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.

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. Heffernan has nearly a decade of aquatic coaching experience, teaching both private and group swim lessons to all ages and abilities as well as serving as an assistant swim coach for the Greater Nebraska Swim Team for six years. Mr. Heffernan has coached several Nebraska state champions and qualifiers at both the age group and high school levels, as well as served as a Midwestern Swimming All-Stars and Central Zones USA swimming coach. As a competitive swimmer since the age of six, whose parents owned and operated a USA Swim Club in Nebraska since before Mr. Heffernan was born, the pool has been a part of his life since day one. He has been a certified lifeguard for over five years, serving as a head guard at a large municipal outdoor pool. Mr. Heffernan is currently completing his bachelor's degree in education with an endorsement in coaching. He grew up with a variety of academic models, including homeschool, parochial, and public (both onsite and fully online models), and has wide range of teaching experience, including elementary assistant at a Nebraska school and student-teacher in grades kindergarten through 12. In addition to swimming, his hobbies include watching sports, with his favorites being Lakers basketball and Raiders football. As an avid sports fan, Mr. Heffernan has experience hosting several podcasts, a YouTube channel, and other social media content platforms with sports-related themes.

Mr. Hedger is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a minor in philosophy. A son of educators, Mr. Hedger is a life-long learner with a curious and passionate drive for all fields of study and inquiry. In 2013, he and his wife moved to South Korea to start their teaching careers abroad. After discovering a passion for education in South Jeolla province’s high school English classrooms, he continued his education to become a licensed teacher in secondary English. Mr. Hedger was fortunate to have passionate, creative, and skilled English teachers in his own educational journey, and he endeavors to be that same driving force for his students. In his free time you can find Mr. Hedger in a hammock reading books, running long distances, attempting visual and musical arts, and spending time with his wife outdoors.

Mrs. Hedger has worked as a teacher for nearly a decade. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in design and, with a dream of pursuing education in second language learning environments, went on to obtain teaching certifications and licenses in TEFL and in ESL, respectively. Mrs. Hedger and her husband moved to South Korea in 2013 and she worked in secondary public schools, providing students support in language acquisition by creating engaging class environments that fostered perseverance and growth. In 2022, she and her husband returned to Oklahoma where she spent the year sharing her passion for literacy and learning while working with at-risk students as a primary homeroom teacher. Mrs. Hedger believes that all students can learn at high levels as long as they are provided personalized learning support and care. Now working behind the scenes in the APIS front office, Mrs. Hedger strives to continue making an impact through administrative support. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, swimming, running, and, most of all, cycling.

Mr. Hunter received his Bachelor’s degree from Bates College in American Studies and a minor in History with a focus on the study of identity and culture. Prior to APIS he taught Biology and ancient world history at a charter school in Boston while living in his hometown of Cambridge. He focuses on supporting students on their journey to graduate from a college of their choice especially in their organizational skills and social emotional learning. As a firm believer in the innate knowledge of his students, Mr. Hunter centers student-led discussion and inquiry in his classes. Often Mr. Hunter can be found doing something active or competitive such as practicing yoga, playing basketball, walking or playing board games. Mr. Hunter is passionate about eating and cooking food which derived from his experience as a teenager working in his mother’s Thai restaurant.