Our Promising Futures feature student this week is Oakbrook Elementary School fifth grader Noelani Tamaalii.
She jumps at the chance to solve a new problem. Whether she’s working her way through a difficult math problem or attempting to troubleshoot a technical issue for herself or a classmate, Noelani is at her best when tackling a new challenge.

“I love the chance to accomplish something new,” she said. “When I don’t understand a question or how to do something, it’s such a rewarding feeling to figure it out.”
She brings an upbeat and friendly personality to the classroom, and she goes out of her way to help create an environment that gives her peers a feeling of safety and the ability to take risks. “Noelani truly cares for each person in her classroom and it shows,” said Oakbrook teacher Moira McDonald.
Noelani plans turn her love for animals into a career as a veterinarian.