Intensive English Program

Intensive English Program
Hawaii Community College
200 W. Kawili Street
Hilo, HI 96720-4091
Phone: 808 974-7531
Fax: 808 974-7487
hawcc-iep-L@hawaii.edu

IEP Faculty

Meet the faculty and staff of the Intensive English Program:: Laura Kimoto, Coordinator Laura was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. She is bi-lingual English and Japanese. She has lived in Osaka for three years. She graduated from the Monterey Institute of International Studies with a BA in Japanese Studies and an MA in Translation and Interpretation (Monterey, California). She loves to meet new people, learn hula and read interesting books. Mary L. Gaddis, Lecturer Mary Gaddis has been teaching English and other languages in Hilo for over 25 years. She was born in Texas, but grew up in a bilingual family on the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. From teaching and speaking more than one language, she understands the needs of language students and loves helping them. Mary holds BA and MA degrees in languages and has done much additional graduate work. She is also working toward a certificate in second language teaching. When she is not teaching, she enjoys the beauty of the Big Island, swimming, snorkeling, and bike riding with family and friends. Suzanne Kita, Lecturer Suzanne Kita earned her B.A. and M.A. in Teaching English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has taught English in Hawaii for over twenty years. She is also the author of five books for children and adults, poetry, and articles and essays. After living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for twelve years, she and her family moved back to Hawaii and live in the country-side outside of Hilo. She immediately fell in love with the IEP and its interesting students and talented staff. Suzanne also teaches ESL and English credit courses at HawCC. Nancy A. Kunert, Coordinator of Student Services Nancy has been teaching English as a Foreign Language for a very long time. For 25 years Nancy and her husband worked as teachers in Papua New Guinea, a country that is north of Australia. She started out teaching all subjects in English to New Guinean children who didn't know any English at all. By the time she left Papua New Guinea, she had had the opportunity to teach students from pre-school age through grade 12 at a senior high school. Upon returning to the USA Mainland in 1987, she began teaching ESL at the University level both in Oregon and in California. Nancy and her husband moved to Hilo, Hawaii in September 2003. She has three grown and married children. She also has 5 precious grandchildren. Nancy enjoys playing the piano, gardening, reading, and handicrafts like quilting, crocheting, knitting, spinning, weaving, and sewing. Sherri Fujita, Coordinator of Teacher and Curriculum Development Sherri was born in New York and has lived and taught English in the UK, Nepal and Japan. She has been teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) for about 15 years now. She has a master's degree in social sciences from the University of London, the RSA (Royal Society of Arts) certificate in language teaching as well as a post-graduate certificate in teaching EFL from the University of Birmingham in the UK. She is currently working on her MA dissertation in EFL. Sherri's husband is from Japan and she has two children who were both born there. She likes to spend her free time with her family, taking her children to places like the beach and the zoo. Karen Riley Karen Riley has taught English to international students for more than fifteen years. She has taught English in Oregon, California and Hawaii in programs for university students and in programs for immigrants and refugees. Karen holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the social sciences. She loves teaching English, working with international students and traveling. She has traveled to more than twenty countries and has lived in India, Thailand and Mexico. When she's not working or traveling, she can be found in her garden near Hilo or in her kayak on the ocean. Patrick Reily A native of California, Patrick has been teaching English as a Second Language for over twenty years, both in the U.S. and overseas. He received his Master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from United States International University in his hometown of San Diego. He loves to travel and has visited many countries in Asia, Europe, Central and South America. He speaks some Spanish and Thai, and a little Japanese, too. He is very interested in language study, but he loves most of all to teach English to his students while learning all about their lives and cultures. These days, when he isn't working, Patrick enjoys listening to music, driving around the Big Island of Hawaii, working in his guava orchard, boogie boarding, snorkeling, eating, reading, thinking, dreaming and watching Japanese TV (esp. NHK News and Momotaro Zamurai) with his wife, Tomoko. Jeanne Ryan Jeanne Ryan was born in Manhattan, New York. She spent her childhood in New York City, but finished high school in Delhi, a small town in upstate New York. Jeanne graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. Then, she was awarded a Fel! lowship to get her Master's Degree in TESOL from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Jeanne loves English and has worked as an English teacher and professional writer for many years. She has taught kindergarten through high school ESL in New York public schools. She has taught college-level ESL in Spain and for the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition to teaching, Jeanne has been a newspaper and magazine reporter and editor. She has also worked for IBM as a speech writer and public relations specialist. When she?s not preparing for class or ! teaching, Jeanne loves to read, write, hike, run, bike, go to the beach, and laugh! Last Updated: April 2006

IEP Faculty

Meet the faculty and staff of the Intensive English Program::

Laura Kimoto, Coordinator

Laura was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii. She is bi-lingual English and Japanese. She has lived in Osaka for three years. She graduated from the Monterey Institute of International Studies with a BA in Japanese Studies and an MA in Translation and Interpretation (Monterey, California). She loves to meet new people, learn hula and read interesting books.

Mary L. Gaddis, Lecturer

Mary Gaddis has been teaching English and other languages in Hilo for over 25 years. She was born in Texas, but grew up in a bilingual family on the island of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. From teaching and speaking more than one language, she understands the needs of language students and loves helping them. Mary holds BA and MA degrees in languages and has done much additional graduate work. She is also working toward a certificate in second language teaching. When she is not teaching, she enjoys the beauty of the Big Island, swimming, snorkeling, and bike riding with family and friends.

Suzanne Kita, Lecturer

Suzanne Kita earned her B.A. and M.A. in Teaching English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has taught English in Hawaii for over twenty years. She is also the author of five books for children and adults, poetry, and articles and essays. After living in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for twelve years, she and her family moved back to Hawaii and live in the country-side outside of Hilo. She immediately fell in love with the IEP and its interesting students and talented staff. Suzanne also teaches ESL and English credit courses at HawCC.

Nancy A. Kunert, Coordinator of Student Services

Nancy has been teaching English as a Foreign Language for a very long time. For 25 years Nancy and her husband worked as teachers in Papua New Guinea, a country that is north of Australia. She started out teaching all subjects in English to New Guinean children who didn't know any English at all. By the time she left Papua New Guinea, she had had the opportunity to teach students from pre-school age through grade 12 at a senior high school. Upon returning to the USA Mainland in 1987, she began teaching ESL at the University level both in Oregon and in California. Nancy and her husband moved to Hilo, Hawaii in September 2003. She has three grown and married children. She also has 5 precious grandchildren. Nancy enjoys playing the piano, gardening, reading, and handicrafts like quilting, crocheting, knitting, spinning, weaving, and sewing.

Sherri Fujita, Coordinator of Teacher and Curriculum Development

Sherri was born in New York and has lived and taught English in the UK, Nepal and Japan. She has been teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) for about 15 years now. She has a master's degree in social sciences from the University of London, the RSA (Royal Society of Arts) certificate in language teaching as well as a post-graduate certificate in teaching EFL from the University of Birmingham in the UK. She is currently working on her MA dissertation in EFL. Sherri's husband is from Japan and she has two children who were both born there. She likes to spend her free time with her family, taking her children to places like the beach and the zoo.

Karen Riley

Karen Riley has taught English to international students for more than fifteen years. She has taught English in Oregon, California and Hawaii in programs for university students and in programs for immigrants and refugees. Karen holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the social sciences. She loves teaching English, working with international students and traveling. She has traveled to more than twenty countries and has lived in India, Thailand and Mexico. When she's not working or traveling, she can be found in her garden near Hilo or in her kayak on the ocean.

Patrick Reily

A native of California, Patrick has been teaching English as a Second Language for over twenty years, both in the U.S. and overseas. He received his Master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from United States International University in his
hometown of San Diego. He loves to travel and has visited many countries in Asia, Europe, Central and South America. He speaks some Spanish and Thai, and a little Japanese, too. He is very interested in language study, but he loves most of all to teach English to his students while learning all about their lives and cultures.

These days, when he isn't working, Patrick enjoys listening to music, driving around the Big Island of Hawaii, working in his guava orchard, boogie boarding, snorkeling, eating, reading, thinking, dreaming and watching Japanese TV (esp. NHK News and Momotaro Zamurai) with his
wife, Tomoko.

Jeanne Ryan

Jeanne Ryan was born in Manhattan, New York. She spent her childhood in New York City, but finished high school in Delhi, a small town in upstate New York. Jeanne graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. Then, she was awarded a Fel! lowship to get her Master's Degree in TESOL from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Jeanne loves English and has worked as an English teacher and professional writer for many years. She has taught kindergarten through high school ESL in New York public schools. She has taught college-level ESL in Spain and for the State University of New York at New Paltz. In addition to teaching, Jeanne has been a newspaper and magazine reporter and editor. She has also worked for IBM as a speech writer and public relations specialist. When she?s not preparing for class or ! teaching, Jeanne loves to read, write, hike, run, bike, go to the beach, and laugh!

Last Updated: April 2006