Mary Alexander is an associate professor of English at Kaua‘i Community College Alexander’s love for her subject is highly evident to her students. They laud her for assigning interesting reading material, holding valuable class discussions and grading assignments with thoughtful comments.

According to one group letter, “Students in her class are expected to give an effort equaling no less than 110 percent and, in doing so, she inspires and challenges them to heights that they themselves didn’t think they were capable of. She treats everyone in class with the utmost respect and highlights their strengths without dwelling on their weaknesses.”

Alexander describes writing as one her life’s passions and sees it as a personal mission to introduce others to the joy and understanding that comes from clear self-expression. “It is my goal to demystify the process of writing, to crack open a door that may have been closed,” she says. “Maybe the result is that a student feels less fear about writing.”