KALAHEO — Lauren Esaki and Kimberly Mayfield were honored with $1,000 scholarships Thursday at the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. Esaki, a graduate of Kapa‘a High School, and Mayfield, a graduate of Island School, represented Kaua‘i among
KALAHEO — Lauren Esaki and Kimberly Mayfield were honored with $1,000 scholarships Thursday at the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event.
Esaki, a graduate of Kapa‘a High School, and Mayfield, a graduate of Island School, represented Kaua‘i among 10 students awarded the $1,000 scholarships in the 2008 Monsanto Hawai‘i Life Sciences Scholarship program.
The awards were presented by Paul Koehler of Monsanto Hawai‘i who was joined by Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce President Randy Francisco at the event co-hosted by Monsanto Hawai‘i and the Kaua‘i Coffee Co.
“There is a wide variety of career opportunities available in the life sciences, and this dynamic field continues to expand,” Koehler, the community and scientific affairs manager for Monsanto Hawai‘i, said. “Monsanto is proud to support these deserving young men and women as they continue to pursue their academic and personal development for future career prospects.”
This annual scholarship program is open to students of all public and private high schools in Hawai‘i who will be graduating in good standing and will be attending an accredited college or university to pursue a post-secondary education in a discipline related to life sciences.
Examples of study include agriculture, agronomy, biology, botany, genetics, horticulture, plant physiology, chemistry, crop science and soil science.
Applications are distributed to schools during the spring semester.
In addition to Esaki and Mayfield, other recipients include Rachel Ikehara (Campbell High School), Mikaele Lum (King Kekaulike High School), Kristi Matsunaga (H.P. Baldwin High School), Cassandra Ogura-Yamada (Konawaena High School), Reed Sakamoto (Mid-Pacific Institute), Roger Shiu (President Theodore Roosevelt High School), Kelsy Takashima (Molokai High School) and Ashley Ventimiglia (King Kekaulike High School).
Monsanto works with farmers to discover new ways to improve agriculture and is a leading provider of agricultural products and solutions worldwide.
The company’s farm stations in Hawai‘i help develop better quality seeds that will eventually help small and large farmers produce more abundant and healthier foods, combat insects and diseases, preserve farmlands and protect natural resources.
For more information or to receive a 2009 scholarship application, call Koehler at (808) 879-4074, ext. 7151.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
