Here at Kalani, Mr. Silver runs the engineering classes, the STEM Capstone class, and all of the after-school robotic programs: FIRST Robotics, FIRST Tech Challenge, VEX, and Drones. Leilani Phan (12), a student of Mr. Silver, describes him as a hard-working teacher and presses how much he “deserves” the win.
“I’m really happy that he got it ’cause, honestly, he deserves it. I mean, he literally gets to school at 6:00 a.m. every school day, and then he normally leaves around 6:00 to 7:00 pm,” Phan says. “So seeing him spend a lot of time dedicated towards his work, it’s really nice to see him get rewarded for it.”
Phan also emphasizes how proficient of a mentor and teacher Mr. Silver is, he goes above and beyond to support his students and help them achieve their goals.
“He encourages students to get really involved and he provides a lot of mentorship. He helps the kids with their projects,” Phan says.
Katie Ta (10), another student of Mr. Silver, also highlights his caring teaching style and selflessness in the classroom.
“Mr. Silver is both an educator and mentor to many students,” she says. “He does amazing in these roles due to being well-rounded in various topics and willing to share his knowledge with others.”
Mr. Silver also spread his skills and education outside of the island. Over the 2024 summer, he volunteered with Teachers Across Borders South Africa! He helped run STEM robotics workshops for 600 teachers, which further explains Mr. Silver’s ambition of spreading his knowledge everywhere he goes.
“I think he deserves the awards he won due to his compassion and dedication within the community,” Ta says. “ Not only is Mr.Silver an involved member of our school, but he also plays a major role in making STEM accessible in Hawaii!”
This dedication to education earned him the award, and he won the money for the robotics team. The money will be used for new tools and machinery, allowing for more learning and new opportunities for students.
“I think if we have more machinery, it allows students to get a lot more like experience using industry level materials because a lot of the kids that graduate out of Kalani engineering or Kalani’s robotics walk with a lot of knowledge,” Phan says. “It just helps students have better resumes going into their careers.”
Acts of service like these have garnered Mr. Silver the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Achievement award for over 4,500 hours of community service. Kalani’s Principal, Mr. Otani, describes Mr. Silver’s industrious and enthusiastic nature as an inspiration for his students.
“Bryan challenges his students to give more than 100%, become critical thinkers, and explore ambitious paths,” Principal Otani says. “The success of his students post-graduation is a testament to his passionate work developing the next generation of STEM leaders. Bryan represents Falcon Pride all the way!”
