Edmund C. Olson Trust renews scholarships for UH Hilo aggies
The scholarships support talented local students in their agricultural education, developing the next generation of leaders in Hawaiʻi’s food and natural resource sectors.
A renewed gift from the Edmund C. Olson Trust of Hilo will award five Olson Scholarships to incoming University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo agriculture students, providing full-ride financial support. Several students from Hawaiʻi Community College will also receive this scholarship support. The initiative creates a pathway for talented local students to continue their agricultural education and develop the next generation of leaders in Hawaiʻi’s food and natural resource sectors.
The Olson Trust’s investment in Hawaiʻi Island’s agriculture community is a commitment to sustainability, says UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin.
“The late Ed Olson had confidence in Hawaiʻi’s next generation of agriculturists to have a direct impact on Hawaiʻi Island’s sustainable future,” Irwin says. “We’re grateful for his foresight and commitment to the island.”
Norman Arancon, professor of horticulture and director of UH Hilo’s College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management, applauds the support for Hawaiʻi Island high school graduates to pursue careers in agriculture through the college.
“We learned that students didn’t realize there was money for them to pursue a college education in agriculture,” says Arancon. “Many students assume college is financially out of reach, even when scholarships are available.”
The renewed gift from the trust of one of Hawaiʻi’s largest private landowners will support the Edmund C. Olson Trust II Scholarship for another year, with a preference for students from the Kaʻū District on Hawaiʻi Island.
“It’s equivalent to the value of a Chancellor’s Scholarship, which includes tuition, books, fees and any other related expenses associated with attendance,” Arancon explains. “Eligible students must be agriculture majors with a self-declared focus in one of the following areas: tropical horticulture, agronomy, plant science or agroecology, which is traditionally crop science.”
Students who are selected to be Olson Scholars will also have the chance to become part of a cohort of community leaders to engage with communities across the island as agriculture and educational stewards. Their role will be to build awareness of the programs and funding opportunities at the college and provide mentorship to potential students.
“The way I see scholarships is they are paying me to succeed”
A two-time recipient of the Edmund C. Olson Trust II Scholarship and former president of the Ag Club at UH Hilo, Leilani Jensen says any effort to build up an educated and engaged agricultural community should be encouraged.
“We’re hitting a point in human history where this is becoming more of an important issue to discuss,” says Jensen, who is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in tropical agroecology and in environmental science. “And especially here in the islands where it becomes particularly pronounced. Things here change more rapidly than in other parts of the world.”
This support directly translates into student success, with over 50 percent of them engaging in active research every year, culminating in an end-of-semester symposium. Jensen experienced this transformation firsthand.
“One of the things the scholarship allowed me to do was work one job part-time rather than two,” she notes. “So that really opened up time for me to be able to get involved with the Ag Club work and volunteering.”
By giving her the flexibility to choose her own path, she anticipates graduating with no debt. “This scholarship changed my life drastically,” Jensen says. “I tell my parents the way I see scholarships is they are paying me to succeed.”
Read full media release at the UH Foundation.
