Debbie Randall Joins LHES as Middle School Health Teacher

Debbie Randall had never been to Lāna‘i before moving here to teach seventh and eighth grade health at Lāna‘i High and Elementary School. Originally from Georgetown, an island in Maine, she is no stranger to island life.

“I grew up on an island in Maine,” she said. “We used to walk three miles to the store in a snowstorm just to get chocolate chips for cookies.”

Before coming to Lāna‘i, Debbie spent three years teaching at Kīlauea Elementary on Kaua‘i while working toward her doctorate in international and multicultural education with a focus on human rights. “I left my position because I was researching my dissertation over the summer and then doing the write-up over the fall,” she said. “I graduated in December and found this position.”

Adjusting to Lāna‘i has been smooth. “Everybody’s been so kind and friendly at the school,” she said. “I like a small community. I like being able to walk around.”

She is still getting to know her students. “I’ve always had a single class to myself in Kīlauea. Now I have seven different classes that cycle through,” she said. “I’m really getting to know my students and their interests, their backgrounds.”

Debbie is also looking forward to exploring the island. “I was surprised at the elevation,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been. I should have done my research, but I’m surprised that we are as high up as we are.”

For now, she’s settling in, adjusting to her classes, and finding her way in the community. “It’s just been two weeks,” she said, “but I’ve enjoyed it so far.”