{"id":76161,"date":"2018-03-13T14:00:44","date_gmt":"2018-03-14T00:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=76161"},"modified":"2020-03-06T14:14:39","modified_gmt":"2020-03-07T00:14:39","slug":"leeward-cc-rake-in-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2018\/03\/13\/leeward-cc-rake-in-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Leeward CC<\/abbr> faculty and graduate rake in the awards"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

The Leeward Community College<\/a> ʻohana<\/span> has been winning big. Awards from the Hawaiʻi<\/span> Association for Career and Technical Education<\/a> (HIACTE<\/abbr>) spotlight faculty members Tommylynn Benavente<\/strong> and Roy Kamida<\/strong> for their stellar contributions to the community and education, while culinary arts graduate Shaylyn Funasaki<\/strong> took top place in the much-sought-after Regional Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs Competition.<\/p>\n

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Tommylynn Benavente<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Roy Kamida<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Shaylyn Funasaki<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Hawaiʻi<\/span> Association for Career and Technical Education awards<\/h2>\n

Leeward CC<\/abbr> faculty snagged two of the three HIACTE<\/abbr> distinctions this year.<\/p>\n

Tommylynn Benavente<\/h3>\n

Postsecondary Teacher of the Year award recipient Tommylynn Benavente is the chair of the professional arts and technology division and a culinary arts<\/a> professor. She has dedicated 35 years to crafting a curriculum and education opportunities that will help her students succeed and prosper in the culinary industry.<\/p>\n

Benavente’s creative thinking and community-building efforts have led to scholarships, community fundraising culinary events and student externships at top Honolulu restaurants.<\/p>\n

Roy Kamida<\/h3>\n

Carl Perkins Community Service award winner Roy Kamida, a Leeward CC<\/abbr> professor of accounting for more than 33 years, has proven himself time and again to be a dedicated, versatile and tireless teacher and community member. Former students are eager to credit their professional success to his exemplary guidance and student-centered style.<\/p>\n

As Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program<\/a> coordinator, he oversees the recruitment, training and certification of tax preparers who volunteer their services to low- to moderate-income taxpayers who need assistance preparing their federal and state returns. Last year, the volunteers and Kamida prepared a whopping 870 federal returns.<\/p>\n

Regional Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs Competition<\/h2>\n

Leeward CC<\/abbr> graduate Shaylyn Funasaki<\/strong> hasn’t yet hit 30, but she’s already got some serious culinary cred under her belt. As the winner at this year’s highly competitive Regional Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs Competition<\/a>, Funasaki was pitted against five professional chefs in a challenge that tested their creativity and skill in the kitchen. Contestants were given a “mystery” basket stocked with local produce and meats that included Kona lobster and ʻulu<\/span>—then tasked with whipping up a gourmet masterpiece.<\/p>\n

She credits her Leeward CC<\/abbr> chef instructors for preparing her with the knowledge and tools to cook up a first-place-caliber spread. Funasaki, who is also a pastry chef at fine dining “it”-spot, MW<\/abbr> Restaurant<\/a>, worked with special needs children before making a serious trajectory shift to follow her dream and enroll at Leeward CC<\/abbr>’s culinary program. Next stop for her: South Carolina, for the National Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs competition in May.<\/p>\n

—By Kathleen Cabral<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Faculty members, Tommylynn Benavente and Roy Kamida, and graduate Shaylyn Funasaki receive recognition for success in their fields.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[753,679,184,598,65,71],"class_list":["post-76161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-accounting","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-culinary","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t