CYNTHIA SEARS WINS 2026 HPU 'TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD'

HPU Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy Cynthia Sears, OTD, MA, OTR/L, BCP, FNAP, FAOTA has won the 2026 HPU Teacher of the Year Award. In an announcement made in Sears' occupational therapy classroom on April 17, HPU Acting Provost Brenda Jensen, Ph.D., and HPU Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Chief Strategy Officer Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D., congratulated Sears for her award, commending her dedication to her students and the occupational therapy (OT) profession. In a classroom of cheering students, emotions were high when the formal announcement was made.

"I'm trying not to cry," said Sears, as Jensen held prepared remarks in one hand and the award in the other.

Jensen made clear just how meaningful the recognition was, noting that the honor carries extra weight because it comes directly from the students. "This program is special because of you and everyone in the OTD program," she said.

Walsh echoed the sentiment. "It is a blessing to have you in our community, and to have you join us in doing the amazing work that you do every day at HPU. This is why we are celebrating you."

Sears stood and addressed her students with the kind of candor that has made her one of HPU's most beloved faculty members.

"It's such an honor to be part of your journey," she said. "I've loved this profession for nearly forty years; I started teaching after about thirty years in the OT profession. I get to share my excitement and stories and get to see the future of the OT profession. This profession is growing and thriving, and we finally have a program in Hawaiʻi. Thank you for loving me back!"

Sears didn't arrive in academia through a conventional path. It started at a Starbucks. She ran into an acquaintance of husband who was wearing an occupational therapy nametag and mentioned he was launching a new OT program in South Carolina. The conversation stuck. "He texted me, 'Hey, I have a job for you teaching,'" she recalled. "And the rest is history."

Teaching, it turned out, had always been part of her world. Her daughter is a middle school teacher. Her sister-in-law has spent over 28 years in a third-grade classroom. "Seeing them and the skills they have given me fuels my passion and drive for the OT profession," she shared.

Sears is a director of curriculum in HPU's Graduate College of Health Sciences, joining the University in 2022. She holds a Doctor of Occupational Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina, a Master of Arts in Business from Webster University, and national board certification in pediatrics from the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her more than 38 years of clinical practice span acute care, inpatient psychiatry, private practice, primary care, and school systems, with a primary focus on pediatric mental health and sensory-motor skill development.

Her reach extends well beyond the clinic. Sears has published and presented nationally and internationally, most recently at the 19th World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, where she presented innovative hybrid and online OT education models developed in Hawaiʻi, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. She has also championed occupational justice through volunteer service with Special Olympics locally and with Rwandan HUGS, Inc. in Rwanda, Africa.

Teacher of the Year nominations are submitted by students, and the submissions for Sears read like letters from people whose lives were forever changed.

"Dr. Sears has been so much more than just a professor to me during my time at HPU," one student wrote. "She constantly checks in, not only to see how I am doing as a student, but as a person, to remind me how supported I am through this journey of becoming an OT. That kind of care and encouragement has carried me through some of the toughest parts of this program."

The same student captured what makes Sears' approach so distinctive. "She teaches us that individuality is a strength, and she empowers us to embrace who we are so that we can bring our unique perspectives and talents into the profession. I know that I will carry her lessons, her encouragement, and her belief in me long after graduation. She is everything that I aspire to be as an OT. Dr. Sears embodies what it means to be an extraordinary teacher, mentor, and leader, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of Teacher of the Year."

Another student described what Sears brings to the classroom in terms that go beyond curriculum. "Kindness has been a constant thread woven through her teaching and passion for occupational therapy. She meets people where they are, honors their stories, and helps them flourish."

Others wrote about the texture of her teaching itself.

"Her teaching style is thorough but also light, where we can make real world connections," one student noted. "She is so passionate about what she teaches and it shows." Another praised her ability to make even the hardest material feel accessible: "Her enthusiasm for her field is contagious, and she constantly finds creative ways to engage students in meaningful learning experiences."

And some wrote simply, and perhaps most powerfully, about the person behind the professor. "Dr. Sears just has a really good heart," one student noted. "You can tell that she genuinely cares about her students and their success." Another put it even more plainly: "To know her is to love her."

For Sears, the award reflects something that drives her every day she joins a class.

"I love to be an OT, and I want my students to be excited about it and know that they are investing in themselves in a career that will serve them and that they will give back to their communities," she said. "I am very humbled and honored to receive this award. It is work from my heart."