Big Island Students Win Dorrance Scholarships to UHH

The University of Hawaii at Hilo has announced 10 winners of a new scholarship program aimed at Big Island high school students who are the first in their family to attend college.

The new scholarship program is a partnership of UHH and the Dorrance Family Foundation.

The need-based scholarships consist of four-year awards of $8,000 per year to attend UHH.

Prior to their freshman year, Dorrance scholars will take part in a summer “bridge” program to help them make the transition from high school. In future summers, the recipients will take part in international travel and employment preparation which brings the total value of each award to more than $60,000 over the four-year period.

“This is more than just a scholarship,” Luoluo Hong, vice chancellor for student affairs said in a statement. “With the help of the Dorrance Family Foundation, we are taking all of what we know in terms of best practices and applying it to helping these students be successful and graduate from college.”

University officials said the Dorrance scholarship program addresses a critical need at UHH where roughly 70% of the more than 4,000 students are the first in their family to attend college.

That is also about the same percentage of students who depend on financial aid at UHH, making it the campus with the highest rate in the 10-campus University of Hawaii system.

Similar Dorrance scholarship programs have operated in Arizona for the past 13 years where they have been credited with boosting graduation rates for first-generation college students.

The scholarship winners, their high school and home town are:

• Kuliamai Aveiro-Kalaniopio, Kohala High School (Kamuela)
• Aprille Rose Cariaga, Ka‘u High School (Naalehu)
• Dylan Coffel, Pahoa High School (Pahoa)
• Tamiah Johnson, Hilo High School (Papaikou)
• Kaiulani Kamau, Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii (Hilo)
• Clifford Kow, Jr., Kealakehe High School (Kailua Kona)
• Kawehi Lopez, Kamehameha Schools (Hilo)
• Alayna Machacek, Kealakehe High School (Kailua Kona)
• Ishael Shaw-De Mello, Waiakea High School (Hilo)
• Edward Torrison, Hilo High School (Hilo)