Another wave of Hawaiʻi’s best and brightest are bound for the University of Hawaiʻi in 2014.
Twenty local high school graduates who excelled in the classroom and on the college entrance exams were awarded UH Board of Regents Scholarships. Ten incoming UH juniors were named Presidential Scholars for their academic achievement.
“These are students of both great achievement and great potential and great promise,” said UH Board of Regents Chair Randy Moore.
All of the scholars receive full tuition waivers, $4,000 a year and a $2,000, one-time, travel grant.
- See photos from the Regents and Presidential scholarship awards event
“My family and I were really happy when we found out I received the award. It is just a really big honor,” said Regent Scholar Jackie Kojima, who just graduated from Punahou. “And it’s really just an exciting time and I am just so excited to attend the university.”
“Education nowadays is pretty expensive and if I hopefully go on to medical school, I know it is just going to get more expensive so it is a great financial relief and a great honor,” added Bryson Nakatani, a Presidential Scholar and incoming junior at UH Mānoa.
“We are committed to their success, as we are for all our students, but they really get great attention and we are very happy to have Hawaiʻi’s best and brightest attending our University of Hawaiʻi campuses,” said UH President David Lassner.
- VIDEO: The 2013 scholars
- VIDEO: The 2012 scholars
Like the scholarship winners that have come each year before them, these students are on a mission to make the most out of this opportunity.
“I one day hope to become a doctor so I am majoring in biology to go to medical school,” said Regent Scholar and Honokaʻa High graduate Malia Andrade Stout. “And I am just really looking forward to learning as much as I possibly can.”
“I am going to continue on through elementary education with my bachelor’s, and I am planning after that to go to my masters and then, hopefully on to my doctorate, in education,” said Kaylie Chong a Presidential Scholar and incoming UH Mānoa junior.
“Pediatrician or a kindergarten teacher, so it could go either way, but now I am leaning towards medicine,” said UH Regent Scholar and Punahou graduate Lynn Nguyen.
The Regent Scholars are looking forward to starting college life.
“Just the whole experience of being on my own without my parents for a little while, kind of get a feel for the real world,” said Regent Scholar Luke Kimura, who just graduated from Baldwin High on Maui.
