Shidler College Awards 360 Scholarships Totaling $1.1 Million

The UH Manoa Shidler College of Business celebrated with donors and students at its annual Scholarship Luncheon at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Resort in November.

The event honors scholarship donors and their student recipients, and allows them to meet one another. This year, the college has awarded 360 scholarships totaling $1.1 million for the 2018-2019 academic year.

“We are extremely grateful that our alumni, friends and the business community are willing to invest in our students’ future,” says Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business. “Scholarships help ease students’ concerns about rising tuition costs and increasing college loan debts. Scholarships also make it possible to keep talented students from leaving Hawaii while still acquiring a world-class education.”

This year’s event featured alumnus and scholarship donor Terry Lee, president and CEO of Lee Financial Group Hawaii as the keynote speaker. Since 2010, his scholarship has provided $56,000 in awards to high-achieving freshmen and sophomores enrolled in the Shidler Freshman Direct Admit Program.

“I’m happy to have the opportunity to support the next generation of business leaders in Hawaii,” says Lee. “My hope is that these scholarships help take some financial pressure off the students so they can focus on achieving their goals.”

Scholarship recipients Eryn Yuasa and Dylan Howell are shining examples of students who benefited greatly from scholarships and are thriving in school.

Yuasa received several scholarships which allowed her to participate in student organizations, internships, and study abroad opportunities at the college without the need to work. “I grew up in a modest household on Oahu and have been through the public school system my entire life,” says Yuasa. “I got my first job in my junior year of high school and got used to working while going to school. Through the scholarships that I received at the Shidler College of Business, I got to do so much more and focus on things that would better me as a person and aid in my professional development.”

Graduate speaker Howell said his scholarships helped him stay on track even while experiencing personal challenges. Howell received three scholarships and continues to work part-time to finish his MBA degree. Howell said because of his scholarships he is now able to focus on his health, studies and healing. “You never know what impact you had on someone, but these scholarships have helped to give me hope and light where there was so much darkness.”

Since the program began in 2005, the number of scholarships awarded have more than doubled from 161 to 360. On average, 15 percent of Shidler students receive merit- and need-based scholarship support. Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, financial need, specific area of concentration, community service and/or other criteria established by the donor.

This is the fifth year that Enterprise Rent-A-Car has served as the title sponsor for this event. Enterprise also presented a workshop on career and professional development to prepare students for the workplace. In addition, Hawaii Business Magazine served as the media sponsor for the third year.

For information on establishing scholarships, please contact Unyong Nakata, executive director of development, at unyong.nakata@uhfoundation.org or (808) 286-0702.