UH-Hilo Announces Dorrance Scholarship Winners

Nine upcoming high school graduates from the Big Island have been chosen as the latest group to benefit from a scholarship program aimed at helping students who are the first in their family to attend college.

The four-year award provides each student with $8,000 annually to attend the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

This is the third year for the need-based Dorrance Scholarship Program scholarships at UH-Hilo.

The Big Island scholarships are an extension of the program provided by the Dorrance family in Arizona for the past 14 years. During that time, the program has opened doors to higher education while boosting graduation rates for more than 600 first-generation college students.

“The Dorrance family has become a valuable partner in UH-Hilo’s effort to help more students shatter that proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ by becoming the first member of their family to obtain a college education,” said Chancellor Donald Straney.

“Their gift to the past, present and future cohorts will have a profound impact on the lives of those students.”

The 2014 winners and the high schools they attend are:

• Kapuanani Arsiga, Christian Liberty Academy
• Kawena Case, Kealakehe High School
• Tifaine Crivello, Hilo High School
• Kamrie Koi, Ka`u High School
• Melissa Mizuguchi, Waiakea High School
• Kodie Solis-Kalani, Kamehameha Schools Hawai`i
• Kalena Spinola, Kealakehe High School
• Tara West, Hilo High School
• Turfa Zaman, Kealakehe High School

Prior to the start of fall classes, the students will take part in a custom-designed summer bridge program to help them transition from high school.

They will also participate in international travel and employment preparation in subsequent summers, bringing the total estimated value of each award for the entire four-year period to more than $60,000.

For more information about the Dorrance Scholarship Program, contact Maria Martin at (808) 557- 6268 or email mmartin@azfoundation.org.