The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka recently awarded $15,000 in scholarships.
The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka recently awarded $15,000 in scholarships.
The Shizuko “Mary” Teshima Scholarship was awarded to Alec Lugo who plans to study performing arts at Pacific University; Kaylee Duke who will pursue culinary arts at Kapiolani Community College; and Camille Ricketts who will study nursing at the University of British Columbia. Each student will receive $2,000. Teshima’s Restaurant has been the home of The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka for more than 40 years. In honor of Mrs. Teshima’s 100th birthday, the club set up a perpetual scholarship in her name.
Megan Vierra was awarded the Valerie Izuno Scholarship, valued at $2,000. Vierra will study music at the University of Hawaii at Manoa or Hilo. Izuno was a vocational counselor at Konawaena High School. She was an inspiration to her students and worked tirelessly to help them obtain scholarships to further their education.
Ciara Cetraro received the $2,000 Wayne Hedemann Scholarship. Cetraro plans to study engineering at the University of Hawaii at Manoa or Arizona State University. After Hedemann graduated from Konawaena High School, he enlisted in the military and became a helicopter pilot. He was killed during the Vietnam War. Begun by his Rotarian father, this scholarship has been helping students for more than 40 years.
The Rotary Club of Kona Mauka Ellen O’Kelley Vocational Scholarship was awarded to Raine Kolman who plans to study nursing at Northern Arizona University. This $1,000 scholarship honors a member of the Kona community for the individual’s outstanding work in helping people. The honoree then joins in the selection process to pick a deserving student for the scholarship.
The Cou Family Scholarship was given to Kellen Kadooka who will pursue child psychology at the University of Oregon. The $2,000 scholarship is supported by Marta Cou to honor her parents and grandparents. Cou’s grandfathers were both Rotarians in Cuba.
Leilani Matsumoto received the Orelup Family Scholarship, valued at $2,000. Matsumoto will study elementary education at Northern Arizona University. Holualoa resident Pete Orelup has supported this scholarship since 2005.
Contact Richard Harrison at 328-2513 to contribute to or learn how to create a scholarship fund.