Students Thank Donors as More Than $1 Million in Scholarships Awarded
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business hosted nearly 300 donors and students at its annual Scholarship Luncheon at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on November 6.
The event provided donors with an opportunity to meet their scholarship student recipients and learn first-hand about the impact of their gifts.
In academic year 2022–23, Shidler College awarded more than $1 million dollars to more than 300 deserving students. Scholarship support enables students to focus on their academics, study abroad and participate in extracurricular activities that may not be accessible without financial support.
“We are so proud of the many alumni, donors and friends who see the value in the gift of education,” said Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business. “Many Shidler students receive scholarship support during their time at the college, so it is an honor to witness our students and donors come together at this annual gathering to share a meal and connect.”
Photo: courtesy of UH Foundation
Ren Hirose, BBA ’85, former regional vice president of HEI Hotels and Resorts was this year’s keynote speaker. In 2022, Hirose established a $50,000 endowed scholarship benefiting students from Maui high schools to give them opportunities to attend Shidler’s School of Travel Industry Management to prepare them for promising careers in the tourism and hospitality industry.
Hirose said, “Education has been a constant presence throughout my life. My hope is that other alumni will be inspired to give back and support the next generation of professionals.”
Jett Zenthoefer served as undergraduate student speaker, and shared how his scholarship allowed him to pursue higher education in Hawaiʻi without financial barriers and study abroad, solidifying his goal of becoming an international human rights lawyer for the United Nations. Jordan Reed, graduate scholarship and master’s in business administration (MBA) candidate, also provided remarks, highlighting the many opportunities he was afforded due to scholarship support and his decision to return back to Hawaiʻi after earning his undergraduate degree, in pursuit of his MBA.
Photo: courtesy of UH Foundation
The Shidler College of Business Alumni Association served as a gold sponsor for the event, and Hawaii Business Magazine served as exclusive media sponsor for the sixth year.
For a complete list of scholarship awards and recipients, visit Shidler’s website. To support Shidler College, contact Jennifer Lieu, director of development, at Jennifer.lieu@uhfoundation.org or (808) 956-3597.
About the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Founded in 1949, the Shidler College of Business was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. Since his initial gift of $25 million in 2006, Shidler has given approximately $238 million to the college in cash, land leases and in-kind donations. His contributions represent the largest individual donation to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and the second largest known gift to a U.S. public university business school.
In 2019, the School of Travel Industry Management rejoined the college. The college is renowned for its multicultural learning environment and its expertise in international business education and is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 25 schools for international business by U.S. News & World Report. Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the college offers a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The college has the only graduate program in the state of Hawai‘i and Vietnam accredited by AACSB International. For more information, visit shidler.hawaii.edu.
