Business major Jacelyn Lau receives $5K scholarship from California Water Service Group
Jacelyn Lau, majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance, plans to pursue a career in either financial advising or financial management.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
Jacelyn Lau, a second-year and first-generation college student studying business at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, is the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship from the California Water Service Group.
California Water Service Group awarded $75,000 in scholarships to 12 students living in its California, Hawaiʻi, New Mexico, and Washington service areas for the 2023-2024 academic year. Many are first-generation college students, some having overcome physical and financial obstacles to make their college dreams a reality.
“These recipients are truly remarkable students who are already making their mark on the world, and they will undoubtedly inspire others to do the same,” says Martin Kropelnicki, president and chief executive officer at California Water Service Group. “We are proud to offer these scholarships to ease the financial burden of college for these students, who have so aptly displayed their commitment to improving lives around them.”
Career choice
A graduate of Maui High School, Lau is enrolled at UH Hilo’s College of Business and Economics, majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance. She was born and raised on Maui where she worked at Fidelity National Title as an assistant.
Her future plans are to pursue a career in either financial advising or financial management.
“Throughout my life, I went back and forth on what I wished to pursue as my career,” Lau writes on her LinkedIn page. “Never really landing on one answer, it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 when I thought about the finance field. I realized that I enjoyed what I did at Fidelity, but would like to do something a little different. After learning more about this career path, I was certain about my career choice. Though I can never be too sure about the future, I will continue to work hard towards this goal.”
Lau will be graduating in 2026.
California Water Service Group scholarships
From 348 applications for the California Water Service Group scholarships, three students were each awarded a $10,000 grand-prize scholarship based on academic achievement, community service, and financial need, while nine others received $5,000 scholarships.
California Water Service Group provides high-quality, affordable water and wastewater services to more than two million people west of the Mississippi River. They are the third-largest publicly traded water utility in the United States, with five subsidiaries: California Water Service, Hawaii Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, Texas Water Service, and Washington Water Service.
Story by Susan Enright, public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
