[ HAWAII AT WORK ]
STAR-BULLETIN FILE
Issac White gets
more than he givesThe football player also
teaches special educationFor me, football is a big part of my life. During football season, I eat, sleep and breathe it. You can't get that adrenaline rush from anything else. But there's one thing that's even better. All the touchdowns and tackles don't compare to the feeling I get when I know that I have made a difference in a student's life.
I'm a wide receiver and linebacker for the Hawaiian Islanders, and I'm also a special-education teacher's assistant for Campbell High School. I work with a student with autism.
I graduated from Campbell High School in 1995 and went on to play football for Oregon State, receiving a degree in psychology. Even though football was my dream, I knew education was going to be the foundation of my career path. I played for the Canadian League after college, but felt the draw of Hawaii pulling me back home.
When I returned to the islands, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to play professional football for the Islanders. But even though I was ecstatic about still being able to play, something was missing. I wanted to really make a difference. I applied for teaching positions and finally decided to return to my alma mater.
Not many people understand why I take on such difficult work, but they don't get to see all of the benefits that I do. I spend eight hours a day with one particular boy, a 17-year-old with autism. Doctors and psychiatrists only get to hear the bad times that he goes through, but I get to see the good.
When I first began working with him, he was very aggressive, lashing out at me and unable to focus on anything for even five minutes. Many people had come and gone in his life, and he had built up a wall that nobody could penetrate. Over time he saw that I was there for him every day. I provided consistency in his life and began to take down that wall down, brick by brick.
We have spent almost two years together, and he sees me more like a big brother now than a teacher. Once I broke through the barriers, I was able to see my hard work paying off. He is now able to complete assignments and has shown great progress. To see the feeling of personal accomplishment in his eyes makes all of the frustrations and long hours melt away.
What he doesn't know is that he is giving me back something in return. He's an inspiration to me -- perhaps more so than I strive to be for him. When I'm having a bad game, all I have to do is look up at him cheering for me in the stands, and I am filled with that strength to go the extra mile.
"Hawaii at Work" features tells what people do for a living in their own words. Send submissions to business@starbulletin.com
