MHS Student Gets Citizen-Scholar Award

HLTA News Release 

Last week, the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, in partnership with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and the Department of Education, hosted its 18th annual Citizen-Scholar Awards luncheon at the Prince Waikiki and distributed more than $60,000 in scholarships to 42 public high school seniors. Among them, was Molokai High School student Paige Fukuoka. 

“The Citizen-Scholar Awards is a signature HLTA event that provides us with an opportunity to focus on our educational and philanthropic missions.” said HLTA President and CEO Mufi Hannemann. “Reviewing their resumes and learning about their passions and aspirations is extremely humbling, and I am proud to be able to recognize them for their accomplishments. This year’s class of Scholars is exemplary by every definition of the word, and we are all excited to see what they go on to accomplish.”

The Citizen-Scholar Awards are made possible through generous donations from private businesses and organizations—the vast majority coming from the local hospitality industry. Each sponsor is assigned a Scholar who was selected by their school administration for recognition. From the pool of 42 students, HLTA’s scholarship committee selects a top Scholar for each county and a top overall male and female Scholar. Top county winners receive an additional $2,500 scholarship, and the two overall winners receive an additional $5,000.

“The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is proud to partner with HLTA and the DOE to congratulate and recognize this year’s class of Citizen-Scholars. They are exceptional students, leaders, and dedicated community servants who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence, and I wish them all the best as they begin the next phase of their academic careers,” said Honolulu Star-Advertiser Chief Revenue Officer David Kennedy.

“It’s gratifying to see the local business community celebrate some of our most promising young leaders,” said Hawai‘i State Department of Education Interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi. “These students have already made such impactful contributions to our community, and the Citizen-Scholars Awards will definitely help set their path for even greater future success.”