Hawaii State FCU Awards $30,000 to 2016 Lowell Kalapa Scholarship Recipients
HONOLULU — Hawaii State Federal Credit Union (Hawaii State FCU) today announced the winners of the 2016 Lowell Kalapa Scholarship Program, awarding a combined $30,000 to 15 students from around the state.
Each student will receive a $2,000 scholarship toward tuition at a university, college or trade/vocational school. The winners were selected from 239 applicants based on their financial need, academic merit, personal essay, letters of recommendation and extracurricular activities.
Five of the 15 scholarship recipients will continue their education in Hawaii, while the remaining will attend schools across the U.S., including Brown University, Boston University and the University of Oregon among others. This year’s winners are pursing undergraduate and graduate degrees in diverse fields of study, such as nursing, engineering, dental medicine, radiologic technology, clinical psychology, business, and theater & dance.
The following students have been selected to receive scholarships:
- Gerald Corpuz – University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Vanessa Galiza – University of Hawaii at Maui
- Randi Gongob – University of Hawaii at Manoa
- Aja Grande – Brown University
- Kanoe Kaha’awi – Kapiolani Community College
- Kayla Kashima – Pacific Lutheran University
- Chaune Kuromoto – University of La Verne
- Ra’iatea Lohe – Boston University
- Darrah Panida – Chaminade University of Honolulu
- Shannon Reese – California Lutheran University
- Shayd Shinsato – Oregon Health & Science University
- Kayla Sousa – Western Washington University
- Miki Takara – Willamette University
- Todd Takeno – Northern Arizona University
- Jordan Vargas – University of Oregon
“The winners of the 2016 Lowell Kalapa Scholarship represent a diverse group of ambitious students who share a common goal to pursue higher education. Applicants go through a rigorous judging process by a volunteer committee of educators who have an appreciation for those who choose to further their studies,” said Andrew Rosen, president and CEO of Hawaii State FCU. “This year marks the 20th anniversary of our scholarship fund, and Hawaii State FCU remains committed to supporting the educational goals and investing in the future of our leaders of tomorrow.”
Hawaii State FCU’s Scholarship Program has awarded more than $540,000 to help students in the community reach their higher education goals since 1996.