Ivanelle Hoe, a proud alumna of the University of Hawaiʻi and lifelong physical education teacher at Castle High School, is building on her legacy of giving back. To honor nurses for extending her life since 2007 as she struggled with an aggressive cancer, Hoe established the Ivanelle Hoe Endowed Nursing Scholarship at Kapiʻolani Community College.
Just as nurses cared for her body and mind, the culinary arts too are dear to her heart and integral to her family’s success. In honor of her mother Grace Ching Hoe, her aunt, Arline Ching Hoe, and the members of the Ching and Hoe families she created the Ching-Hoe Endowed Culinary Arts Scholarship to support culinary and budding epicureans at Kapiʻolani CC.
These new gifts build on her history of support. In 1995, to honor her swimming coach Soichi Sakamoto, Hoe established the Sakamoto-Hoe Scholarship Endowment. Her gifts to UH now total more than $100,000.
“When I entered UH, Coach Soichi Sakamoto gave me a scholarship for swimming. I didn’t have a great GPA but I had my tuition paid for 4 years. In return, I decided I should try to help someone else, as education makes one independent and self sufficient. I hope that others who receive scholarships continue the cycle of giving. Every scholarship helps.”
More on Ivanelle Hoe
A pathfinder in the early days of Hawaiʻi girl’s and women’s sports, Hoe set a world record in the 100m butterfly as a senior at Roosevelt High School. She collected seven Hawaiian swimming records and captured the 1957 Amateur Athletic Union indoor 200m breaststroke.
Hoe was the first female to be chosen “Bow of the Week” in 1956 and received her BS degree in 1959 from UH Mānoa. In recognition of her success, she was selected to the University of Hawaiʻi Sports Circle of Honor in 1994. That same year, Hoe was inducted into the Special Olympics of Hawaiʻi Hall of Fame for her lifelong commitment to the children.
