Hawaiian Airlines Grants 10K Scholarships to Two Students

Two native Hawaiian undergraduates have just received the first $10,000 grants from Hawaiian Airlines and Arizona State University (ASU). The New Horizons Scholarship Fund will grant eight awards, each of $10,000, to Hawaiian students pursuing Information Technology (IT) pathways in order to help meet the growing demand for skilled IT professionals at Hawaiian Airlines and across Hawaii.

The partnership between the airlines and ASU began in January with the launch of the scholarship, as well as a $20,000 sponsorship of ASU’s annual Ohana Day – an event gathering Hawaiian students with their families. There are currently more than 700 students from Hawaii attending ASU.

Hauʻoli Kalipi, a sophomore and graduate from Hilo High School, and Preston Naʻalelalani Ponteras, a senior and a Kamehameha Schools graduate, received their awards last month for college tuition assistance, encouraging their journey toward IT careers.

In addition to its partnership with ASU, the airline has also provided a $100,000 gift to the University of Hawaii for scholarships in the field of IT, computer science, cybersecurity and related computer technology programs. Last year, Hawaiian Airlines also partnered with Honolulu Community College, allowing airline instructors to teach classes at the school’s Aeronautics Maintenance Program. The airline has also joined the school’s IT/Cyber Leap-Start Experience Excelerator Program to offer on-the-job training.