Big Island Students, Schools Win HMSA Awards, Scholarships

Two schools and two students from the Big Island were recently honored by the Hawai‘i Medical Service Association.

For the first time in three years, HMSA recently hosted an in-person event to celebrate the winners of its 17th annual Kaimana Awards and Scholarship Program. HMSA, in partnership with the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association, honored a total of nine high schools and 15 college-bound students were recognized for their achievements and excellence in academics, athletics, community service, healthy activities and sportsmanship.

Students from the Big Island Interscholastic Federation who received scholarships were:

• Montana Lagat, Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i.
• Jordanna Takaki, Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i.

The two Big Island Interscholastic Federation schools that won were:

• Small School (fewer than 200 students): Parker School.
• Large School (200 students or more): Kohala High School.

“Every year, I’m amazed by the wonderful talent we have in our high school communities and, to me, this is one of the most meaningful awards out there because it celebrates the best and most well-rounded kids,” HMSA President and Chief Executive Officer Mark M. Mugiishi said in a press release. “At HMSA, we’re proud to support and honor our inspiring leaders of tomorrow and I’m thrilled we could celebrate our winners in person.”

The 15 students won scholarships worth $5,000. The winning high schools were honored for achieving the highest program scores in their league (classified by enrollment) in academics, athletics, community service, healthy activities and sportsmanship, each receiving $1,500 each.

HMSA and HHSAA have sponsored the Kaimana Awards and Scholarship Program since 2005. To be eligible for a scholarship, students had to graduate from a Hawai‘i high school in 2022 with a 2.75 or higher GPA. Recipients can use their scholarships to pay for college tuition, books, computers and room and board.

To learn more about the Kaimana Awards and Scholarship Program, click here.