Aloha kākou, my name is Kyle Okalanimai “Kalani” Soller. Originally from Oʻahu where I was born and raised but, in 2012 my ‘ohana and I moved to Hawaiʻi island and now  reside in Hilo. I graduated from Kaimukī High School in 1988 and I went to a junior college in Costa Mesa, California from 1991 to 1993. I was a part of the volleyball team for the school before returning to Oʻahu to finish my undergraduate degree at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in 1998 in Hawaiian studies. I completed my graduate degree in Educational Technology in 2013 from Boise State University.

My experience in working in education started in 1997 in the Kupuna/Makua program at Liliʻuokalani Elementary. It was there that I was encouraged by a kumu to pursue education as a career.  I have had several kumu positions throughout my career, starting with the Kaiapuni charter school Kamakau. I then started as a long-term sub at the immersion school, Ānuenue before taking a middle school kumu position for two years. I then began teaching at Kamehameha High School, Kapālama in 2004 as a Kumu ‘Ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian Language Teacher).

When my ‘ohana and I moved to Hawaiʻi island, I had the opportunity to work with two other divisions with KS before joining LIS, now known as Kealapono. The charge of our division is to provide direct teaching  and coaching services, work along side  and collaborate with our DOE kumu to build capacity in science, teacher resources and strategies. Another important part of kuleana (responsibility) is to raise the writing scores of our haumāna (students). Strengthening the schools and communities we work with to provide a preferred future for Hawaiian children through literacy.