Lacie Arb

One of Moanalua High School’s brand new teachers lives quite an active lifestyle. From her years in college of participating in volleyball to now wanting to explore more of the world, Lacie Arb has no plans of slowing down. 

“I really enjoy traveling, I’ve been to about 15 different countries. I’m always looking forward to that, because I want to see as many different countries as I can.” Arb said.

Arb is a new addition to the Special Education department. She helps with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and other teachers with their subjects.

Arb has been teaching for ten years; recently, she was stationed in Korea, teaching there for five years, before moving to Hawaii last summer. This hasn’t been Arb’s only career path; her longtime love for sports originally made her an athletic trainer. 

“I became a teacher in the long way round,” Arb said. “I actually was a sports athletic trainer first, that’s what I went to school for. That’s why I have a physical education background too. But doing that in a short time I got burned out, because it’s a lot of long hours, and I started substituting teaching, and I fell in love with it. From there, I went back to school and got my teaching degree and went into other areas of teaching.”

Arb continues to challenge herself in her interests (working on her weightlifting skills) and in her career as a teacher. The job opening at MoHS was a calling. 

“I really enjoy working with high school students. I also coached many athletic events, so I like to work with students who are getting ready for their next phase of life. It’s exciting to me. So when this position became available, and with so many students, this is the biggest school I’ve ever been to, I was really excited for the challenge.”

This all-around teacher is ready to make her mark at one of the largest schools on Oahu. 

“I am very outgoing and I love to talk to everybody and anybody. I love ideas, and to hear about other people’s lives. And so, if anybody wants to come up and talk to me, I am all for it, and I will always make time for it,” Arb said. 

Karla Montemayor

Fresh out of college, Karla Montemayor joins the Moanalua staff as a new history teacher. Located in P-11, Montemayor is now teaching special education U.S. History and Sociology in grades 10-12. 

Before arriving in the islands, Montemayor taught in South Carolina for a semester. She also held several teaching internships while in college at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, from where she graduated last year.

Having a cousin with autism who wasn’t able to receive proper educational support was a major factor as to why Montemayor began teaching. 

“I wanted to be able to understand more about the disability aspect in education, so that people don’t have to go through the same things [my cousin] did,” Montemayor said. 

By coming to Moanalua, Montemayor hopes to connect with her students. Having graduated from college only last year, she feels that she can easily relate to high school students. 

“I feel like I can help [this generation’s] learning by also intertwining what’s in style or in trend, to relate to what they’re into,” Montemayor said. 

Montemayor specialized in elementary education before teaching high school students, but ultimately decided to continue teaching at secondary schools after having taught at one for a semester. In her short time at Moanalua, Montemayor is glad to see the maturity in her students especially after coming from a full school year of online-learning. 

Brandon Santos

Brandon Santos begins his journey at Moanalua High School, teaching Participation in Democracy and World History. 

Santos is Los Angeles born and raised, but has led an adventurous life, previously teaching at a university in Southern China and for eight years prior he taught in South Korea at an international school. 

Santos speaks very basic Korean and is working on improving with the help of the Korean Club. 

This will be his first time teaching at the high school level. He replaces Margaret Travers, who moved to the librarian’s position after the retirement last December of Susan Yokota.

With the support of Travers, he said he’s “figuring out [his] jam.”

In his free time, Santos enjoys exploring the outdoors. He spent three months backpacking around Hawaii and loves meeting wildlife. He also enjoys reading and writing science fiction and horror novels.