Maria Angst, a Molokai High School student, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset.

Ten Hawaii Rotary Youth Foundation Scholarship (HRYF) recipients, ten representatives on an interview panel from ten Maui Rotary Clubs, and ten individual virtual interviews demonstrated the “Power of 10!”

The HRYF Scholarship Program offers every Rotary Club in the State of Hawaii a $5,000 scholarship to award to a deserving high school senior planning on attending college.

Each of the ten Maui County Rotary Clubs held in-person interviews to determine their club’s respective scholarship recipient.

These ten recipients were to individually participate in a 20-minute in-person interview with a panel of Rotary members from each of the Maui clubs.

Panel members were provided with the application materials and then were to score each candidate after the interviews were conducted.

Kainalu Yoshida said, “Having the opportunity to participate in the unique Rotary Scholarship Interview process has helped me to realize that even in times of trouble, we can persevere and overcome any obstacle we may encounter.”

The results of the scores were to be tabulated, and the top two scorers from Maui were to be forwarded to the HRYF Committee in Honolulu.

They will be among the ten finalists from the State of Hawaii who will be reviewed by the HRYF Committee to determine which two will receive a $10,000 college scholarship.

But then came the COVID-19 state of affairs. No in-person interviews! Thanks to “techie help” from Stuart Karlan from the Rotary Club of Kihei Wailea, the ten-member Maui interview team and the ten candidates were able to see and hear each other for a virtual interview via Zoom!

The candidates could see the panel, and the panel could see the candidates during their scheduled time.

Panel members completed their rankings, and Maria Angst and Kainalu Yoshida will be forwarded for consideration for the $10,000 scholarship awards.

Angst, a Molokai High School student, is a candidate sponsored by the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset.

Maria said, “The Rotary Scholarship Interview has shown me that even in hard times, great accomplishments and opportunities are still possible through the determination inside of us.

“Although the HRYF Interview Committee was unable to meet in person as originally planned, the ten Rotary Clubs on Maui persevered to ensure the students’ future was their top priority, and I had the great privilege to introduce myself to extraordinary, hard-working citizens.”

Yoshida, a King Kekaulike High School student, is a candidate sponsored by the Rotary Club of Upcountry.

These Maui graduating seniors will be the recipients of the $5,000 HRYF Scholarship Award from their sponsoring Rotary Clubs:

Kahului – Matthew Hirose, Maui High School;

Kihei Wailea – Victoria Fonville, Kihei Charter High School;

Lahaina – Hailey Bogar, Lahainaluna High School;

Lahaina Sunrise – Eva-Maria Kareneva Simpson, Maui Preparatory Academy;

Lanai – Samantha Padron, Lanai High School;

Maui – Nathaniel Rabara, St. Anthony High School;

Valley Isle Sunset – Sierra-Lily Tanouye, Kamehameha Maui;

Wailuku – Heather Osterstock, Baldwin High School.

For more information on the scholarship program, contact HRYF Maui Trustee Joanne Laird at mamalrd01@gmail or go to the HRYF website at www.hawaiirotaryyouthfoundation.org.