Kysha Altura is a Maui Prep Pueo Pilot Scholarship recipient.

Making the education of children a top priority can be an expensive proposition. This is especially true in West Maui, where the overall high costs of living and the tourist economy conspire to consume a large portion of a working family’s discretionary income. However, if a family seeks for their children a safe and nurturing school, smaller class sizes, dedicated and accessible teachers, a college preparatory curriculum, and a school culture that promotes the highest standards of personal character and love of learning, Maui Preparatory Academy may be a great match and worth the sacrifice. Even so, families need help, and Maui Preparatory Academy works hard to raise the funds necessary to provide significant financial assistance to those families who qualify in the form of reduced tuition for those children entering preschool and kindergarten, and generous financial aid options for children entering grades 1-12.

One of the most generous assistance efforts is the prestigious Pueo Pilot Scholarship Program. This program intends to support student applicants who are potential leaders in one or more areas, including academics, athletics, the arts, extracurricular life, and/or in the service of the greater community. The Pueo Pilot Scholarship Program is independently funded and offers one full four-year scholarship to a deserving student entering Maui Prep’s ninth grade, and additional scholarship support to those worthy Pueo Pilot Scholarship Program runners-up.

Current Maui Prep Pueo Pilot Scholarship recipients include Senior Kysha Altura, Junior Heidi Mahan, and Freshwoman Aiesha Pradhan. In her final year at Maui Prep, Kysha Altura truly exemplifies the highest standards of this scholarship program and the core values of the school. In the classroom she has enrolled in challenging college prep courses, including Human Geography, Calculus, Japanese 4, Literature, and Physics. She has emerged as a leader, taking charge as vice president of the Student Senate, treasurer of the National Honor Society, and member of the Rotary Interact Club.

In the swimming pool, Kysha’s work ethic is second to none; she has trained intensely before and after school every day, and last year she won state titles in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly. Kysha shows that hard work creates opportunities for success, and she will certainly be a contender to secure lucrative scholarships to support entry into a competitive college of her choice.

Maui Preparatory Academy intends to continue to offer life-changing opportunities to ambitious young people like Kysha. On Thursday, Nov. 9, Maui Prep will host the first in a series of Open Houses in the community. This will take place at the Club House in the Puamana Townhomes and Condominiums from 5-7 p.m.. This will be a chance for prospective families to meet our parents, students, teachers, and administrators in a friendly, informal setting. Light refreshments will be provided. Please contact admissions@mauiprep.org to RSVP, or simply show up on November 9.