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Maurine King

Distinguished Service to HBA (2014)
Lifetime Legacy Award (2019)

Maurine King has dedicated nearly six decades of service to Hawaii Baptist Academy. In her 52 years of teaching, she has influenced thousands of students, many of whom now affectionately call her their friend. Even though she is happily retired, she continues to be involved at HBA and volunteers as a coach for both Mock Trial and It’s Academic, a reading coach for kindergartners, CEW seminar speaker, and a writer for the Soaring Eagle newsletter.

Maurine came to HBA in 1960 after completing her undergraduate studies at California Baptist College. She had hoped to attend graduate school by winning a Betty Crocker recipe contest. Alas, she was never contacted by Betty Crocker and instead took a job as a teacher at HBA. She had never visited Hawaii or flown on an airplane. Along with some other new recruits, they found an apartment and began their new adventure together. “People here were so kind to us. They fed us new food, they took us to see the sights, they gave us cast-off furniture and the rest we bought from the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. There was a great deal of Aloha spirit to HBA teachers,” Maurine recalled.

During her tenure as a teacher, Maurine taught English, Spanish, social studies, and Advanced Placement History courses. She was also advisor for the yearbook, Model UN, National Honor Society, Mind Games Club, Quilting Club, and Mock Trial team.

Nowadays, she mostly makes wall quilts to give away. Her goal is to have 32 ready for Hoola Na Pua’s “Pearl Haven” therapeutic shelter for trafficked girls by the time it opens. She also makes them for the Institute for Human Services (IHS) recovery houses and for Kokua Kalihi Valley (KKV). She also turns out hundreds of “blankies” for children and donates books for KKV. Her motto is, “When life gives you scraps, make quilts!”

I’m grateful to HBA for educating me. Everywhere I go, I can mention HBA and be told of someone’s relative or friend I should remember. Most of my adult friends were once my students. Occasionally one from decades ago will get in touch. Because I continue to work with the Mock Trial and It’s Academic teams, I’m maintaining connections with teenagers, and projecting farther into the future are the kindergarteners who practice their reading with me. What gives me most pleasure is those within that network who are not just doing well, but are doing good. 

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