Read an excerpt about Natasha Kai
January 22, 2008
Natasha Kai, who grew up in Hawaii, admits that school and studying were never strong suits for her. “I was the class clown,” she admits. “My parents stressed school, and I did try. I tried to be serious, because I know it’s important. But I was always interested more in soccer. Let’s say that in school I just got by.
She says that one huge challenge to her sixth grade education was that her mother was her spelling teacher. “I had a hard time not calling her Mom instead of Mrs. Kai,” she says. ” And when I did forget, all the other kids would call her Mom, too, just to be funny.”
That year, she had done very well in most of her subjects. “In fact,” she says,” I almost had straight A’s. I even had an A in math, which I hated. But my mom had given me a C in spelling. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. She told me, ‘You’re my daughter, but you’re one of my students. In class you’re a student. You’re not good in spelling, so I gave you a C.’”
