School Staff

Bruce Lane

Principal/7th & 8th Grades

Bruce Lane was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1947.  After completing his elementary education at Chattanooga Junior Academy, he attended Collegedale Academy graduating in 1965.  His college years were spent at what was then called Southern Missionary College, and is now known as Southern Adventist University.  He graduated in 1969 with a B.A. in Biology and teaching credentials for both the Seventh-day Adventist School System and the State of Tennessee.

However, even before completing his college education, Bruce was approached by Greater Miami Academy in Miami, Florida to fill a science teaching position that was being vacated in midyear.  Bruce states, "It was a difficult decision to consider leaving college with only 5 credit hours remaining to be completed for graduation.   But, GMA needed a teacher, and Miami did have an ocean nearby and a new football expansion team called the Miami Dolphins."  So in January of 1969, Bruce moved to Miami to begin a teaching career that has spanned over 40 years.  Teaching all day and attending the University of Miami at night to complete his 5 remaining college hours wasn't the smartest idea according to Bruce, but it did allow him to complete his degree, which Southern Missionary College was kind enough to award him even though he wasn't in attendance his final semester. 

Bruce remained at GMA serving as science teacher and vice-principal through 18 graduating classes.  During those years he completed a M.Ed. degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Biology at the University of Miami. 

At the conclusion of his years in Miami, Bruce accepted a call to teach on the beautiful island of Kauai in Hawaii.  He served for three years as a teaching principal in the upper grades at Kahili Adventist School.  During his tenure at Kahili, Bruce received the Zapara Excellence in Teaching Award presented by the Office of Education of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.  According to Bruce, "it was an exciting time.  We were building a new school and had tremendous community support.  It was such a beautiful place I could have lived there forever."

However, before taking the job in Hawaii, Bruce had put in for Missionary Service with the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.  After three years the call came through.  It was difficult to leave Kahili but he soon assumed the position of principal of the Majuro SDA School System on the Majuro atoll in the Marshall Islands.  Working almost totally with Student Missionaries (college student volunteers), Bruce operated two elementary schools and one high school.  But before the end of his seven years in the Marshalls, Bruce would build three more elementary schools and one additional high school on two different atolls.  According to Bruce, the biggest challenge was just getting to the distant atolls. "The planes were always broken down and boat service was very irregular.  However, the rewards of providing Christian education where there had been none, were worth the effort."

When it came time to leave the Marshall Islands, Bruce accepted a science teaching position at Mount Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana.  "It was the first time in my career that there wasn't an ocean nearby."  With most of Bruce's hobbies (SCUBA diving, underwater photography, and marine aquariums) centering around the ocean it was a difficult adjustment.  But Montana held other equally exciting interests, Bruce took up snow skiing.

 After seven years in Montana, Bruce chose to return to Hawaii where he is now the Principal and 7th & 8th grade teacher at Hawaiian Mission Academy Windward Campus.  He has served here in that capacity for the past 7 years and where he hopes to be until he retires.  When asked about his goals for HMA Windward while he is here, he stated that he has always had the same goal no matter where he works, to "do his best to make sure that with God's help every student he teaches is prepared for a place in God's work on this earth and a place in God's kingdom to come."

***If you would like to view UNDERWATER PHOTOS taken by Bruce Lane CLICK HERE.

Uilani Banister

5th, & 6th Grades

Uilani Banister was raised in Kane'ohe and is a Kamehameha Schools graduate.  After graduation, she worked at 3 preschools as an aide.  She then went on to attend the University of Hawaii, where she earned her Bachelors of Education degree.  She also holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education and Educational Counseling.  Uilani taught within the Hawaii State Department of Education for 12 years at schools in Waianae, Nanakuli, Wahiawa, and Waipahu.

 Uilani and her husband Simpson were married in May of 2008, and she was invited to interview for a position at Hawaiian Mission Academy K-8 on the day after her wedding.  She taught at HMA K-8 for the last 2 years and was recently extended the invitation to teach a grade 5 and 6 combination class at HMA Windward Campus. 

Uilani has taught grades K, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.  She has taught grades 3 and 4 in a loop system, where she carried the same class through both grades, and has also taught a grades 3/4 combination for the past 2 years at HMA K-8.  When she was asked to teach the 3/4 combination at HMA K-8, Uilani was up to the challenge of trying something with which she had no experience.  Uilani ended up loving teaching multi grades and feels that the experience was priceless.  Her favorite grades to teach are grades 5 and 6, so she feels she has the best of both worlds this year at HMA-WC.

Uilani and her husband Simpson have 4 children and a dog named Jacky Boy.  They reside in Kailua, where Simpson's family originates, and are thrilled to be back on the Windward side.  Uilani and her family enjoy their Sabbaths together, attending church and then spending time enjoying God's creation together.  Uilani's favorite place to be is the ocean.  It is a place she goes to refresh and to collect shells.  Uilani's other hobbies include collecting rocks and doing interior decorating.  She loves to look at the shells and rocks and marvel at God's handiwork.  Her interior decorating style has evolved into making pieces of God's works the focus of the rooms she designs.

 Uilani's favorite Bible verse is James 1:2-4.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  (NIV)   Uilani's faith has been tested more than most can bear, but she is thankful for the trials, as through them, she has seen God's mightiness and love, as well as His protection, and God has shown her how to have even greater faith, and that His goodness will always prevail.

Miki Akeo Nelson

2nd, 3rd, & 4th Grades

Rhonda "Miki" (Akeo) Nelson was born in 1971 and raised in Kailua, where she lived with her dad, mom and two brothers.  As a little girl, Miki spent many hours playing at the park and participating in church activities.

Miki attended school in Kailua until she transferred to Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama Campus for high school, where she graduated in 1989.  Throughout her school years, Miki enjoyed her education and in particular participating in school programs such as volleyball.

After high school, Miki attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa, graduating with a Bachelors of Education in elementary education in 1996 and a Masters of Education in administration in 2004.

In 1999, Miki married Tim Nelson and moved to Sacramento, California.  It was at this time that Miki was invited to teach in the Adventist Education System.   However, she would remain in California for only one year before returning to Hawaii.

In 2001, Miki accepted a call to teach at Maui Adventist School.  She taught grades 1-5 for three years before accepting the position of teaching-principal.  She then moved into the upper grade classroom and switched to a school-wide departmentalized system of teaching subjects for students grades K-8.

In late 2008, Miki's husband accepted a call to pastor the Kaneohe Seventh-day Adventist Church on Oahu.  Miki, Tim and their two daughters, Madison and Sophia, made the transition back to Oahu in June 2009, and Miki was invited to join the HMA-Windward Campus team as the new kindergarten and first grade teacher.

According to Miki, she "feels like the most blessed person.  I have longed to teach at HMA-Windward Campus for more than a decade...and now I am able to do so."  She's excited about being able to contribute to the amazing educational opportunities available to the students in Kailua.  Miki loves working with children and enjoys the challenge of making things as best as they can be.  Miki is looking forward to working with the HMA-Windward Campus 'ohana in leading children to the feet of Jesus!

Brandi Akins

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Brandi Akins was born in Berrien Center, Michigan in 1979.  She grew up in the Midwest, living in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.  In 1997, she graduated from West Bloomfield High School in West Bloomfield, Michigan.  Brandi planned to attend college in sunny and warm Tempe, Arizona to study Wildlife Conservation, but God had other plans…

While the majority of her family’s Adventist roots go far back, Brandi was not raised in an Adventist home.  While visiting close family friends in Southern California the summer before college, she went to church and experienced what she had been missing.  Ultimately, Brandi decided to stay in Southern California and give her life to Christ.  While there, she became a task force worker for the church and worked with the youth while attending community college for a year.  Finally, she heard the calling that had been tugging at her heart all along and decided to let God lead her to Pacific Union College to receive her B.A.in Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential. 

After finishing her student teaching in 2002, the Lord led her to Fresno, California to teach Kindergarten at Fresno Adventist Academy.  It was while she was teaching at FAA that she met her future husband, Michael, who was stationed at Pearl Harbor in the U.S. Navy at the time.  After three wonderful years in her beloved classroom at FAA, she married Michael and moved to San Diego with him. 

Not knowing how long they would be stationed in San Diego, Brandi did not pursue a teaching position right away.  She tried her hand in the corporate world, but not only deeply missed working with children, but sharing Jesus with them.  When orders came for Michael to return to Pearl Harbor aboard the USS Texas, she was thrilled at the opportunity to live in paradise, never fathoming what God had in store for her.

After praying for guidance and a string of miraculous events, Brandi was thrilled to accept the position of Kindergarten/First Grade Combination teacher at Hawaiian Mission Academy Windward Campus.  She is firm believer and a total testament to 1 Peter 2:6:  Those who trust the Lord shall not be disappointed.  He has led so amazingly in Brandi’s life and she cannot wait to see how the Lord will use her at Hawaiian Mission Academy Windward Campus!

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Maile Olsen

Registrar

Maile Olsen was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1972.  After graduating from Farrington High School in 1990, she began working as a Receptionist/Secretary at Omar the Tent Man.  Finding that she wanted to do other things, she enrolled at the Hawaii Computer Training Center, a program run by Alu Like, where she studied and was trained in Administrative and Office procedures.

Upon completing her studies, she worked at Catholic Charities as the Secretary in the Na Ohana Pulama Program.  However, in 1994 she decided that she wanted to raise her children and became a housewife for the next several years.  While Maile only has one son and one daughter, she is considered to be "Aunty Maile" to many others.

Maile joined Hawaiian Mission Academy Windward Campus in June of 2000, accepting the position of Registrar.  She has now decided that she would like to continue her education and is making plans to go back to school to get her degree as a Registered Nurse.  When asking Maile why she loves working at HMA Windward, she states, "Working at the school has been a blessing.  I love being around the students and watching them grow and have a closer walk with the Lord."