A Waipahu High School teacher credited with encouraging students to pursue science was surprised and honored with a 2015-16 Milken Educator Award, a national honor that comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.

Michael Sana, chairman of Waipahu High’s science department, has given students opportunities to conduct and publish authentic scientific research. His students have worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a federal research facility in California, and at Rutgers University.

“Michael’s passion for teaching and mentoring has helped dozens of students begin their college careers with a desire for rigorous scientific research,” schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said. “His hard work has helped to make Waipahu High’s science curriculum a bright spot in the department.”

Waipahu High Principal Keith Hayashi said Sana has grown the school’s Advanced Placement Biology program from 12 students to more than 50 and has led his students in research that has yielded 120 publications with the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s medical research agency.

Sana is also the only biology and medical biotechnology instructor in the state certified with Rutgers University to teach biotech. He graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor’s degree in biology, a post-baccalaureate degree in secondary education and a master’s degree in curriculum studies.

At a schoolwide assembly Friday, an unsuspecting Sana learned he had won the Milken award from Gov. David Ige and first lady Dawn Amano-Ige.

Sana told students at the assembly that anything is possible through education. “Work hard, get your education,” he said. “Each one of you can contribute.”

Waipahu High student Jeminae Solomua called Sana her coach and teacher. “He not only teaches biology and medical biotech; he also teaches life lessons,” she said. “He shows us how to persevere through life because he’s been through that kind of struggle.”

Up to 40 exemplary teachers are surprised with Milken awards each year. The awards alternate yearly between elementary and secondary educators, and Sana is the only recipient from Hawaii this year. Seventy-three Hawaii educators have received Milken Educator Awards totaling more than $1.8 million since 1990.