Faculty

APIS strives for excellence in teaching:

  • To ensure measurable, standard-based student performances and achievements by implementing a cutting-edge curriculum and research-based instructional strategies.
  • To assemble a superb group of educators, who are not only excellent teachers but also accomplished individuals serving as role models.
  • To provide a Christ-centered, loving, and caring community that promotes students’ creativity and passion for learning.
Searching APIS Faculty
  • Christopher Stapleton
    Deputy Head of Academics
    M.A. University of Colorado
    B.A. Wheaton College
    Mr. Stapleton graduated from Wheaton College with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, with a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. While living in Colorado Springs, Mr. Stapleton taught 6th grade at a charter school and 5th grade at an international baccalaureate (IB) school. He also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado teaching educational technology courses. Mr. Stapleton then moved with his wife to teach middle school humanities and lead the EdTech department at APIS Seoul. During that time he pioneered the middle school speech competition and coached the boys varsity volleyball team. In 2015, Mr. Stapleton moved with his family to Hau'ula to found APIS Hawaii. In 2017, Mr. Stapleton was appointed the Dean of Students and head of the Christian Life Department, proceeding to become Principal in 2018. Mr. Stapleton believes that student learning is best when it is authentic and integrated. He is a strong advocate for incorporating appropriate technology to give students the most opportunities for their future. Even with all of this, he believes that his faith is the most important part of who he is as an educator, and he tries to live out loving God and loving others daily.
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  • Natalia Rani Magee
    Health Coordinator
    B.A. Liberty University
    Mrs. Magee graduated from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Family and Child Development. She later went on to receive her certification as a Pharmacy Technician from Martinsburg College in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Mrs. Magee is a child of an Army Soldier and a wife of a U.S. Marine and has lived many places across the continental United States. This has given her a wide range of cultural and professional experiences. Some of Mrs. Magee’s professional background includes working as a Librarian Assistant in Lynchburg, Virginia; a Children’s Ministry and Office Assistant in Twentynine Palms, California; a Pharmacy Technician in Lynchburg, Virginia, and a Special Assistant to the Executive Leadership for a veteran non-profit in Altavista, Virginia before coming to APIS. Each of these roles have given her invaluable experiences that have given her the love and appreciation for understanding individualized whole-person care as well as organizational and resource management. During her downtime, Mrs. Magee can be found baking, doing photography, or outside exploring with her family.
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  • Dr. Yanyan Ren
    Computer Science and Math
    Ph.D. Brown University
    B.A. Swarthmore College
    Dr. Ren holds a bachelor's degree in computer science with a minor in educational studies from Swarthmore College and completed her Ph.D. in computer science at Brown University, where her research centered on computing education and socially responsible computing. She has served as a teaching assistant in various STEM classroom settings, including computer science, math, and data science classes, working with students from elementary to college level. Dr. Ren is passionate about cultivating computational thinking as a foundational problem-solving skill that empowers students in any future path, guiding them to explore the vast potential of computer science’s diverse subfields and helping them discover how they can contribute to their communities and beyond. In her free time, she enjoys visiting museums, cooking, and tap dancing
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  • Yunqing (Cathy) Shang
    Chinese
    M.Ed. Vanderbilt University
    BA Jiangxi Normal University
    Yunqing (Cathy) Shang holds an M.Ed. in Multilingual Learner Education from Vanderbilt University. Prior to her graduate studies, she earned a bachelor’s degree in TESOL from Jiangxi Normal University. With a rich background in education, Cathy spent five years teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and Chinese to students of diverse age groups and language proficiency levels in China. She is passionate about education and strives to cultivate life-long learners. During free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and listening to music.
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  • Sandy Stevens
    Art
    B.S. Southern Illinois University
    Ms. Stevens completed her BS in Art Education at Southern Illinois University. She has been teaching Art to grades K-12 for twenty years in public, private and international schools. She first started teaching Art to high school students in Illinois before relocating to Kansas City, where she taught K-5th grade Art. She then moved to O‘ahu and taught Art to K-12 students at Asia Pacific School before moving on to San Francisco to teach JK-5th grade Art. She is thrilled to be back on O‘ahu at Asia Pacific School and is excited to be a part of a great team of staff and students. She believes Art deepens our understanding of others by connecting us to other cultures throughout the ages and is a vital part of the human experience. She loves watching students develop their artistic skills as they communicate and share their unique perspectives and voices. Ms. Stevens is a practicing artist and her favorite media are oil painting and printmaking. On the weekends, she paints en plein air all around Oahu and sells her art in various shows throughout the year. When she isn't teaching or painting, she loves to swim, sail, travel, hike, listen to music and practice yoga.
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  • Bradley Stewart
    Secondary English
    M.A. Cabrini University
    B.A. Pennsylvania State University
    Mr. Stewart discovered his love for teaching a little later than most. With a bachelor's degree in English, Creative Writing from Pennsylvania State University in Erie, he was unsure of his calling, and jumped between temporary editing jobs in the Philadelphia area. On a whim, he landed in South Korea, teaching English as a second language to Korean elementary, middle and high school students. There he discovered his desire to teach, loving the students and the culture. He also found another love, his future wife, who teaches science at APIS. From Korea, he traveled back to the US to get his Master's degree in Education and certification at Cabrini University--and got married. With his new credentials in hand, he moved to Abu Dhabi in the UAE, teaching at the American International School in Abu Dhabi. Five years and a one-year-old daughter later, he and his family moved to Hong Kong, teaching the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Renaissance College. After seven years: living through protests, adding another family member, and the lockdown from COVID, they were ready for a change. He is now teaching middle school English, working with young people while enjoying the beautiful campus at APIS.
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  • Kimberly Stewart
    Secondary Science
    M.Ed. Cabrini College
    BS Shepherd University
    Mrs. Stewart is an experienced and passionate educator with a diverse background in science education. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Shepherd University, a Master of Education with a Secondary Chemistry Certification from Cabrini College, and a Graduate Certificate in Science Education in Chemistry from Montana State University. With 16 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Stewart's journey began in South Korea, where she discovered her love for teaching and met her future husband, Bradley, who is also an APIS teacher. After obtaining her master's degree and certification, they both embarked on a fulfilling teaching experience at an International School in Abu Dhabi for five years, where their daughter Edith was born. In Abu Dhabi, Mrs. Stewart incorporated inquiry-based cooperative learning methods and fostered a love of science and lifelong learning among her students. Continuing her career in Hong Kong, she specialized in curriculum design with an emphasis on student-centered project-based learning. Mrs. Stewart's innovative approach to education aims to empower students, fostering their curiosity and engagement in the learning process while creating inclusive and authentic learning experiences. Mrs. Stewart's teaching philosophy also incorporates elements of mindfulness, play, and yoga, as she is a certified yoga teacher for both children and adults. Her love for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, backpacking, climbing, and caving aligns perfectly with her appreciation for the natural beauty of her home state, West Virginia. Mrs. Stewart is excited to embark on new adventures and create lasting memories in Hawaii with her husband and two wonderful children.
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