steps, provides scaffolding, and offers students choices that reflect their goals. “I hated writing in school,” she admits, “and I do not want to traumatize the next generation the way I was. I want them to build a healthier relationship with language.”

    That philosophy leads her beyond grammar and vocabulary into lessons that build critical thinking. Kristi encourages students to question assumptions, connect ideas across cultures, and use English in ways that reflect their own perspectives. For her, language is not just about accuracy but about confidence. “It is about helping them realize their voices matter,” she explains.

    The most rewarding moments come when learning carries over into daily life. Kristi has seen her students approach challenges with more independence, form stronger friendships, and express themselves with clarity and pride. “That is when I know they are really applying what they have learned,” she says.

Shintaro Taniguchi

Liberal Arts Program

  • Mathematics, Science, Accounting, Economics, and Judo

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA)

    University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium, Master of Business Administration (MBA)

    University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Master of Science in Atmospheric and Space Science (MS)

    University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Master of Engineering in Space Engineering (MENG)

    University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Aerospace Engineering (BSE)

  • For Shintaro, judo has shaped not only his career but his identity as a coach and teacher. He has been practicing for more than 25 years, and his journey has taken him far beyond Hawaiʻi. “I have taught students from more than 20 countries,” he explains. “Every time I travel, I bring my Judogi. It is an instant way to connect, no matter the culture or language.” Judo has become his passport, giving him a way to share values of respect and resilience wherever he goes.

    One of his most memorable experiences came in 2017, when he helped establish the Brunei Judo Federation. He continues to return to run clinics and mentor young athletes, investing in the grassroots growth of the sport. For Shintaro, judo is not about quick results or medals but about building connections across borders. It is a practice that allows him to carry a sense of belonging into new communities, while also offering students a way to see themselves as part of something larger.

    Shintaro often shares that judo taught him his life philosophy: the three Ds of discipline, determination, and drive. These values guide both his coaching and his classroom teaching. “Without judo, I do not think I would be who I am today,” he says. “It is more than technique. It is about community, respect, and giving back.”

Sandra Wu-Bott

Liberal Arts Program

  • Communication, English language, curriculum design, education media (video, graphic design, desktop publishing, website design, etc.), computer mediated communication, distance/distributed learning, educational technologies, research/project design.

  • Ph.D. in Communication Information Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

    ED.M. in Educational Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa.

    Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications and Information Resource Management (TIRM), University of Hawaii Manoa

    BA in English Language and Literature, Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan

    AA in English Language. Major in English language/literature and Minor in German language/literature, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages

  • Sandra’s international experiences confirmed many of the values she grew up with in Taiwan while also expanding her perspective. Living in Europe, she noticed how people often valued independence and took time for themselves, even in small everyday routines. At first it felt unfamiliar, but over time she came to admire the confidence behind those choices. These experiences helped shape how she sees cultural differences and how she approaches her teaching at HTIC.

    In her classroom, Sandra emphasizes curiosity and independent thinking. She knows many students arrive from educational backgrounds where speaking up is not always encouraged, so she starts with simple habits that invite questions and personal opinions. “You cannot all have the same answer,” she reminds her students, encouraging them to ask follow up questions and to see learning as a dialogue. When new technologies like AI come up, Sandra uses them as teaching moments. She explains that students do not need to use every tool, but they should learn how to evaluate information and think critically about it. For Sandra, the goal is clear: help students develop the confidence to think for themselves, ask good questions, and carry those skills into their future studies and lives.