Here from the beginning, Sawada in 40th year of teaching at MHS

By Cyanne Ito

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Sawada's students know him for his famous rock collection. He often carries some in his pockets and they all have stories. — Sawada’s students know him for his famous rock collection. He often carries some in his pockets and they all have stories.

Since MHS’ opening in 1973, Math teacher Edward Sawada is one of only three faculty members, along with School Administrative Service Assistant Paulette Chun and Athletic Director Glenn Nitta, that remain today. Through his time as a teacher here at MHS, Sawada has experienced firsthand the changes that both he and MHS have gone through.

“The school has grown, the community itself, you know, has really exploded. Before it was just (MHS) and the Town Center; all the homes up Mauka were all pineapple fields. I can remember when this whole area was just pineapple fields,” said Sawada.

One of the biggest changes that Sawada says he has seen over the years is the enrollment. “I think we started at 300 students, now I think we’re up to about 2,400. So you can see the growth there, and our curriculum has really grown too ‘cause we have a whole lot more to offer as compared to way back then,” said Sawada.

As for himself, Sawada has been the adviser of multiple clubs, including National Honor Society (NHS) and Gopher Club, a service club that Sawada founded but was disbanded after he passed advisership down to another, now retired, teacher. He was also a coach for the cross country and track teams for over 30 years. When he planned to retire, he decided to turn over the clubs to newer teachers but did not end up retiring due to the fact that he loves his job. “Coaching, for example; I used to run with the kids, but I was getting old and I couldn’t keep up with them after a while. So that kind of indicated to me, ‘Hey, let the young people take over,’” said Sawada.

His club members and students remember him for more than just the math that he taught. “The things that I recall now, 15 years later, are more just like life lessons, like living your passion, being passionate about what you do,” said Student Activities Coordinator and Alumna Janet Ward-Riehle, who was a member of NHS when Sawada was the adviser.

However, one thing that did not change was Sawada’s own passion for running. “I run on weekends and I’ll see him on weekends running around the community and stuff like that,” said Social Studies teacher and Alumna Judy Taparra, “What happens is he’s running around the track and it’s funny because he can actually outrun some of the kids.”

Many of Sawada’s former students have gone on to become successful, including Sandra Shadron, who is now a math teacher herself at Rock Creek Middle School in Clackamas, Oreg. “He was always willing to help me when I struggled. He was available in the mornings and at lunch. He has inspired me to give up my own time to tutor students who are struggling,” said Shadron.

Though most students and teachers know him for what he does in school, Sawada also participates in many things outside of school, such as co-authoring a scientific paper on rocks and minerals and publishing several papers on mathematics. “Most people don’t even know about these things that I’ve done outside; they don’t know that, you know, I’m an outdoors person. I like to go hunting and hiking and camping and stuff like that. They only see me (in) school and as an old man,” said Sawada.

As one of the last teachers that have been with MHS from the beginning, Sawada continues to teach, doing what he loves best.