Three students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and one student from Hawaiʻi Community College have been awarded scholarships from the American Association of University Women (AAUW)–Hilo Branch. The UH Hilo students were awarded $2,000 each and the Hawaiʻi CC student was awarded $1,000.
AAUW is the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. For more than 65 years, the Hilo branch has been assisting women and girls in the local community to achieve self-realization through education. UH Hilo and Hawaiʻi CC are partners with the group to “strengthen the leadership skills of its students and staff and to build community relations.” The group awards scholarships each year to local college students.
Scholarship recipients
Maybeleen Apwong, from Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, is a UH Hilo graduate student in the tropical conservation biology and environmental science (TCBES) program researching the mangrove forests on her home island. Her dedication to the conservation of native tropical ecosystems has inspired her supervisor to predict that Apwong will become “one of the leading scientists in her field to expand the scientific frontiers examining the interactions between humans and natural systems.”
Shihui Chen is a Hawaiʻi CC sophomore who will attend a four-year university, studying art management, after completing her associate’s degree in liberal arts. Her passion for the arts rests in her belief that art is the path to bringing diverse peoples together through understanding and appreciation, promoting cultural exchanges and the sharing of their cultures.
Allison Dupre, a UH Hilo senior in business administration/healthcare management, has a goal of becoming an administrative executive in the field of women’s health. She has a deep passion for empowering women, especially in accessing adequate medical needs. Dupre is active in the Women’s Center, the LGBTQ+ Center at UH Hilo as lead program coordinator, the UH Commission on the Status of Women, and serves in the Title IX program as a peer educator.
Dawn McSwain, also a UH Hilo graduate student in the TCBES program, is studying the effect of climate change on communities around the world that depend on coral reefs. McSwain teaches classes for the marine science department, including field work carried out on a 39-foot research vessel. She said UH Hilo is the perfect place to learn about coral reefs and is excited for the opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to her.
