What do Romeo and Juliet have in common with students in Hawai'i? A lot. I discovered these similarities on a recent visit to Nanakuli High School, where I was privileged to meet students who were eager to rethink Shakespeare's story and apply it to their own lives.

I was serving as a guest teacher in Maile Akina's senior English class. Maile, a 2007 graduate of the University of Oklahoma, is one of more than 100 talented Teach For America teachers in Hawai'i. She competed with thousands of young people across the nation to join Teach For America and commit to teach for at least two years in an urban or rural public school.

Entering Maile's class, I overheard the students avidly discussing a BBC news clip. As we introduced ourselves, I met athletes and artists, leaders and comedians. I met young people who had lived most of their lives on the beautiful Wai'anae Coast and enthusiastically shared their stories and their pride in this extraordinary area.

I had not read Romeo and Juliet since I was in high school, but the students quickly brought me up to speed. We decided to give the play a modern update. We discussed how we would rewrite the story, having learned the characters' lessons.

The students talked about the courage to make choices and the will to persevere. We talked about Kupua (a revered and ancient ancestor) of Nanakuli, the demigod Maui. In his desire to bring the sun to his mother, Maui set out with his brothers in a canoe and hooked together most of the Hawaiian island chain, only to be defeated at the last minute by the brothers' waning will. Maui is a symbol of greatness and fortitude who comes from their place. Clearly, Maui's strength runs through these Nanakuli students' veins.

As the CEO of Kamehameha Schools, I have a broad kuleana to educate young Hawaiians. We know what an excellent education can do for a mind and what confidence, responsibility, and pride can do for a soul. My short time with Maile's students bolstered my resolve to support people and places that allow them to shine. Kamehameha Schools' outreach to charters and other public schools grows each year, supported by our campuses, our staff, and all that our founder, Bernice Pauahi Bishop, brought to bear on education.

We know that teaching excellence is paramount, and that's why we support Teach For America teachers like Maile. They are serving 9,000 students in Hawai'i's public schools, from kindergarten to high school. These remarkable teachers are capable, energetic, and humble; respectful of the communities in which they work; and very willing to learn. Ask the students in Maile's class, and they will tell you.

I thank these young people for giving me the chance to try out new skills and ideas while they took the chance to share their bright minds with me. Hawai'i's students are ready and excited to learn — the question for us as educators is, how do we reach and inspire them?

Mahalo nui e Maile i kou aloha a me kau hana nui. E na haumana o ka papa a Kumu Maile, mahalo nui loa i ka ho'okipa maika'i 'ana mai ia'u! (Thank you, Maile, for your aloha and hard work. And to the students of Kumu Maile's class, thank you so much for your wonderful hospitality.)