Waiākea High School mathematics teacher Rory Inouye was recognized with the Milken Educator Award.

Regarded as the “Oscar Award of Teaching,” the award celebrates exceptional teachers and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.

Inouye, who is a Waiākea High alum, received his bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a master’s degree in education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

In a press release Inouye said, “I got into teaching not to win awards and not to be recognized, but to help the students, to give back. I remember being a student at Waiākea High School, and I wasn’t the strongest student. For me, that really inspired me to be a math teacher. We want to show students you don’t have to be afraid of math. To be awarded this it’s just shocking, amazing, and I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it.”

In addition to his teaching duties, Inouyes serves on the WHS Freshman Academy faculty, manages after-school tutoring programs and advises the Homecoming Committee. A former Waiākea High baseball player, he also coached the team to consecutive appearances in Division I championship games in 2017 and 2018.

Inouye is the 82nd Hawai‘i teacher to receive the award since Hawai‘i joined the program in 1990, and joins Kawānanakoa Middle School’s Jade Pham this year as the first dual Milken awardees in Hawaiʻi since 2016.

Past Milken Educator Award recipients from Hilo also include Jamil Ahmadia (Waiākea Intermediate, 1999), Jay Chow (Waiākea High, 1997), Leonora Kunimoto (Waiākea High, 1991) and Donna Saiki (Hilo High, 1990). Hawai‘i recipients have received awards along with a total of over $2 million in prize monies.