UH students meet donors at first in-person event since COVID-19

Group photo of UH students who received scholarships.

Link to video (details below): https://bit.ly/3rBOqi7

Nearly 300 scholarship donors and their student recipients came together today for the first University of Hawaiʻi Foundation Scholarship Celebration since the COVID-19 pandemic halted gatherings two years ago. The luncheon was held at the newly renovated Campus Ballroom in the Campus Center at UH Mānoa.

Students had the opportunity to meet and thank the donors whose scholarship gifts have helped to support their educational goals. Donors were excited to hear firsthand about the impact their giving has on students’ lives and futures.

“Our students amaze us every day with their curiosity, intellectual capacity, perseverance and commitment to humanity,” UH President David Lassner said. “We couldnʻt help our students fulfill their passion to move Hawaiʻi forward without our many donors who demonstrate through their scholarship support how much they care about educating the next generation of leaders for our islands.”

Last year, 6,887 donors made gifts totaling $48.5 million to support student aid and scholarships for UH students statewide.

“We are so excited to celebrate our incredible students who have been so resilient and our amazing donors whose generosity funds these academic journeys,” said Tim Dolan, University of Hawaiʻi vice president of advancement and CEO of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation.

The first permanently endowed scholarship was created at the UH Foundation in 1976 to benefit students attending UH. Since then, providing access to higher education through private gifts has become a tradition. Today, the foundation manages more than 2,000 student aid accounts.

VIDEO BROLL: (1 minute, 30 seconds)

0:00-0:13 - wide shots of the event

0:13-0:47 - scholarship recipients talking with donors

0:34-1:30 - clips from the UH Foundation Scholarship Celebration

SOUNDBITES:

Evelyn Black, (15 seconds)

“Now’s the time to do it and there’s a lot of students that need help with their education and they’re going to help make the state a better place. We want to keep them here as much as possible so I would encourage people to give now and not to wait.”

(12 seconds)

“I was very fortunate to have a family that supported me but I know there’s a lot of students that don’t. So my family made sure that we also gave back and help support scholarships from other people.”

Jin Hao Lin, student (12 seconds)

“At the same time with these funds, not only do I feel that they are helping me with my education but also that, in a sense, they do care. And coming to this event I’m quite thankful.”

Beau Nakamori, student (18 seconds)

“It’s crazy, I mean the event is packed and that just goes to show how many people do care and how many people are wanting to help. And I aspire to be a donor one day myself and give others the opportunity as well.”