Crazy Connections

Matt Piercy, Middle School History and Spanish

By Betsy Tranquilli

Matt Piercy grabs a gourd from the table inside his campus apartment during a recent lunch break. He cracks the round vegetable in half and stuffs the inside with seeds. He fumbles for a minute trying to seal the gourd back together for the finishing touch to his next World Cultures lesson. It takes a creative mind to effectively work a gourd into a curriculum on creationism in cultures. As it turns out, Piercy is that kind of thinker.

"The kids are going to think I'm crazy," he quips as he darts out the door.

Maybe they did, seeing this excited 34·year·old standing before them, neat as always in pressed khakis and a tucked collared shirt, grinning and holding a gourd.

Piercy does little to ease any doubts about his sanity when he begins the class by smashing the gourd on the floor, sending seeds spilling out. He grabs the seeds in handfuls and tosses them into the air; the seeds stick to patches of masking tape that are fixed to the ceiling. Drops of sweat bead on his forehead, almost suggesting his actions could be the result of a high fever.

Yup, Mr. Piercy has indeed lost it.

That might be the logical conclusion if it were anyone else holding a broken gourd, laughing, dripping wet by now and throwing seeds at the ceiling. But for the Spanish and history students who are fortunate enough to experience Piercy's teaching skills, somehow everything he does makes sense. After a semester in his course, students knew they weren't witnessing a meltdown, but a passionate teacher working hard—so hard he is sweating on this chilly Waimea afternoon-to make sure they never forget Hawaiian lore on the origins of humanity. When he drops that gourd, they discover how the earth broke into its first light, spilling out stars that the God Kane then tosses to their permanent place in the sky, each representing a direct lineage to the Hawaiian people

The innate ability to connect with students is just one of the many gifts the HPA community came upon when Piercy and his wife, Adriana, joined the residential faculty at the Village Campus this year. The Piercys, who came to HPA from Georgia, are consistent in the way of life they embrace; from the organic food they eat to the standards of accountability they set for the boarding students they mentor. They do things and say things simply because they are the right choices. With the Piercys, you get the sense that doing what is right-not just for their own benefit, but also for the benefit of others-is something that comes naturally to them.

This inclination toward goodness, coupled with the disarming humor they share, helps extends their influence beyond the classroom and into the daily lives of students and faculty alike, according to Susie Jones, Middle School director of residential life.

"When I first met (the Piercys), there was an immediate likeability about them. They are very real, down-to-earth and naturally healthy people," Jones said. "I feel they are great role models for kids and adults because of that realness and healthiness tothe way they live. I appreciate the professionalism they bring to boarding. It's a nice balance of caring and firmness, which is what we want in our teachers."

In the classroom, Piercy teaches students about different creation stories as a way to give more insight to ancient cultures and their people today. The way the earth and humans came to exist gives life a purpose. Perhaps Piercy's own purpose can be found in his story of evolution from a Midwest boy eager to drop out of school to an international adventurer to HPA faculty member.

Growing up in Kansas City on the Kansas side, Piercy was determined to walk away from the doldrums of school as soon as he turned 16. His parents agreed, only if he moved out, because "as long as he was under their roof, he was going to school," he recalls.

Piercy managed to stick out high school and moved on to college. But by his second year, he was ready once again to abandon education. Instead, he took a shot at a semester abroad in Australia-a move that would ultimately shape the rest of his life.

"During that time, I had a literary genre teacher who really lit me up and made me excited about reading and writing," Piercy said. "' became more reflective about the world. , went from a kid who wanted to drop out at 16 to a college graduate. And I'm still in school. That's the funny part."

Motivated by his newly·discovered lust for learning, Piercy went back to school to earn his master's degree in education at the University of Colorado. As part of his program, Piercy needed three semesters proficiency in foreign language. Again, motivated by his semester abroad as an undergraduate, he set off for Ecuador, where he thrived, and eventually returned to teach for three years after graduation.

Aside from picking up fluency in Spanish and gaining experience as a teacher, Piercy also met his next great influence in life-his wife, Adriana.

When asked to talk about Adriana, Piercy beams. Meeting her, it's not hard to understand why. She is a classic Latina, a wide-eyed beauty with a penchant for cooking, hospitality, and wisdom beyond her 34 years. But really, it's her quick wit that makes the biggest impression.

When asked about what Piercy enjoys about training for his first triathlon (he is preparing to enter the Lavaman Triathlon this spring), Adriana jumps in, "He likes the Speedos."

Luckily for HPA, it's not Adriana's nature to take a backseat. Immediately upon arriving on campus, she settled into her "dorm mother" role, hosting boarders for pancake breakfasts and giving massages to weary faculty. She's also become a fixture in many classrooms as a substitute teacher and is teaching her own course in Spanish for the Village Campus' new after-school program.

"We're the perfect team," Piercy boasts. "She's substituted everything from eighth grade Japanese to rugby. She helps truly make this a home, so the kids always feel welcome."

"Even at 2 in the morning when they decide to turn on their alarms and wake us all up," Adriana jokes.

"She's the definition of a utility player," Piercy continues. "There's nothing she can't do. And she'll do it all."

While its obvious HPA has found a perfect fit in the Piercys, the life provided at HPA and on the Big Island is just as much of a match for this outgoing and adventurous couple. From the welcome extended by the school when they arrived, to the outdoor playground they love to explore in their free time, the lifestyle the Piercys have adopted here plays right into their personal and teaching mission of keeping their world big.

''I'm always talking to the kids about how the world is greater than what is in front of them, to have an appreciation for what's in front of them-which is a big characteristic in world cultures," Piercy said. "I can't imagine a better learning opportunity than what is provided here.

Betsy Tranquilli teaches Lower School physical education at HPA. She is a freelance writer and previously worked as a reporter for West Hawaii Today.

Published: MKK Spring 2008