WAIMEA — Friday was not just another school day, or the day following the passage of a winter storm that brought wind, rain and thunderstorms to the island of Kauai.
Friday was designated by mayoral proclamation to be Penny Vess Day in honor of the school’s vice principal being named as Hawaii’s 2025 High School Assistant Principal of the Year by the Hawaii Association of Secondary School Administrators.
Vess has been an administrator at the home of the Menehune for the past eight years, said Penny Tom, the HASSA executive director.
“During this time, she has significantly impacted teaching and learning outcomes, and it is our honor to recognize her as the HASSA High School Assistant Principal of the Year,” Tom announced to the audience that included the Waimea High School freshmen class, students that are directly impacted by Vess’s efforts at transitioning students to high school.
“Ms. Vess has served as a positive role model for leaders, education, and students through her efforts to establish and maintain a safe campus, nurture personal relationships, and build a positive school culture,” Tom said.
Tom was also impacted by the storm that swept through the Hawaiian chain. She said the last time she needed to present an HASSA award at WHS was for Mahina Anguay being named Principal of the Year in 2020, but she could not do that award because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Nothing was going to stop me, this time,” Tom said. “Storm, or no storm. My flight was filled with the overflow from the stopped flights.”
Kauai Council Chair Mel Rapozo delivered not only the Kauai County Council’s congratulations, but the mayor’s proclamation because Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami was busy addressing issues raised by the storm that pelted the island.
Vess said her daughter, Dawn Vess, her greatest source of inspiration, was supposed to be in attendance, but could not attend due to the storm grounding flights. She credited her parents, father Joe, and mother Tina, for being who she is.
One of her rewards for being named the Assistant Principal of the Year is being able to attend the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention later in the year in Washington, D.C.
Anguay was quick to note the list of distinguished Department of Education awards being earned by Waimea High School didn’t just include herself and Vess.
In 2022, Shelby Erdman was announced the Kauai District Teacher of the Year.
In 2024, Julia Hirano was named Kauai District Teacher of Promise, Gayle Thompson was named Hawaii Educator of the Year by the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders, Aileen Fermin was the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching recipient from the U.S. State Department, and Keyk Capati was the Hawaii’s History Day Teacher of the Year.
