LIHU‘E — There was none of the celebration that included parents, and other members of the Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i, and the club’s mascot teddy bear when the club announced the recipients of the 2020 Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i scholarship awardees, recently.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be having our normal recognition dinner and awards ceremony that traditionally took place at the Puakea Golf Course,” said Scott Sato, the scholarship committee chair for the Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i. “The club, however, would like to recognize their hard work and achievements.”
Tu Nguyen and Angeline Roslin are both graduating from Kapa‘a High School, and are two of the five scholarship recipients. Brent Torres, Allyson Casasola, and Glycelle Marie Morden are the recipients graduating from Kaua‘i High School.
Nguyen, Roslin, and Torres were each awarded $1,000 scholarships, and Casasola and Morden were each recipients of $500 scholarships.
Nguyen, the daughter of John and Tam Swarey, carries a current Grade Point Average of 4.179 and is the Kapa‘a High School Key Club vice president of services as well as past historian for the club. She plans to attend the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa with an expected field of study in dental hygiene.
Roslin, the daughter of Lucina Roslin, plans on attending the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa for a degree in nursing. She is the current Kapa‘a High School Key Club president, the past vice president of Social Relations, and the club’s past historian. She holds a 4.071 GPA.
Torres, the Kaua‘i High School Key Club’s president and secretary and past Event Chairperson, is heading to the University of Portland to study Electrical Engineering. The son of Edgar and Sharlene Torres, Brent holds a 4.140 GPA.
Casasola will be winging to the University of Oregon to study psychology following graduation with a 3.849 GPA. The daughter of Arcadio and Arlene Casasola, Allyson is the Kaua‘i High School Key Club’s president and Division Member Recognition Program Coordinator and Club Sergeant-at-Arms and Division Membership, Education and Development Coordinator.
Morden expects to attend the Kaua‘i Community College in the fall for her Liberal Arts pursuit. The daughter of Edna Degracia, Glycelle holds a 3.327 GPA and is the treasurer for the Kaua‘i High School Key Club.
The Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i has provided $88,500 in scholarships since 1989 to deserving Key Club members.
Recipients are awarded based on their respective leadership, community service activities, academic achievements, need, advisor comments, and an essay.
Funds for the scholarships are raised by the Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i through various fundraisers throughout the year, including the recent Steak Fry lunch held at Mark’s Place and Contemporary Flavors Catering, and car washes.
Cheryl Shintani, the caretaker of the mascot teddy bears and Key Club honeybees, leads the Kiwanis Club of Kaua‘i as its president, meeting on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at the Puakea Grille at the Puakea Golf Course.
