The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo Alumni and Friends Association proudly announces its 2013-2014 scholarship recipients. Norine Fitzgerald, Micah Glasgow, Victoria Vrooman and Christopher Yoakum have each been chosen to receive a $2,500 scholarship to be applied towards their tuition at UH Hilo.
Selection is based on academic merit and financial need. Scholarship recipients must also be or have an immediate family member who is an alumnus of UH Hilo.
- Norine Fitzgerald graduated from Aiea High School and is seeking a BBA degree in business administration. “I’m honored and grateful to receive such a generous scholarship, and it will certainly help substantially in my quest to educate students with special needs.” As a parent of a son whose learning capabilities were inhibited by anti-seizure medication, Fitzgerald is especially sensitive to the challenges of students with special needs. She intends to further her education at UH Mānoa and become a special education teacher. Her ultimate career goal is to be able to establish a social entrepreneurship venture, utilizing capitalism to help cure social problems.
- Micah Glasgow is a graduate of Waiakea High School and is currently the only Native Hawaiian student in the PhD in Pharmaceutical Science program at the UH Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy. “Support through UH Hilo will allow me to share the knowledge I have gained in the College of Pharmacy with the community of Hawai‘i. Obtaining my doctorate in pharmaceutical science degree will provide me with the opportunity to break barriers down and bridge the gap between higher education and the Native Hawaiian community.” His current research includes nanotechnology for the treatment of neuroblastoma and lung cancer; he hopes to use variations of this drug delivery method to potentially treat other diseases found within the state of Hawai‘i.
- Victoria Vrooman graduated from Waiakea High School and is pursuing her graduate degree in counseling psychology at UH Hilo. Her thesis compares the effects of domestic violence between individuals in local Hawaiian and European American cultures. “Receiving a scholarship opportunity will help me to achieve my goals of bettering myself, my school, my community, and the lives of people in the prison system.” Her future plans include interning at the local prison and attending a PhD program in clinical psychology. She would like to work in a prison as a full-time psychologist, where she can “work with the people that need the most help.”
- Christopher Yoakum is a graduate of Hilo High School and is enrolled in the communications program at UH Hilo, with a minor in history. “I intend to make a lasting impact with my intelligence, determination, and access to opportunities, to leave the world a better place than I found it. My education here at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo will aid in my ability to work towards this end and be an effective force for change.” Following graduation, he intends to serve overseas as a teacher in the Peace Corps, then pursue a graduate degree in journalism. His goal is to become a writer and foreign correspondent for a media agency.
To find out more about the scholarship program at UH Hilo, or to sign-up to attend fundraising events, call the UH Hilo Marketing and Alumni Office at (808) 974-7501 or visit the UH Hilo Alumni & Friends Association website.