Computer coding teacher Miki Cacace prepares her students at Ewa Makai Middle School for a fast-changing future while also taking time to truly understand where they’re coming from.

On Tuesday that creativity and commitment paid off when she received a $25,000 Milken Educator award, an unrestricted cash prize that has been dubbed “the Oscars of Teaching.”

“This is totally a shocker. I’m trembling,” Cacace told 1,400 students and her colleagues who filled the school’s amphitheater for the surprise announcement by Gov. David Ige. “None of this would be possible without you! Thank you for just being awesome!”

The award for excellence from the Milken Family Foundation is given to 40 teachers each year across the nation, none of whom know they are even being considered. Cacace, who began her career as a graphic designer, has been teaching in Hawaii’s public schools since 2008, helping not just students, but colleagues.

“Her students love her because she’s very kind and patient,” said Emma Ohashi, an English teacher in her third year who looks up to Cacace as a mentor. “She’s been my backbone, my support.”

“She’s the one who taught me, hey, the kids come first — love them, treat them with kindness because you never know what they’re going through in their lives,” Ohashi said.

Cacace, who started out as an art teacher at Kalakaua Middle in Kalihi, came to Ewa Makai as a math teacher in 2017. She volunteered to teach computer science and created the curriculum for it, with kids tackling real-life projects.

“She’s a good, thoughtful teacher,” said Ethan Garcia, who played in the school band that amped up the crowd before the announcement. “She always helps us in class when we’re having trouble. She’s a fun and exciting teacher to know.”

Her students learn how to create games and apps, and then have their peers try them out and rate them. They build websites. They use coding for the school’s hydroponics and aquaponics systems. They go on field trips to meet professionals in the field, from the Microsoft store to Hawaii Pacific University.

“The reason why I became a teacher is because I wanted to make a difference,” Cacace said. “I feel like in middle school we get to make that difference because they’re trying to learn who they are and what they’re about, and we’re able to instill a growth mindset.”

The middle school years can be rough for many teens. So Cacace, 36, makes time for them on a personal level. As part of the social-emotional learning committee at Ewa Makai, she began by looking at the world from a student perspective.

“I shadowed a student for the whole day just to see what it’s like to be a student and what they’re struggling with, and it was really eye-opening,” she explained after the ceremony, lei piled to her ears.

On a weekly basis, she eats with a student who is sitting alone and has encouraged her colleagues to do the same. She created a website with lessons on empathy and how to develop a “caring culture” that teachers can use during their advisory class.

“The students that give you the most challenge are the ones that need the most love,” Cacace said. “And for those students that feel like giving up, I’m there to help them persevere and to give them that positive mindset.”

“Because you know, life in general is tough even when you become an adult,” she said. “There’s ups and downs. They need to learn how to cope with those emotions, and they need to learn how to get through those hardships in order to reach their goal.”

Principal Kim Sanders said the kids pick up on Cacace’s excitement.

“Last year a lot of the students said, ‘We love this class so much, can we do advanced coding?’ And she said yes,” the principal recalled. “So now we have an advanced coding class.”

“She’s just an amazing teacher,” Sanders said. “All of our teachers at Ewa Makai are amazing. I wish I could give everyone an award every day for the work that they do.”

After the students trooped back to class, Cacace placed calls to her husband, who teaches at Myron B. Thompson Academy, and her mother, also an educator. Her mom, Mae Gouveia, had an immediate response when she heard the size of the award.

“I hope you save some!” she declared. Cacace assured her that she would.

She and her husband have two children, ages 5 and 3, and she wants to start saving for their college costs. She also mentioned that she’s interested in Lasik surgery to correct her vision.

Cacace earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a master’s in elementary education from the University of Phoenix.

“I basically get to do what I love,” she said. “I really enjoy coming to the school and just teaching my passion.”

The Milken awards began in 1987. Educators are chosen relatively early in their careers for “what they have achieved and for the promise of what they will accomplish.”

Awardees become part of a network of top teachers and attend the Milken Educator Forum. This year each will be paired with a veteran Milken Educator mentor to prepare for growing leadership roles.