To celebrate World Teachers' Day on Saturday, The Conversation is sharing stories about educators who have left a lasting impression on their students.
Fely Serra was a McKinley High School English teacher for over 30 years. On top of that, she coached the school's Speech Club and, to this day, is regarded as a pioneer of the Hawaiʻi Speech League.
While she died in 2019, her son Darren committed to carry on her legacy. He's been a teacher for 33 years and spent the last 10 teaching music at Stevenson Middle School in Honolulu.
The Conversation's Lillian Tsang was one of Mrs. Serra's students in the late 1980s. She got the chance to talk with Darren about his mom’s influence on her students and in his classroom today.
"She was complete when she was a teacher. I think she kind of got bored when she retired. That's why she kept teaching at Chaminade," he said. "But seeing the kids — they gave her all the mana and all the joy in her life, and she just felt like a person that had meaning. And that was the reason why she was here on Earth — to be a good teacher."
He said his mom started college at 15, then became a teacher at age 21, or possibly even younger.
"She was a go-getter from the very beginning. She was very, very young when she started," Darren Serra said.
Mrs. Serra was one of three who pioneered the Hawaiʻi Speech League, which is still active today. Darren remembers how his mom would have him help with the team.
"I was so happy that she trusted me. I felt honored to take over the team for her, but it gave me respect that way, so I wasn't like a little kid," he said.
He added that anytime he and his mom would go anywhere, people would stop and thank her for their high school years. She also taught at Castle and Farrington high schools before joining McKinley.
He estimated that his mom impacted about 100 students a year.
"You know, you're talking about the impact of teachers, and in a way, my mom still teaches me how to be a teacher because I'm always thinking of her. So that's what drives me. And I ask myself almost daily, 'Would my mom approve?'"
This interview aired on The Conversation on Oct. 2, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
