Name: Iris T. Nitta
Age: 51
Position: Counselor, Baldwin High School
Education: University of Hawaii-Manoa
Pastimes: Cooking, gardening

"The obstacle we all had to overcome was to raise enough money to get an education," said Nitta, who worked while going to college, as did her three brothers and a sister.

As chairwoman of the counseling department at Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Nitta helps students find ways to prepare financially for college.

In May, the Hawaii School Counselors Association selected her as the state's Secondary School Counselor of the Year.

"She's a highly dedicated professional," Baldwin Principal Wallace Fujii said.

Nitta believes it's important to raise students' self-esteem and let them know they can achieve their goals through hard work.

"I teach my students if you want something, you just have to work for it. Don't expect any handouts," she said.

She said her parents, Richard and Ella Fujie, and her sister and brothers helped her through college. They also worked together to take care of an invalid grandmother.

Four siblings, including Nitta, are educators, and one is a veterinarian.

"We're all very close," she said. "We relish get-togethers."

Nitta is active in church, playing the organ Sundays at the Kahului Jodo Mission.