The Zonta Club of Kauai presented four recipients a total of $16,000 in Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation scholarships during the club’s annual Scholarship Awards Dinner that was held on Thursday at the Puakea Grill.
“This year, we are fortunate to launch the first perpetual endowment from the Betty J. Bell/Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation fund, and extend our deepest appreciation to the late Betty J. Bell for her many years of service as a Zonta Club of Kauai member,” said Cyndi Ayonon of the Zonta Scholarship Committee. “We are also thankful to Zonta Club of Kauai member Marge Akana for her generous contribution towards our scholarship program.”
Ayonon said because the costs of education keeps rising, the recipients received $4,000 scholarships each from the Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation.
“The Zonta Club of Kauai Scholarship Foundation would also like to say a big mahalo to the County of Kauai, and the Healy Foundation for their generous grants to support these outstanding young women,” said retired Gen. Mary Kay Hertog who serves on the Scholarship Committee.
Other donors contributing to the 2025 scholarships include the Kauai Brewers Festival that set aside a portion of the event for the Zonta scholarship program, and artist Patrice Pendarvis who contributed a portion of her month-long exhibit at the Dark Horse Coffee in Koloa.
Recipients sharing in the 2025 scholarships presented by the Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation include Veronica Nagahisa of Kapaa High School; Sage Chaney of the Hawaii Technical Academy, Kauai;, Zaylee Doi Desmarais of Kauai High School; and Trinity Guillen of Kapaa High School.
Nagahisa, who recently grabbed Department of Education headlines as the first student on Kauai to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree before receiving her high school diploma on May 23, will be attending Chaminade University in the fall to secure her Masters of Arts degree in teaching.
MaBel Fujiuchi, the Scholastic Committee chairperson, said Nagahisa carries a 3.96 Grade Point Average and has volunteered with the American Cancer Society and the Toys for Tots programs.
“She has been accepted into the Masters of Arts in Teaching program,” Fujiuchi said. “The Zonta Scholarship Program will help her pursue her dreams of obtaining the masters in teaching and will uplift and empower her to realize more dreams.”
Desmaris, who will be attending Tulane University with a major in political science and economics, was described by Fujiuchi as the No. 1 student in a class of 270 at Kauai High School.
“One of the references states that she has ‘the extraordinary ability to elevate the performance of the entire group she is a part of,’” Fujiuchi said. “She is a high achiever, hustler and mover.”
Guillen, who has been a quiet but effective athlete in basketball, girls volleyball and canoe paddling at Kapaa High School, will be heading to Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where she will major in pharmacy science.
“A reference emphatically states that Trinity Guillen is exactly the kind of person this scholarship is designed to support — a hardworking, kind-hearted leader who will not only excel academically, but also inspire others,” Fujiuchi said.
Chaney, who will heading to Western University where she is majoring in medical science, will graduate from the Hawaii Technical Academy, Kauai with a GPA of 4.1. Teaching younger students about 3D laser printing, Chaney, with the help of Maker Space, created hundreds of face shields during the COVID-19 pandemic. She intends to return to Kauai to help with the shortage in healthcare professionals.
Source: The Garden Island
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