The following Big Island high school seniors were selected as recipients of the 22nd Annual KTA/Roy Fujimoto Scholarship.
BROOKE KAHENAWAI SAMURA
When it comes to dominance across several sports, Hawaii Preparatory Academy senior Brooke Samura is no stranger to the spotlight.
A star in girls basketball, volleyball and softball, Samura was selected to the BIIF First Team in each respective sport during high school. She was named BIIF Division II Player of the Year in basketball (2021-22, 2023-24) and volleyball (2023-24). Samura additionally logged the most home runs in the league during the 2021-22 season, earning a DII First Team nod.
In her personal statement of her application, Samura noted that coming from a competitive upbringing helped mold her into the athlete she is today.
“I grew up in a competitive family whose lives revolved around sports — I’ve spent many weekends at a gym or field. Because of this, I am who I am.
“Through sports, I’ve learned valuable life lessons such as determination, hard work, grit and more,” she continued. I’ve learned to become purposeful and do each task with my greatest ability, to be competitive and to succeed when the stakes are high. But most of all, I’ve learned to be humble and acknowledge where I started and who helped me into the successful athlete I am today.”
Despite being versatile in her athletics, Samura’s heart lies with basketball, as she just completed her senior season with Ka Makani — leading the entire state in scoring at 34.6 points per game and leading her team to a state tournament appearance. Samura had seven 40-point games during the 2023-24 season, including six in January.
Although Samura had such a dominant end to her high school basketball career, she explained that the 2022 BIIF Division II Finals against Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i was her most significant athletic moment over the last four years.
With the score tied, the then-sophomore was fouled by the opposition with seconds remaining in regulation — and Samura had the opportunity to ice the win. She responded by sinking both free throws to earn the narrow victory.
“The pressure of that single moment has allowed for me to be able to perform well under high stakes, and saved me from what could have been a tough loss,” Samura recalled.
Samura will play college basketball at Pacific Lutheran University in the fall, but she won’t just be bringing her athletic talents. Throughout her youth, Samura has been a pillar to her community inside and outside of sports — including volunteering as a coach at County of Hawaii Parks and Recreation, Waimea’s Fall Festival, Hilo Bay’s beach cleanups and at elder homes. At HPA, Samura was additionally a student ambassador for three years.
Ka Makani Hawaiian language educator Roy McGrath wrote that Samura’s dedication to serving others in the community will take her far.
“(Brooke’s) family is deeply rooted in the service of the community that she grew up in, and she carries that connection and sense of responsibility in the choices that she makes in her life, and in the effort she devotes to them,” he said.
In the classroom, Samura applies the same mindset from her athletics and service to her studies. Being named multiple times to the dean’s list, HPA’s English chair Julie Camarillo noted that Samura has “exceptional qualities” that she noticed as her educator.
“Brooke is not only committed to her academic success, but also her personal growth,” Camarillo wrote in a letter of recommendation. “She consistently goes above and beyond to achieve excellence in her studies and actively seeks out opportunities to expand her knowledge. Brooke is diligent and demonstrates a strong work ethic in all of her endeavors.”
CAMILLE FUERTES
When it comes to leading by example, perhaps nobody displays those qualities better than Kohala senior Camille Fuertes.
The three-sport student-athlete has turned heads in the North Kohala community since she first suited up for the Cowgirls. Fuertes has been named to the BIIF Division II First Team in softball, a two-time BIIF DII Second Team honoree in girls basketball and an honorable mention in volleyball.
Fuertes has additionally won a “Most Inspirational” award and “Most Outstanding Player” award from her hoops teammates while being team captain. Her leadership presence on the team helped Kohala return to the state tournament after winning just one game in the 2021-22 season.
“She possesses a calm and quiet demeanor, and due to this, she truly leads by example on and off the court,” Cowgirls basketball coach Mana Pasco wrote in a letter of recommendation. “She is the one who constantly puts the team first and is genuinely happy to have team success over individual success.”
Fuertes’ most memorable athletic moment while at Kohala was in this year’s BIIF DII third-place game during basketball season. The Cowgirls beat Honoka‘a 38-29, with Fuertes explaining that the matchup was a big turning point in the team’s season.
“That game was a learning experience and a time that I needed to dig deep within myself,” she said in a personal statement. “I realized that the only way we could win that game was if we all worked together and trusted one another.
“I feel like I did my job to encourage and motivate my teammates to give it their 110%.”
Fuertes has applied her leadership to other areas of her life, too. She has served on school committees for prom, graduation, STUCO, the student credit union and the “tomorrow’s leader” program. Her service to her school community and teams have positively translated to the classroom — finishing secondary studies with a career 3.8 grade-point average. Fuertes also earned credits from Hawaii Community College-Palamanui before graduating from high school.
“She manages to stay on top of her academics all while participating in other numerous varsity athletics and school committees,” Pasco continued.
Fuertes will attend San Diego State University in the fall to study marine science and biology. She gives gratitude to her mother, Maryann, who raised and supported Fuertes and her two siblings through school and extracurriculars after the loss of their father at a young age.
“I have learned so much through sports and being able to make connections with others — it helped me grow as a person,” she explained. “While participating in sports, I have learned to be more responsible and manage my time. (Sports) taught me to have a stronger mindset and push through anything I am going through.”
KADEN AGUILAR
The quantity of Kaden Aguilar’s accomplishments is matched only by their magnitude.
On top of being a straight-A student and three-sport athlete, Aguilar also dedicated his time to a variety of clubs and extracurriculars, as well as an internship at the Lili‘uokalani Trust and a part-time job refereeing youth soccer.
“Aguilar is a student athlete that targets goals and works hard to accomplish them,” Waiakea soccer coach and Lili‘uokalani Trust youth development specialist David Urakami wrote in a letter of recommendation. “He possesses the ambition to be effective on and off the field. With Kaden’s superior knowledge and involvement in athletics and extracurricular activities, he developed a strong sense of confidence and a charming attitude. Therefore, his coaches can always depend on him to set the best example as a mentor.”
Soccer is Aguilar’s passion and forte. He was a captain on Waiakea High’s 2023-24 BIIF Division I champion boys soccer team, which overcame the odds and significant adversity to win its first title in nearly four years.
For Aguilar, this year’s title victory was the most important event in his athletic career. The Warriors entered the tournament in the No. 3 seed and defeated Hilo High — the No. 2 seed, with whom they’d had a neck-and-neck rivalry all season — in the semifinals before outlasting undefeated top seed Kealakehe High in overtime to snatch the title on the Waiakea HS field.
“Extreme tragedy struck a member of our team the week of the championship game,” Aguilar wrote in his scholarship application. “It gave our team and seniors additional motivation and purpose. We learned that sports are not the most important thing, but it provides a very strong opportunity to uplift and bond with others.
“Fortunately, (the) BIIF championship was being held on our home turf. We not only wanted to win because it was the championship, but we wanted to win for our seniors, our school and the purpose we had found.”
This fall, he will begin his college career at George Fox University in Newburg, Ore.
CHLOE TAKAHASHI
Chloe Takashi excels wherever she goes — whether it be the in classroom, on the tennis court or around the community.
With a whopping 4.12 cummulative GPA and straight A’s through her entire high school career, she ranks at the top of her class.
Her athletic accomplishments are equally impressive, as she won BIIF titles two years in a row in the girls doubles category to help lead the Warriors to back-to-back BIIF team championships. She also has volunteered as a youth tennis coach.
“Chloe has been instrumental in guiding our team to multiple team and individual championship titles,” Waiakea head tennis coach Bill Brilhante wrote in a letter of recommendation. “Her willingness to play any position and her continuous support for her teammate’s success is refreshing in this day and age of individual accomplishments and accolades.
“She truly cares about her team and, most importantly, her teammate’s success.”
Takahashi stays busy with extracurricular activities, including Japanese club, four years of participation in WHS’ Key Club and holding the vice president position in WHS’ National Honor Society. Her passion for community engagement and promoting health and activity has led her to get involved in events such as Walk with a Doc and the Special Olympics, as well as making blankets for care homes.
She is looking to turn her passion into a career, and will study biology this fall at either Whitman College or Pacific University.
“I will continue to apply the skills I have learned through tennis and my many extracurricular clubs,” Takahashi said, “as I know they are vital in achieving my goal of helping others improve their quality of life. In pursuing higher education, I know the people I have met, my experiences and the obstacles I overcame have fully prepared me to reach my highest potential.
“Whether my future interests lead me to become an orthopedic surgeon or any of the many careers in the health field, I know that the lessons I have learned and the skills I have acquired will allow me to enjoy what I do and help as many people as possible.”