LIHU‘E — Two Waimea High School seniors and one from Kaua‘i High School were announced as the recipients of the 2012 Grove Farm Scholarships last week during a reception for the recipients, their families, members of the Grove Farm Scholarship
LIHU‘E — Two Waimea High School seniors and one from Kaua‘i High School were announced as the recipients of the 2012 Grove Farm Scholarships last week during a reception for the recipients, their families, members of the Grove Farm Scholarship Selection Committee and representatives from the Grove Farm Co. at the Grove Farm Iliahi estate.
John Medeiros and Angelica Tran, both graduating from Waimea High School, and Travis Navarro, the Kaua‘i High School graduate, were named the Grove Farm Scholarship recipients by Warren Haruki, president and CEO of Grove Farm.
“Grove Farm has a legacy of supporting educational initiatives on Kaua‘i and we are honored to be able to support some of our island’s most community-minded students as they continue to pursue their educational goals,” Haruki said in a news release.
“Our Grove Farm Scholarship is one of the largest in the state that focuses on Kaua‘i students and we are committed to recognizing and rewarding strong community service by our island youth. The recipients of this year’s scholarships are all extraordinary individuals and we are extremely proud to have Travis, John and Angelica represent us as Grove Farm Scholars.”
The Grove Farm Foundation awards three scholarships each year and eligible applicants must graduate from one of Kaua‘i’s three public high schools.
Each Grove Farm Scholar will receive $5,000 a year for each of their four years in college, provided they continue volunteering and serving their community.
Over their four-year college undergraduate period, the scholarship could reach $20,000 for deserving recipients.
Travis is the son of Charlene Navarro of Kalaheo and Damien Navarro of O‘ahu. He will be attending Fordham University and will pursue a degree in economics.
The recent graduate was an active member of the award-winning Kaua‘i High School Key Club, serving as its fundraising chair, chapter treasurer and vice president.
Navarro also served as president of both Kaua‘i High’s AKAMAI Finance Academy and National Honor Society.
He surpassed his personal goal of reaching 1,000 hours of community service prior to graduating from high school and has volunteered countless hours to the American Cancer Society.
John, the son of Kimberley and John Medeiros of Oma‘o, will be attending the Oregon Institute of Technology with the goal of earning a mechanical engineering degree.
He is a graduate of Leadership Kaua‘i’s Pi‘ina Hoku youth leadership program and was an active member of Waimea High School’s Believe It or Not Care program. Additionally, he helped make and distribute hygiene kits for the homeless in addition to volunteering his time with the Kaua‘i Humane Society and The Salvation Army.
Angelica is the daughter of Evelyn and Tam Tran of Hanapepe and will be attending USC with plans to major in computer engineering and minor in East Asian cultures.
She served her community by donating her time to assist Kaua‘i STEP, the Waimea High School Leo Club and numerous veterans’ activities while being an active member in Pacific Asian Affairs Council.
In addition to earning the prestigious Legion of Valor award, she served as the Waimea High School Junior ROTC Battalion Commander and raised $1,000 for literacy programs in Vietnam.
The selection process leading to the naming of the three Grove Farm Scholars included narrowing down the field of applicants to the top three students from each of the island’s three public high schools.
The nine finalists were interviewed by the Grove Farm Scholarship Selection Committee, which includes business and community leaders from all facets of Kaua‘i.
Grove Farm commended the efforts of Mia Ako of the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, Valerie Elmore of the Department of Education, George Costa of the County of Kaua‘i, Randall Francisco of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, and Darcie Yukimura of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation for dedicating their time and effort to judge the applicants.
Grove Farm, with headquarters located in Lihu‘e, owns approximately 40,000 acres of land on Kaua‘i, making it one of Kaua‘i’s largest private landowners. In its transition from a sugar plantation to a community development and property management company, Grove Farm has remained focused on building a more sustainable island community.
Visit www.grovefarm.com for more information.
