ARLINGTON, VA — On August 18, 2020, APIA Scholars hosted a Virtual Welcome Ceremony for 18 Native Hawaiian students who are recipients of a new scholarship made possible by the Nakupuna Foundation. The welcome ceremony included remarks from Na Aliʻi Executive Vice President and Nakupuna Foundation Board Member Jason Greenawalt, as well as cultural presentations from the E Ala E Hawaiian Cultural Center, another Nakupuna Foundation grantee.
Each student recognized during the ceremony is the recipient of a 2-year scholarship that provides $2,500 per academic year for Native Hawaiian students studying science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) subjects. The students come from places throughout Hawaii and the Continental U.S. studying fields ranging from Zoology and Computer Science to Naval Architecture and Aerospace Engineering. Of the recipients, 40 percent are the first in their family to attend college.
“It was such an honor to speak at this event and personally recognize our 18 scholarship recipients,” said Greenawalt. “We are extremely proud of each of them and can’t wait to see the great things they accomplish as they continue their studies.”
The Nakupuna Foundation would like to congratulate all the scholars and thanks APIA Scholars for their continued work in providing exceptional scholarship opportunities that directly benefit the Native Hawaiian community.