HONOLULU — Keith Nove Baniqued faced immense challenges after her family’s home was destroyed in a deadly wildfire that struck her Hawaii town. Despite being only 17 and about to start her senior year of high school, Keith shifted her focus to supporting her family amidst the tragedy.
Nearly a year after the devastating fire in Lahaina, Baniqued is now preparing to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Thanks to $325,000 in college scholarships distributed to 13 Lahainaluna High School graduates bound for mainland U.S. schools, her family no longer worries about funding her education.
Following the fire, Baniqued’s uncertainty about pursuing higher education due to her family’s situation evolved into a determination to attend college beyond Hawaii. She realized that obtaining a college degree would better position her to aid her family’s long-term recovery.
With financial support from the Maui Strong Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation, provided by the Downtown Athletic Club of Hawaii, Baniqued and her peers will receive around $25,000 each to cover out-of-state college expenses for the first year beyond other scholarships and financial aid.
The initiative led by the athletic club to assist Lahainaluna student-athletes and coaches whose homes were ravaged by the fire aims to be life-changing for the graduates, according to Keith Amemiya, the club’s president.
In a separate relief effort, the University of Hawaii announced scholarships for 2024 Lahainaluna graduates, with a significant percentage of the class applying and registering at UH schools. The scholarships are intended to support student athletes and non-athletes alike beyond their freshman year of out-of-state college.
The scholarships provide hope for many Lahainaluna graduates who once thought that college was beyond their reach, remarked Principal Richard Carosso. The resilience of the graduating class, which faced disruptions during their freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is evident in their pursuit of higher education, he added.
One student, Emily Hegrenes, shared in her scholarship essay about the challenges she faced training as a swimmer after the Lahaina Aquatic Center closed in a restricted burn zone. Another student, Talan Toshikiyo, expressed his aspirations of becoming an engineer to achieve financial stability, particularly considering the affordability challenges faced by Native Hawaiians and locals.
