LIHU‘E — When Ashley Pabustan entered Waimea High as a freshman, the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting, said Waimea High Principal Mahina Anguay on Friday during a luncheon where the retired Gen. Eric Shinseki scholarships were presented to a graduating senior at each of the island’s public high schools.
“I just missed being one of the 11 valedictorians Waimea High School will have at its graduation,” Pabustan said.
Mark Inouye, of the Public Schools of Hawai‘i Foundation, and acting state Department of Education Kaua‘i Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada made the presentations to three graduating students — Pabustan, Emelie Rubel from Kapa‘a High and Blake Hironaka from Kaua‘i High, whom Hamada described as being “very good students taught by a very good school staff.”
“They (the students) missed out a lot because of the pandemic,” said Inouye, a Kaua‘i native who attended Kapa‘a Elementary and Kapa‘a High School. “But that did not stop them from becoming great representatives of the future.”
Pabustan is heading to Northern Arizona University with a major in finance, when she graduates from Waimea in ceremonies scheduled for May 19, starting at 6:30 p.m.
She further plans on returning to Kaua‘i to share her knowledge of finance.
Rubel, whose father owns and operates a car service, as differentiated from a limousine service, said she’ll be heading to Western Oregon with a major in business in the fall. She, too, hopes to return to Kaua‘i and share her business education.
Hironaka, who along with his twin brother Kenneth were recipients of the Mokihana Club Music Scholarships, said he’ll be heading to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa to study electrical engineering.
“I plan on playing with the University of Hawai‘i bands while I’m there,” said Blake Hironaka, who played the trumpet during the Mokihana Club auditions.
Inouye said the retired Gen. Eric and Pat Shinseki, both with roots on Kaua‘i, scholarships were set up to help Kaua‘i students attending public high schools and advancing to higher education following graduation.
When financial levels were dangerously low, the Shinsekis offered to pay for the scholarships on their own, Inouye said.
