PUHI — The Kaua‘i Filipino Chamber of Commerce hosted eight of 12 scholarship recipients and their families to a short presentation on Tuesday evening at the triple-booked Kaua‘i Philippine Cultural Center.
Twelve of the scholarship recipients shared in $8,000 that was distributed by the KFCC. Four of the recipients received $1,000 scholarships, and eight students received $500 awards.
Student recipients ranged from Waimea High, Kaua‘i High, Kaua‘i Community College and Kanuikapono Public Charter School. A lot of the recipients have a desire to return back to Kaua‘i following their post-high school careers, said Cyndi Ayonon, KFCC president.
“For some unknown reason, we did not receive any applicants from Kapa‘a High School,” Ayonon said. “Funds for the scholarships are derived from the annual golf tournament that we host during the Labor Day weekend, and our goal is to be able to raise $10,000 for scholarships at one of the tournaments.
Bobby Ayonon, a former KFCC president and golf tournament chair, said the group did not have a tournament last year, but the organization had enough reserves for scholarships this year.
“We’ve been doing the golf tournament for many years,” he said. “We’re doing it again, this year during the Labor Day weekend. Since we started distributing scholarships, we must have given away more than $150,000.”
Those receiving $1,000 scholarships were Maeani Arbilera, Kanale Viquelia, Matthew Gabriel of Waimea High School and Kadee Parubrub of Kaua‘i High School, who is planning on majoring in nursing at the University of Arizona.
Those earning $500 scholarships include Riki Ballesteros, Kaytin Taba, Alyssa Taguiam, Ciaralan Tolentino and Tayden Beadle of Kaua‘i High School.
Charlz Visitacion, graduating from Waimea High School, will be attending the University of Hawai‘i-Hilo with a major in computer science. Lilinoe Naihe, a graduate of Kanuikapono Public Charter School, will be heading to Grand Canyon University with a nursing major, and Jolene Igaya is currently a student at Kaua‘i Community College majoring in business.
For more information about the Kaua‘i Filipino Chamber of Commerce or its scholarship programs, visit www.kauaifilipinochamber.org.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
