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Pacific Buddhist Academy, a college preparatory high school, has chosen Rob Cody as its new head of school, to replace Pieper Toyama, who is retiring in June from the school he helped found a decade ago.
Originally from New York, Cody is now the principal of Northbridge International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he implemented the international baccalaureate curriculum and promoted personal growth and service among his students.
Pacific Buddhist Academy, the only Shin Buddhist high school in the United States, is open to teens regardless of faith. It offers a curriculum designed to foster Buddhist values of gratitude, compassion and respect for each indi- vidual, rather than the typi-cal educational model focused on high-pressure tests.
Cody, who was principal of Manitou Springs High School in Manitou, Colo., saw student academic achievement there grow as he focused on building relationships and character while de-emphasizing standardized tests. An accreditation team in 2009 concluded: "This team was in agreement that this high school is the best they have seen in creating a community of positive relationships."
Cody has 20 years of experience as an educator and is known for his "relentlessly positive" attitude.
"Humans are genetically developed for doing good," he said. "For students, it does help create an atmosphere where all people are valued, all people are heard and all people are accepted for who they are. PBA offers that kind of atmosphere. I would like to continue to help students find their passion and then help them grow to live it."
Pacific Buddhist Academy opened in 2003, next to Honpa Hongwanji Betsuin Temple on Pali Highway, near downtown Honolulu. Construction of a new campus facility is set to begin this summer.
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