By Jack Kiyonaga, Editor
Photo courtesy of Diane Mokuau.
As the new school year swings into action, award winning author Ryan La Sala visited Molokai High School (MHS). La Sala was welcomed by many; however, his talk also evoked a strong response from some members of the Molokai community, who believed La Sala’s identity as LBGTQ+ and focus on LGBTQ+ stories sent messages to their children that they weren’t comfortable with.
MHS librarian Diane Mokuau used her 2021 School Librarian of the Year Award, sponsored by Scholastic, to invite La Sala to speak at MHS.
Mokuau believed La Sala’s visit contributed to MHS’s focus on college and career pathways through the newly established academy model. Academies are designed to help students gain real experience in career fields.
The students “have so little exposure to the variety of professional careers and opportunities that…
