Three earn their degrees
Three West Hawaii residents recently received their degrees from Pacific University of Oregon.
Kayla Davidson of Kailua-Kona has graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in education and learning, Kellie Abe of Waikoloa received a bachelor’s degree in biology, Andrew Hennings of Waikoloa earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and Jodi Ozaki of Waikoloa received a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Merriman’s awards four scholarships
Merriman’s Culinary Scholarship has awarded four $1,050 scholarships for 2014-15. The recipients are Shy Drummondo-Rodrigues, Cameron Linden, Tammy Jean Soares and Laci Leialoha.
Drummondo-Rodrigues will attend his first year and Soares and Leialoha will be in their second year in the food service program at Hawaii Community College in Hilo. Linden is entering her second year of the program at the University of Hawaii Center at West Hawaii.
Colby accepted into Teach for America
Anna Colby of Kailua-Kona has been accepted to Teach For America’s 2014 teaching corps. Teach For America is a national nonprofit working to expand educational opportunity for low-income students. Corps members commit to teach for two years in high-need urban or rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in pursuit of educational equity.
Colby, a 2008 graduate of Makua Lani Christian School, will teach in Hawaii.
Donnelly, Schorn join HPA staff
Hawaii Preparatory Academy recently announced the following staff appointments: Mike Donnelly, an HPA alumnus, has been named assistant director of admission and Aaron Schorn has been named webmaster.
Donnelly recently retired from the Army after 26 years of service. In his new position, he will be responsible for grades nine through 12 admissions, focusing on the Hawaiian Islands and greater Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining HPA, Donnelly was communications advisor for the U.S. Army Pacific at Fort Shafter on Oahu.
Schorn has been an active member of the HPA community since he arrived on campus in 2013. He has served as dorm parent, tutor and long-term substitute teacher. He previously was director of business development and government relations at the Wall Street Fund for African Development in Washington, D.C.
Two attend programs on East Coast
Hawaii Island youth are accelerating academically and transforming their futures by participating in summer university programs made accessible with scholarships from The Kohala Center.
Two Hawaii Island residents received scholarships from The Kohala Center to participate in programs at East Coast universities this summer. They were KaMele Sanchez, a rising senior at Honokaa High andIntermediate School, and Kaila Alcoran-Gaston, a recent graduate of Ke Ana Laahana Public Charter School.
Sanchez attended Cornell University’s CURIE Academy Program in Ithaca, N.Y. The CURIE Academy is a one-week residential engineering program for high school girls who excel in math and science.
Alcoran-Gaston attended the Brown Environmental Leadership Lab program in Bristol, R.I., which focuses on sustainable development through several academic disciplines, including biology, engineering, environmental science, and policy.