Jade Pham, a 27-year-old teacher at Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School, was surprised with a $25,000 Milken Educator Award at a schoolwide assembly on Monday.

Milken Family Foundation Chairman Lowell Milken, Gov. Josh Green, KMS alumnus Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, state Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi and other officials presented Pham with an unrestricted cash prize of $25,000.

The Milken Family Foundation launched the Milken Educator Awards program in 1987 and has been referred to as the “Oscars of Teaching” by Teacher magazine. Pham was the 63rd educator awarded for the 2022-23 academic year.

Pham said she was only told that the state Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi would visit KMS and she had to prepare her students in the Micronesian club to perform during the assembly.

“We are so proud of Ms. Pham,” Hayashi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “This national award means a lot not only to her, not only to Kawananakoa Middle, but also to the state of Hawaii.”

Hayashi said Pham often “extends herself beyond the classroom,” giving more opportunities to students through after­-school clubs.

“It’s thanks to educators like Ms. Pham that put their heart and soul into teaching students,” Hayashi said.

Pham advises KMS’ e-sports program and the Micronesian club.

She said she wants to help her students feel a “greater sense of belonging in school” through her e-sports program which consists of mostly females — which she said is rare in gaming communities — and the Micronesian club.

KMS, she said, has a large Micronesian student population with chronic absenteeism and she wanted to help her students feel belonging through relationship building and culture learning.

Pham moved from Da Nang, Vietnam, to Hawaii with her parents and older sister when she was 2 years old. She is now the student services coordinator and temporary assistant vice principal at KMS.

While growing up in public housing, Pham attended Linapuni Elementary School, Palolo Elementary School, William P. Jarrett Middle School and Kaimuki High School before earning a political science degree from Corban University in Portland, Ore.

“I moved home, immediately went to start as an emergency hire as a special education teacher at my alma mater, Kaimuki High School, while I simultaneously received my master’s of education,” Pham said.

Pham said she initially planned to go to law school and was unsure about her career path as an educator.

“As a public school special education teacher, I had no idea what I was doing.” Pham said. “I came home crying every single day.”

However, she said she later realized she wanted to be in a profession where she could make a direct impact, “like what my teachers did for me as someone who didn’t really come from much.”

Pham worked at Kaimuki High School for three years and has been teaching at KMS for four years.

“I’m also a proud graduate of public schools,” Pham said. “I do believe that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for all of my teachers that believed in me growing up.”

“All in all it’s the teachers that really mentored me from when I was in preschool all the way up till today.”

Pham was recognized as the 81st Hawaii teacher to receive the award since Hawaii joined the Milken Educator Awards program in 1990. She succeeded Esther Kwon who won the Milken Award last year while serving as the assistant principal at Daniel K. Inouye Elementary School.

“Being awarded with the Milken award opened my eyes to what is possible in education, especially in Hawaii,” Kwon told the Star-Advertiser. ”It was so validating and encouraging to continue to serve students.”

She said she flew out to see her friends and family with the $25,000 cash prize and saved the rest to further her professional career.

Kwon currently takes classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa along with other professional development courses as part of her certification process to become a full-time administrator.