WHEREAS, although the natural beauty of Hawaii is recognized throughout the world, the State's real beauty is found in its people and the work that they do; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Mildred Sikkema has made invaluable lifetime achievements and contributions to the field of social work; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Skikkema has gone from a child who was born in 1908 without a formal name, and with the words "baby girl" written on her birth certificate, to a prominent social worker and tireless educator who has succeeded in making a name for herself in her profession and her community; and

WHEREAS, despite her grandmother's suggestion that she stay home and care for her younger brother, Dr. Sikkema completed high school, obtained her Bachelor of Science in 1937 from the University of Chicago, her Master of Social Service in 1939 from Smith College of Social Work, and her Ph.D. in 1964 from the University of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sikkema is Professor Emeritus of the University of Hawaii, having taught at the University of Hawaii at Manoa until her retirement at the age of sixty; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sikkema has published numerous articles and co-authored a variety of books, including "Cross-Cultural Learning and Self Growth", "Design for Cross-Cultural Learning", and "Challenging the Status Quo"; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sikkema was a founding member of the Civic Forum on Public Schools, initiated nationally by Phi Delta Kappa, and continues to serve on the Hawaii Board of Directors as volunteer Secretary-Treasurer and Administrative Assistant; and

WHEREAS, the continued devotion for the betterment of peoples' lives has caused Dr. Sikkema to tirelessly and relentlessly work to improve education in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sikkema was honored as the 2004 "Citizen Extraordinaire" at the John Burns luncheon sponsored by the Democratic Party of Hawaii for her lifelong commitment and activity to promote wellness throughout Hawaii's communities; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sikkema was acknowledged as a social work pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers for her work in cross cultural learning and has recently been recognized as the 2005 Social Worker of the Year for Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, generations to come will benefit from Dr. Sikkema's countless contributions in the fields of social work and education; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that this body is proud to recognize and honor Dr. Mildred Sikkema, to commend her invaluable service to the State of Hawaii, and to congratulate her on being recognized as the 2005 Social Worker of the Year.

Report Title:

Recognizing Dr. Mildred Sikkema as Social Worker of the Year.