Six UH Hilo students awarded scholarships to study abroad this semester
From Scotland to New Zealand to England and South Korea, six UH Hilo students are immersed in new cultures, expanding their education, and eager to return home with new found knowledge and experience.
Six University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo students are scholarship recipients to study abroad this semester, announced the university’s Center for Global Education and Exchange.
“Please help us celebrate our students who have received scholarships to study abroad for the current spring 2025 semester,” says Carolina Lam, UH Hilo’s director of global education.
Study abroad fosters the development of students’ global perspective and helps develop critical workforce skills such as intercultural communication skills and second-language ability, according to the UH Hilo Study Abroad Program website. Another big benefit of the program is that students pay UH Hilo tuition when they are abroad and then come home with new found knowledge and experience to finish their degree program.
UH Hilo’s Study Abroad Program offers a host of scholarship opportunities for students.
Here are this semester’s scholarship recipients with their thoughts sent via email:
Kealiʻi Rapozo, Communication Major
University of Stirling, Scotland
Gilman Recipient, $3,000
Rapozo says the most exciting thing through the study abroad experience thus far is that in the past month alone he’s already seen himself change in more ways than he could have imagined.
“I am nearing the halfway mark of my semester abroad and feel more confident navigating public transportation, my classes, campus life, and so much more at such a great pace,” he says by email. “I can confidently say that similar to many other students who have gone abroad, I can see the change within myself forming, and I can’t wait to see what is to come once I return home and the new person I am to become.”
At right, a photo of Rapozo at Dumyat Hill, Scotland.
“This was my first hike in Stirling that isn’t too far away from campus,” he says. “On the way up you can see The National Wallace Monument which I’m fortunate to see every day from my university. On this hike it really gave me a new perspective of the town, the space that I am upholding and a new sense of appreciation for where I am.”
Hinano Ganir, Communication Major
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Gilman Recipient, $5,000
Ganir sends a big mahalo to the Gilman Scholarship Program for providing her with the support she needs to embark on her study abroad journey in Aotearoa.
“Studying abroad has always been a huge goal of mine, especially as an island girl who has lived in Hawaiʻi my whole life,” she says. “My decision to study at Victoria University of Wellington was inspired by my ʻohana, my culture, ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), and the ʻāina (land) of Hawaiʻi that I call home.”
“The ʻōlelo noʻeau (Hawaiian proverb) ʻaʻohe pau ka ʻike i ka hālau hoʻokahi (not all knowledge is taught in the same school; source: Mary Kawena Pūkuʻi #203) encouraged me to trust my naʻau (gut instinct/knowledge) and embrace learning in an unfamiliar place,” Ganir explains. “As a Native Hawaiian, I believe there is so much to learn from the ʻāina of Aotearoa and the Māori people who care for this land.”
“I hope to return home with a deeper understanding of Māori cultural heritage and how they actively perpetuate their language, culture, and values, while also discovering the connections that unite us as Indigenous people of the Pacific,” she adds. “This opportunity would not be possible without the support of the Gilman Scholarship Program, and I am truly grateful to be a recipient.”
The image above is Ganir at Lyall Bay, Wellington. “I actually found out that Duke Kahanamoku was invited by the Lyall Bay Surf Life Saving Club to surf in front of lots of Wellington people in 1915,” she says.
Dia Sanchez, Biology Major
University of Birmingham, England
UH Hilo Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, $1,000
Sanchez says her study abroad experience is an investment in her future as a traveling physician.
“I don’t necessarily have the spare money to throw around, but I know that this is what I want to do with my life, and I know this is an investment for my future,” she says. “This scholarship will help me focus on my academic goals while still doing what I came here to do: learn about the world outside of my bubble. Especially in my case, I’m racing against the clock with [Medical College Admission Test] and medical school preparations but there are only so many opportunities we have to learn about the world while we’re young. This is one I felt I needed to take if I’m going to be a traveling physician.”
Before she left for England, Sanchez was most excited just to be immersed in a different culture, to hear and see things that were beyond her normal experience.
“Now, having been partly through my experience here, I’m excited to see the person I become by the end of this,” she says. “I’m especially excited because I know this experience is going to impact how I set up my career and travels in the future. I’ve been able to meet so many people and see so many things. I think these experiences can really change a person for the better.”
Sanchez hopes when she gets back to UH Hilo she can help make study abroad opportunities a highly promoted staple in freshman orientations and academic fairs on campus.
Beija Ramos, English Major
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
UH Hilo Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, $1,000
Ramos says she is beyond grateful for the UH Hilo Study Abroad Scholarship.
“I am so blessed and filled with aloha spirit,” she says. “I am using what I have learned at UH Hilo while studying and applying it here, staying in Wellington, New Zealand. The fact that I am able to study abroad and that this scholarship is helping me do so is amazing, and I am thankful for this opportunity.”
“I get to learn about a different Pacific culture and see the spirit, strength, and beauty from the Māori’s land and from their mouths,” she explains. “Being able to do so is such a wonderful thing and I know it is one of the main reasons I chose to study at Victoria University of Wellington.”
Ramos sends a big mahalo to UH Hilo Director of Global Education Carolina Lam for her help in the study abroad process.
“I want so say mahalo for this opportunity because I never thought it would be possible for me, but Carolina and the UH Hilo Study Abroad Scholarship have given me this opportunity to live out a lifelong dream of mine, to learn, and to travel to a place of my dreams which is now my reality. Mahalo,” says Ramos.
Reece Nakamatsu, Chemistry Major
University of Birmingham, England
UH Hilo Study Abroad Scholarship Recipient, $1,000
Reece Nakamatsu says through his study abroad experience, he aims “to bring back insights, fresh ideas, and experience that will help me contribute to my community’s growth and foster a global mindset that will benefit local initiatives.”
He says the scholarship has given him the opportunity to fully focus on his studies and career development as a pharmacist, “giving me the financial support to make the most of my time abroad.”
He says he is most excited about being in a new culture.
“What excites me the most about this study abroad experience is the opportunity to immerse
myself in a new culture, meet new people, and gain an international perspective that will shape
my academic and personal growth,” he says.
“P.S. Also getting tattooed in a different country :)” he adds in his email.
Keleni Faanunu, Biology Major
Korea University, South Korea
John & Anya McVickar Scholarship, $1,000
Audrey S. Furukawa Scholarship, $2,000
Gertrude E. McVickar Scholarship, $1,000
“This scholarship will help me to become more knowledgeable in my field, which I will bring back to my career in Hawaiʻi” says Faanunu. “I am most excited to explore the cuisines of South Korea!”
Mahalo to Carolina Lam, UH Hilo’s director of global education, for producing this story.
