NUKOLI‘I — The Contractors Association of Kaua‘i presented seven local students with $8,500 in scholarships at its annual scholarship dinner, Thursday, at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort. Of the seven, five are graduates from Kaua‘i’s public high schools, one is a
NUKOLI‘I — The Contractors Association of Kaua‘i presented seven local students with $8,500 in scholarships at its annual scholarship dinner, Thursday, at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort.
Of the seven, five are graduates from Kaua‘i’s public high schools, one is a repeat CAK scholarship recipient and one is a junior pre-pharmacy major at the University of Hawai‘i in Hilo.
KristiAnne Nishek of Hanapepe, an honors student, is the pre-pharmacy major, the daughter of CAK members Jerry and Laura Nishek. She was awarded a $1,000 Yasuo Minatoya scholarship by Yasuo’s son Richard who flew in for the occasion.
Yasuo Minatoya was the last surviving charter member of the CAK, having owned and operated a painting company on the island when CAK was formed in 1957.
The Minatoya scholarship is awarded to the child of a CAK member, or of a CAK member company and is the only scholarship awarded to an applicant who does not have to be majoring in a construction-related field of study.
Mark Guirao was presented a $1,000 Rayton Bryan Chung Memorial Scholarship. The two-time CAK scholarship recipient will be a junior electrical engineering major at California Polytechnic University in Pomona, California.
The son of Nida and Avelino Guirao of Hanapepe, Mark is the recent recipient of the General Omar S. Bradley award for his outstanding leadership, academic achievement of 3.77 grade point average, and physical fitness, completing the Army physical fitness test with a score of 295 out of a possible 300 as a ROTC cadet.
Mark plans to be commissioned in the United States Army and branch into the Army Corps of Engineers as a Second Lieutenant following his graduation.
Rouben Buyat, a 2010 Waimea High School graduate, was the recipient of two scholarships — a $1,500 Payton Bryan Chung Memorial Scholarship and a $1,000 Clyde Shigematsu Memorial Scholarship — based on a letter of recommendation from Leila Kuboyama, his high school counselor who spoke of Buyat’s drive to create a better life for himself and his single mother, Anna Liza Buyat of Kaumakani, after moving to Kaua‘i from the Philippines when he was in the fourth grade.
Rouben, who balanced two part-time jobs at Lappert’s Hawai‘i and Pioneer Hi-Bred while taking college preparatory classes and being active in school activities, plans to major in architecture at the University of Washington.
Dustin Julian, a scholar-athlete graduate of Kaua‘i High School, was awarded a $1,000 2010 Guy Matsunaga Memorial Scholarship towards his major in electrical engineering at the Oregon State University.
Earlier in the year, Julian, the son of Domie and Linday Gray Julian, was selected to be a student representative for the Kansas and Hawai‘i Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., by the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative. The invitation was extended to include participation in the Youth Leadership Council for National Rural Electric Cooperatives.
Shaun Koide and Tyler Navarro were co-valedictorians at the Kaua‘i High School graduation. Both students were selected to receive $1,000 scholarships from the CAK.
Koide, the son of Eliza and Miles Koide, will be pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at the California Polytechnic State University.
Navarro, the son of Damien and Charlene Navarro, will also be aiming for an electrical engineering degree, but at the Purdue University.
Shaun and Tyler were strong members of the Kaua‘i High School Boys air riflery team. They also were members of the Key Club, the Leo Club and the National Honor Society.
Singularly, Shaun’s artistic work was on display at the Kaua‘i Museum this year. He also participated at the Hawai‘i State Science and Engineering fair, earning an honorable mention award for his project.
Tyler was occupied with taking advanced placement tests and post-secondary classes, including distance learning programs through the John Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth.
Anthony Lopez, a Kapa‘a High School graduate, was also selected for a $1,000 CAK scholarship which will help him in his pre-engineering major at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Lopez, the son of Stacy and Geoffery Lopez, was a co-captain the Kapa‘a High School tennis team and was also active in the National Honor Society, the Kapa‘a High School Interact Club and as a Boy Scout with Troop 148 sponsored by the Lihu‘e Christian Church.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
