To this year’s Wayne “Big Dog” Joseph Scholarship recipients, running is not just an athletic activity — it is a source of inspiration.
Four students were awarded $1,500 scholarships — Gianna Chinen, Torrance Sata-Ellis, Landon Yanagisawa and Cameron Cornforth — and Catherine Nishida received a $500 “Most Inspirational” award.
The scholarship was created in 2006 by the late coach and teacher Wayne Joseph, and has continued since his passing in 2013. Since its inception, the scholarship has awarded more than $70,000 to Big Island student athletes.
The scholarship is given each year to a small group of high school senior track and/or cross country athletes who “exemplify excellence in running, academics, volunteerism, and overall citizenship.”
Gianna Chinen
Kamehameha Schools – Hawaii track and cross country runner Gianna Chinen spent her high school career pursuing excellence in all aspects of her life.
“I can confidently say I took extreme pride in maintaining a good academic standing,” she said in her scholarship application letter. “Maintaining an above 4.0 GPA, taking multiple advanced placement and honors classes, along with being fully committed to three sports hasn’t been easy. However, running cross country and track during my years in high school was a vital catalyst that allowed me to thrive in academic settings.”
Chinen attended the HHSAA state championships for cross country and track, and was part of KSH’s paddling team.
Her extracurricular activities included the National Honors Society, Mock Trial Club, Lifesavers Club and Sweet Tooth Club.
“Gianna’s hard work and determination has paid off so much that she was a captain for this past year’s cross country season,” said KSH cross country coach Ryan Cabalse in a letter of recommendation. “Her leadership was exceptional, for as hard as she worked for herself, she also supported her teammates with intense ‘sisterly’ love and ‘veteran’ guidance.
“Gianna was an exceptional role model in that she led by example and I benefited as a coach because the underclassmen would follow her lead.”
Chinen plans on attending Tufts University — located northwest of Boston, Massachusetts — to study film and media.
“I hope to one day come back to Hawaii to use the knowledge I’ve gained in my post-secondary education to make a difference for Hawaii one way or another,” she said. “Being that voice for my community and communicating in a compelling and trustworthy manner in order to widespread certain pressing issues will be of benefit to Hawaii.
“Having the opportunity to produce and create multimedia content uniquely from a Hawaiian lens is something I strive to do. To inspire and tell stories of my people in order to create change for generations to come is what I want to use my education for in order to give back to my community.”
Cameron Cornforth
Kealakehe High School valedictorian Cameron Cornforth not only excelled in the classroom, but also in sports.
Cornforth placed third as an individual in the 2022 BIIF Cross Country Championship, helping lead his team to win first place. He continued on to the state championship, where he placed No. 15 to assist in a No. 3 team finish for the Waveriders. During the BIIF track finals this spring, he won silver in the 1,500 meter and 800 meter runs and bronze in the 200 meter dash.
“I have known many young people,” Kealakehe track and cross country head coach Patrick Bradley said. “Cameron is the type of individual that a leader hopes to find – committed, dedicated, honest, driven and has strong goals to be successful.”
He will continue his athletic career this fall as part of Cal State Monterey Bay’s men’s cross country team — and will study marine science in order to pursue turning his love of the ocean into a career.
“My most meaningful academic achievements encircle my status as valedictorian, my good grades, and my good test scores,” Cornforth said. “None of these achievements would have been possible without the discipline of running.
“Having time in the day to put all my academics aside and solely focus on bettering my body and mind through exercise and fun competition made getting back into studying a seamless transition. Running with the team every day gives you a moment to declutter the stresses of school from your mind and work towards getting a workout done.”
He also took part in Kealakehe’s swim team, as well as Aloha Teen Theatre club and Interact Club.
Torrance Sata-Ellis
Sata-Ellis garnered statewide attention and accolades in every sport he participated in throughout his high school career.
Earlier this month, he won the gold medal for the triple-jump at the HHSAA state championship — measuring a distance of 44 feet, three inches. In football, he was a two-way starter and keystone of Konawaena High School’s DI State Champion team — being named ScoringLive’s Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
An honor student for four consecutive years, Sata-Ellis concluded his senior year with a 4.05 cumulative GPA.
“The rigors of AP and college courses, work and athletics have been vigorous,” he said. “But my passion for running has provided many health benefits and, most importantly, a foundation to assist in overcoming challenges.”
Adjacent to the classroom, he took part in Konawaena’s class council, Leo Club and Polynesian Club.
Sata-Ellis went above and beyond for his community, kickstarting the “Keep KHS Kool” initiative — which facilitated the collection of new and gently used fans to assist schools that lacked sufficient air conditioning. During the pandemic, he helped lead the KHS PPE Drive, which collected PPE products for teachers to use in classrooms.
This fall, he will move to Oregon to play football for Pacific University.
“Maintaining excellence at a pinnacle and retaining great academic benchmarks has been an investment,” Sata-Ellis said. “I am humbled to note the motivation stems from my community of teachers, coaches, teammates, and family that have contributed to my success and influenced and impacted me to prevail.
“The role of sports has given me purpose, growth, discipline, and confidence to better serve my community and be a better individual. No matter where I end up along my career path I plan to always remain connected to Hawaii Island, the place I call home.”
Landon Yanagisawa
Waiakea High School’s Landon Yanagisawa is a straight-A student with sky-high aspirations, literally.
The track and cross country runner is an intern for the Federal Aviation Administration at the Hilo Airport Tower, and plans on attending flight school to become a pilot for a commercial airline.
Since middle school, he has dedicated numerous hours to helping those in need as a volunteer for the Jr. Young Buddhist Association’s monthly “Feed the Hungry” event.
Yanagisawa has taken part in WHS’ school band, Japan Club and student council — and was selected to be an oboist in the Hawaii Youth Symphony on Oahu last year.
“I originally joined the cross country team because my older sister was on the team,” he said. “Over the next several years, I began to run because I enjoyed the camaraderie and being part of the team. It also helped to have dedicated coaches who believed in me and pushed me at every practice.
“Eventually, running became the reason rather than just wanting to be part of a team. It is more than just a fun sport, but a lifestyle. This sport has taught me life-long lessons in not only taking care of my body and being healthy, but in time management, dedication, perseverance, and commitment all of which are important.”
“Most Inspirational” Catherine Nishida
Keaau High School’s Catherine Nishida certainly lives up to the title of “most inspirational.” She is regarded by her teammates and coach alike as an inspiration to those around her.
“A quiet leader, Catherine played a vital role in leading our team the last two seasons” Keaau head cross country coach Gregory Lum Ho said. “I’ve seen her mature and gain confidence in herself as the season wore on.
“Our teams were much smaller, but she always was the first one to practice and the last to leave, making sure her teammates were ready for the next practice or upcoming race. She always took the time to answer her fellow student/athletes questions about nutrition or hydration, and even helped with their schoolwork if needed. Needless to say, Catherine was like an additional coach for the team.”
For all of her high school career, Nishida was an integral part of the Cougars’ cross country and track teams.
“Running has helped me understand what it is like to push myself out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I made friends on and off my teams, improved my communication skills and became a better person through understanding others.”
In the fall, Nishida will attend Corban University in Salem, Oregon — where she plans to study nursing in order to become a pediatrician.
