Dr. Danielle Mizuta is a special educator, mentor, and faculty leader with over 13 years of experience teaching in self-contained, resource, and inclusion classrooms in Hawaiʻi’s public schools. She earned her EdD from the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education and holds two master’s degrees from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. As a State Level Lead Mentor with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, she supported induction coordinators, facilitated mentor forums, and led professional learning communities for beginning teachers. She also trained experienced educators in instructional mentoring and coaching practices. Her statewide leadership includes service as a Hope Street Fellow and Regional Coach, as well as an Ahimsa Fellow, where she developed and shared a presentation on teacher leadership inspired by Gandhi and Mandela. Danielle currently lectures at Leeward Community College and serves as a Learning Support Teacher at Le Jardin Academy, supporting faculty, families, and students with diverse learning needs.

At Woodland Pacific, Danielle brings a practitioner’s clarity and a systems thinker’s lens to the design of supportive learning environments. She is especially attuned to the middle-years transition—a period where identity, agency, and belonging are often in flux—and helps shape programming that nurtures those needs. Her approach integrates relational care, practical strategy, and cultural responsiveness, helping ensure Woodland Pacific remains a space where all learners, especially those who’ve been misunderstood or underserved, can find connection, confidence, and direction.

Christie May

Véra Radunsky