Featured Finalist: Leka Pua Anitema
Leka Anitema, post-high counselor at Maui High School, Kahului, Hawai'i, is a 2026 School Counselor of the Year® finalist. She has been a school counselor since 2020. The school serves nearly 1,700 students, grades 9–12.
“Leka is a profound advocate for the school counseling profession itself,” said Lora-Lee Grando, academy principal at Maui High School. “While her role is solo by title, she prioritizes building powerful schoolwide and community partnerships, highlighting others’ strengths to connect students with resources and mentors. She collaborates extensively with colleagues, from special education teachers to AP instructors, delivering schoolwide rollouts and tailored sessions based on identified classroom needs. Through her relentless work, she exemplifies the critical role of school counselors in shaping student futures. Her unwavering commitment to empowering students and bridging home-school connections elevates the entire school counseling discipline.” Read more about Leka.
What Makes Leka Tick?
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a food critic because I loved the idea of tasting new things and sharing their stories. Looking back, I realize I was really just drawn to savoring experiences and helping others discover what excites them, which is ironically a lot like what I do as a school counselor today."
What’s one goal you have for your school counseling program next year?
Next year, our singular goal is to ensure the post high pathway bridges we have built continue to strengthen, guaranteeing no student feels that geography, background or circumstance limits their future. We will achieve this by deepening community partnerships and family communication, as well as providing direct, high-impact resources to meet student needs.
If you could have an unlimited supply of anything for the rest of your life, what would it be?
An unlimited supply of Aloha, the powerful force and way of life encompassing boundless love and empathy, ensuring no one is ever left hungry, in danger or without support. The world would be the place we all wish and hope it could be.
How would you describe your job to a 5 year old?
I help big kids dream about what they want to be when they grow up, and then help them and their families figure out how to make their dream come true.
Do you have any hidden talents?
Growing up in a community rich in talent inspired me to explore and cultivate my own unique interests and abilities. Emceeing events from intimate gatherings to audiences of 5,000, making seemingly instant connections with people from different walks of life, performing the Tongan Tau’olunga and Hawaiian Hula (both traditional, graceful forms of dance) and documenting events by creating videos that preserve our stories and cultures are things I truly enjoy and that seem put me in my element.
What’s one important skill you think everyone should have?
The ability to listen with the intent to truly understand because that’s how engagement and change begin.
What could you talk about for 30 minutes with no notes?
My kids or my professional career evolution. Besides that, I used to give extensive five- to eight-hour tours about Hawai‘i and the South Pacific nations to all kinds of groups while in college, so 30 minutes would really just be the tip of the iceberg.
How did you get into school counseling?
My own experience with the lack of effective high school counseling support fueled my drive to serve this community. Originally I planned to study at my dream university and teach abroad, but my path drastically changed when I discovered my application to my dream university never left my school counselor's desk. After returning to Maui after college, I taught human physiology for eight years, but a family health crisis during the COVID-19 shutdown necessitated a professional pivot. In that time of personal limbo, I transitioned to an academic counselor, then later post high counseling due to a clear need in our school. School counseling became a powerful place where my personal story, passion for equity and love for my community all intersected. I quickly realized that all my life experiences had led me to this career and way of life. Every time I see a student step into their future, I relive the relief and happiness of finding my own true purpose.