Mrs. Hopkins has been working in education for over 20 years. She graduated with a master’s in educational leadership and a bachelor’s in English while also double minoring in elementary education and early childhood education. Mrs. Hopkins started working in office leadership positions until her own children’s education inspired her to influence change in the industry. She went back to school and entered the education field. This is her third international post, coming from three years of serving at our Seoul campus. Her previous position in Morocco was as a curriculum coordinator in charge of curriculum and professional development for their early childhood program. Mrs. Hopkins has been awarded multiple grants to improve different classrooms in physical education and technology and was a leader in helping school teams understand how to implement technology in teaching young children. In her spare time, she speaks French, plays the ukulele, and loves to read, travel, attend cultural events, scrapbook and blog.

Mr. Hopkins came to teaching a little later than most. Before becoming an educator he managed successful entertainment and media stores, allowing him, his wife, and their three children to live and travel throughout the Western United States. As a teacher he has had the pleasure of teaching students from grades six through 12 in various subjects including Ancient History, World Geography, US History, Classic Literature, Social Justice, Student Leadership and multiple experiential learning classes, including student trips to Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Wyoming, New Mexico, and other places. Mr. Hopkins joins APIS Hawai'i from the Seoul campus, and he previously taught in Marrakech, Morocco. Mr. Hopkins loves football, reading, and playing games, and also enjoys urban exploration and road tripping. His most memorable educational experience thus far is swimming with a group of students at midnight in a bio-luminescent bay off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Ms. Furusawa earned her Bachelor of Arts from Massey University, New Zealand, as well as a Master of Education and Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching from the University of Melbourne, Australia. She is certified to teach both Japanese and Chinese languages. Ms. Furusawa taught Japanese in Taiwan for seven years and was also a writer for a monthly Japanese magazine published nationally in Taiwan. She has been with APIS since 2011 and moved to APIS Hawai'i campus after serving in Seoul campus for 8 years. Always fascinated by languages and new cultures, Ms. Furusawa enjoys teaching and researching various aspects of language acquisition and usage. Her other interests include traveling, cooking traditional Japanese food, photography, and reading.

Mr. Hughes graduated from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire with a CACREP-accredited master’s degree in school counseling and K-12 certification. He is a member of the American School Counselor Association. He received his bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science at the University of New Hampshire. Mr. Hughes taught English in Nagasaki, Japan, developing extracurricular language camps and providing interpretation, cultural outreach and curricular consultation services. Mr. Hughes has also worked in outdoor education where he guided students through adventure therapy courses along the famous Appalachian Trail in the Eastern United States. He has worked with Multi-Tiered System of Supports and Social-Emotional Learning curricula in several New Hampshire schools, providing data-driven interventions tailored specifically to the needs of his students and school communities. As a counselor, he combines his professional training with his personal background as a former international school student. Mr. Hughes’ hobbies include karate, snorkeling, cooking, foreign languages and travel. He was raised in six different countries and completed his secondary education in Cairo, Egypt.

Ms. Everett graduated from the University of Houston at Houston with bachelor’s degrees in political science, early childhood education, and a minor in women studies. She also holds a degree as a Certified Professional Nanny, from the English Nanny and Governess School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Ms. Everett has over ten years of teaching experience in grades pre-kindergarten through third grade. In those ten years as a teacher, she has worked in public schools, Montessori schools, as well as Reggio Emilia schools. Ms. Everett has taught in her home state of Texas, on the North Slope of Alaska in a native village, as well as at an international school in Cambodia. Her hobbies include traveling the world, meeting new people, swimming, going to the beach, and trying unique foods.