UH Hilo’s Jun Reyes awarded Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award

UH Hilo senior Jun Reyes

A senior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo was recently awarded the $1,000 Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award for spring 2025.

Jun Reyes, an English major, graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Creative Writing Certificate this semester.

“They maintain an impressive 4.00 GPA and have demonstrated excellence in writing throughout their undergraduate studies,” noted Kirsten Mollegaard, professor of English. “Jun is an outstanding student who excels academically.

“They have participated in the Kaua`i Writers Conference in 2023, presented an original research paper at the 2024 HERA Humanities Education & Research Association's conference at San Francisco State University, and they will also be presenting a paper at the New Directions in the Humanities conference in Hilo in June 2025,” she added.

Reyes was also awarded the Droste Award for excellence in poetry writing in Spring 2024 and received the Droste Bookstore voucher in Spring 2022.

“They have contributed steadfast service to the English program by participating in, and, lately, chairing the English Club and assisting with organizing Meet Your Major,” Mollegaard said. “Jun is also actively involved in screenwriting for a locally produced film on the life and legacy of plantation-era union organizer Katsu Goto.”

The Matthew Somchai Therrien Memorial Award was established in spring 2015 to honor Therrien, an aspiring English major at UH Hilo who died in a car accident. More information on the award is available at: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/chancellor/stories/2015/04/06/matthew-therrien/.