Waiakea Grad Earns Na Hoa O Puna Award

Sabrina Scott earned a little bit of help to continue to play soccer and receive an education.

Scott, last year’s Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I Player of the Year in girls soccer, earned the Na Hoa O Puna Buddy Perry Scholarship Award, worth $500. She will play at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, under the school’s Director of Soccer, Lance Thompson.

“Top notch. Excellent work ethic,” said Na Hoa O Puna president Dan Biegler in describing Scott. “She sat through a lot of the fundraisers and the Saturdays selling soda and chips at the games. She has above a 3.0 GPA, so just her work ethic is really what stood out to me. She’s just a great kid.”

The scholarship is named after Perry, who founded the soccer club three years ago. About 80-100 students in different age groups participate in the soccer club.

To be eligible for the scholarship, graduating high school seniors must have spent at least one year with Na Hoa O Puna. Students are graded by a scholarship board on the following: a qualifying grade point essay, an essay, recommendations from coaches, and service work.

Biegler hopes to offer more scholarships in the future. The soccer club holds an annual 5v5 Na Hoa Cup tournament in December. The money earned from the tournament is the main fundraiser for the scholarship effort.