Lahainaluna graduates awarded financial support to further studies

Jason Donez, father of a 2024 Lahainaluna High School graduate, knows that the high cost of living in Hawai‘i presents challenges for many families trying to send their children to college — but it’s especially true for those struggling in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 wildfire.

The start of the senior year for the Lahainaluna Class of 2024 was disrupted by the devastating Lahaina wildfire that claimed the lives of 102 people and gut the heart of the historic town.

In the outpouring of support after the wildfire, Lahaina­luna’s 215 seniors were all offered full scholarships to attend the University of Hawai‘i.

Donez’ daughter, Lola, 18, received a full-ride basketball scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, but on Wednesday 13 other graduates attending out-of-state colleges received grants from the Downtown Athletic Club of Hawai‘i (DACH) to help cover tuition costs for their freshman year.

DACH received $325,000 from the Hawai‘i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund specifically for Lahaina­luna graduates attending out-of-state colleges.

“Having these scholarships and grants helps so many kids; it’s a sigh of relief for the parents as well,” Donez said. “The assistance from DACH definitely benefits all families, whether they have student-athletes or not.”

The funds will be allocated to cover only the recipients’ freshman year and are capped at $25,000 per eligible student.

DACH has been supporting student-athletes, particularly at Lahainaluna High School, for over a decade.

Following the fire, it spearheaded the Luna Strong fundraising campaign to replace sports equipment and supplies lost by Lahaina­luna student-athletes, supported 40 Lahainaluna coaches who lost their homes and covered travel costs for state tournaments for all Lahainaluna teams that qualified.

Keith Amemiya, president of DACH, said the organization initially sought funds for nine student-athletes attending schools on the mainland but later decided to extend assistance to all students planning to study away from Hawaii.

Mikaila Acosta, 18, was one of four nonathlete students awarded a grant after losing her family home and most of her belongings in the fire.

Acosta, who will be attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), received the highest available amount of $25,000 on Wednesday to support her career goal of becoming an obstetric sonographer.

Another recipient, 17-year-old Keith Baniqued, who also lost her home in the fire, will be studying nursing at UNLV.

She received $13,350 from DACH, in addition to $19,500 from other scholarships and grants, and $5,500 in student loan financial aid.

“It’s more than enough to cover my tuition,” Baniqued said. “After the fires, I didn’t think that I could continue school or even go to college.”

After losing her home, Baniqued and her family found temporary shelter at a hotel, moving from room to room and changing hotels a total of seven times. Baniqued’s family currently resides in a rental home in Lahaina but has not yet found permanent housing.

She said the thought of attending college on the mainland faded after the fire as she didn’t want to further burden her parents, who had already lost their livelihoods in Lahaina and were also supporting her older sister’s education as an incoming sophomore at San Diego State University.

Baniqued said that with the extra financial support she has received from the community, she will be able to achieve her goal of becoming a nurse and “promise to give everything back to my parents, who have lost so much.”

While the grant from DACH will greatly aid her education, Baniqued hopes additional funding will become available to support her and her family, similar to the University of Hawai‘i (UH) scholarship that covers the full cost of attendance for Lahaina­luna graduates at UH.

Amemiya said that DACH has been working to collaborate with other organizations and HCF to attract additional funds to support students studying out of state, helping them stay at their current institutions.

“It’s our hope that other individuals and organizations will help us fund these students’ second, third and fourth years of college,” Amemiya said. “It would be a shame if these 13 graduates were unable to complete their college careers at the schools they’re currently enrolled in.”

In September, UH received an anonymous donation to offer scholarships for Lahainaluna graduates, covering the full cost of their tuition.

According to UH President David Lassner, UH had initially committed to covering one year of tuition for Lahainaluna students through institutional funds or fundraising.

However, a donor stepped up to extend the scholarship, providing a full ride for Lahainaluna graduates at any university campus within the UH system.

The donation amount remains undisclosed but will cover two years for community college students and four years for university students, beginning with the academic year 2024-2025.

The average cost for a Hawai‘i resident attending UH Manoa is approximately $11,300 per year, while community colleges, including UH Maui College, cost around $3,100 per year.

“Going off to college is probably the single best investment that a student and their family can make for their future,” Lassner said. “When you remove tuition as a barrier or worry, students are more likely to apply and attend college.”

Of the 215 Lahainaluna High School 2024 graduates, 14 will be attending out-of-state institutions, while 174 were registered in the UH system as of Tuesday, and the number may increase.

Of the 174 students currently enrolled in the UH system, 76 are registered at UH Manoa and 79 at Maui College.

This year, Lassner observed a notable increase in UH enrollments compared with the previous year, attributing the improvement to a new scholarship designed to cover tuition costs.

“Not only is this year better than last year, but it’s also better than any of the past five years,” Lassner said. “The scholarship has not only supported students severely impacted by the fires but has also boosted enrollment numbers beyond previous years.”

In previous years, UH registered the following numbers of students from Lahainaluna High School: 86 in 2023, 118 in 2022, 95 in 2021, 109 in 2020 and 126 in 2019.

Many Lahainaluna graduates attending UH with free tuition might also qualify for additional scholarships or financial aid, such as the Pell Grant. With their tuition covered, they can use extra financial assistance to cover dorm costs, meals and other expenses.

“This gift frees up other scholarships and aid money for other purposes,” Lassner said.

Lahainaluna volleyball player Sophia Abut, 18, considered accepting the offer to attend UH but ultimately declined, as she had always intended to move to the mainland for her studies.

After receiving over $19,500 from DACH on Wednesday, Abut said she felt relieved and much more confident about going to the mainland.

“I wanted to get a different feel and explore,” Abut said about moving out-of-state. “I’m so used to what it’s like here so I want experience different cultures and stuff, but I’m definitely planning to move back when I’m done with school.”

Abut, who was born and raised in Lahaina, is continuing her education at Washington State University, majoring in pre-medical studies and nursing, with a minor in psychology. Her college attendance summary estimated a total yearly cost of almost $50,000.

“I was scared I might get lost with all the bills and payments,” she said. “With this opportunity, the weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and instead of constantly worrying about money, I can focus more on my career.”

Odessa Abut, Sophia’s mother and a full-time pharmacy operations manager, expressed concern about sending her daughter to the mainland, particularly regarding financial challenges. She even considered taking on additional jobs to better support Sophia.

“We’re immigrants,” Odessa Abut said. “We live a bread and butter life, but now, especially, I am convinced that Sophia can achieve what she wants to.”

Stefanie Hegrenes, mother of Lahainaluna swim captain Emily Hegrenes, shared that her family relocated to Lahaina from Minnesota six years ago and continues to rent due to the unaffordability of housing.

“It’s not an affordable place to live and now thinking about sending four kids to very expensive colleges is very daunting,” Hegrenes said.

Emily Hegrenes, 18, and Stefanie’s eldest child, was also a DACH grant recipient who chose to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, to study neuroscience.

The cost to attend UCLA is nearly $80,000, and Stefanie Hegrenes said she encouraged her daughter to apply for as many scholarships as possible, as they can help in the long run.

In addition to the $25,000 DACH grant Emily Hegrenes received Wednesday, she secured over $28,000 in other scholarships.

“We’ve been incredibly moved by the tight-knit community here in Lahaina and how much it has supported these Lahainaluna students,” Stefanie Hegrenes said. “Some donors were teachers who don’t have a lot of money but wanted to contribute what they could to support the kids coming out of Lahaina.”

Both mothers Odessa Abut and Stefanie Hegrenes expressed their gratitude to the community, especially DACH, for making it financially possible for them to send their children to the universities of their choice.

Sophia Abut, a first-­generation college student, hopes to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse on O‘ahu to give back to her community and help address the shortage of medical professionals in the state.

As a member of the Lahainaluna student council, Abut plans to return to Lahaina whenever possible while at university to help with rebuilding efforts, whether that means painting buildings or raising funds.

While at WSU, Abut also intends to start a committee or nonprofit organization to raise funds, with all proceeds supporting Lahaina­luna and its early college programs, which may be unaffordable for some families.

Lahainaluna High School valedictorian M. Jee Abara was among four students who received a $7,000 scholarship from CVS Health Workforce Initiatives. This funding supports education and career development in health care services.