LIHUE » Karen Heresa, a special education teacher at Wilcox Elementary School, said she wasn't expecting to stay on Kauai for more than few years.

However, after teaching at the same school for 14 years, the New York transplant's love for her students and for the island paid off yesterday.

At a surprise assembly, Heresa was named a 2008 Milken Award winner, a prestigious national prize that comes with $25,000 and a trip to Los Angeles for a teaching conference next year. She was the only Hawaii teacher to be so recognized this year.

“;I'm really, really shocked and appreciative,”; said Heresa, who teaches fourth- and fifth-graders. “;I had absolutely no idea. ... Part of me feels undeserving because of all the great teachers here.”;

Heresa's fellow teachers and supervisors say she is not only a great teacher who connects with each student but also has developed a number of successful long-range policies at Wilcox.

In the late 1990s, Heresa was co-author of the Hawaiian Value Character Education Program, which highlights one Hawaiian value a month, such as pono, ohana and kuleana.

Each month, an assembly is held to honor students, and there are daily messages for each value, said Rachel Watari, retired principal of Wilcox.

“;Thanks to Ms. Heresa, our Hawaiian Values character education continues successful implementation today,”; Watari added in a questionnaire provided by the Department of Education from the Milken Foundation. “;Both faculty and staff view her as an asset, a true leader.”;

She also spearheaded a campaign to “;loop”; special education students together. Now, special education students have the same teacher for three years, which has also led to higher test scores, said colleague Sharon Saronitman.

More students in Heresa's class have transitioned back to their regular education classes prepared for middle school than any other previous teacher, Watari added.

She's also served as a voluntary coach for the track team.

Heresa, originally from Syracuse, N.Y., was honored by the entire school, as well as her husband, Victor, and their son, Blake, U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, Kauai Complex Superintendent William Arakaki and Assistant Superintendent Daniel Hamada.

The Milken Award is given by the Milken Family Foundation, a nonprofit created by Lowell Milken in the 1980s to acknowledge educators' contributions to the nation, according to the Milken Family Foundation Web site. Heresa is the 67th teacher from Hawaii to receive the award since Hawaii began participating in 1990.