2021 Scholarship Recipients

The goal of the HCCNC Scholarship Program is to support student leaders as role models for the Hawai‘i community. This year we are pleased to support three outstanding students! 

Congratulations to Katrina Kuo, Kaed Esposo, and Ben Vento, recipients of the 2021 HCCNC Scholarship!

 
 

KATrina kuo

Katrina Kuo is a recent graduate of Kalani High School and is from Honolulu, Hawai’i. During high school, she founded a Computer Science Club and served as a co-president for the LEO Community Service Club, president for the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, vice president for the DECA Business Chapter, co-captain for the Oahu Math League, and cello section leader for orchestra. Katrina also enjoys giving back to the Hawai`i community. Throughout high school, she volunteered to organize meal distributions to help the homeless, preserved Native Hawaiian plants at a micropropagation lab, and assisted the kūpuna at a local senior home. Interacting with the kūpuna and hearing about their personal stories inspired Katrina to create a medicine dispenser assistant to prevent overdoses and design an intelligent incontinence pad to alert caregivers about incontinence. Katrina will be attending Stanford University this coming fall and is planning to pursue Bioengineering and Management Science & Engineering. She intends to return to Hawai’i after college to design life-changing innovations, reduce the gender and ethnic gaps in the STEM fields, and make healthcare more accessible for everyone.

 

KAEd esposo

Kaed Esposo is a recent graduate of Kauai High School and will be attending the University of California, Berkeley in the fall. He plans to double major in Political Science and Legal Studies with hopes to attend law school with a specialization in environmental law. Growing up in Hawaii, he has made it his mission to help save the environment and preserve the lands that raised him. Throughout high school, he advocated for stricter environmental laws as an intern for U.S. Senator Schatz, organized beach clean-ups and public service announcements as the co-founder of the Ocean Conservation club at his school, and spearheaded environmental student movements as a committee chair in the Hawaii State Student Council. Kaed plans to use his education to further his efforts of saving Hawaii’s environment as a member of the law field.

 
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benjamin vento

Benjamin Vento is a 2020 graduate of Waiakea High School located in Hilo, Hawaii, and is currently attending the University of California, Berkeley. During his high school career, Benjamin dedicated his time to LEO club and its various community activities. He also sought to contribute to his school community throughout his time as the Student Government Association Secretary, in which he, along with his fellow officers, took on the responsibility of organizing school assemblies and activities. Benjamin was also a member of the Waiakea High School cross country, wrestling, and judo teams, serving as a co-captain for both wrestling and judo his senior year. During his time in the Business, Engineering, Sciences, and Technology Academy of Waiakea, Ben developed his passion for civil engineering and has declared it as his major. Through his membership of Berkeley’s Cal Construction team and his internship with Okahara and Associates Engineering firm, he has and will continue to learn the essentials to being a successful civil engineer. It is his hope that he may continue to serve his community through the development of infrastructure and the various civic projects he will undertake in his future profession."