2023 Scholarship Recipients
The goal of the HCCNC Scholarship Program is to support student leaders as role models for the Hawai‘i community. The Scholarship Program is aimed at strengthening the pipeline of Bay Area college-bound students and ensuring retention so that more students obtain their degrees. We seek to support qualified kama‘āina, and assist them in making the transition from high school to college, and from Hawai‘i to the mainland.
The HCCNC Scholarship Program has provided over $100,000 in scholarships donated to deserving students, which would not be possible without our incredible sponsors, supporters, and community gathering for our galas.
This year we are pleased to support three outstanding students! Congratulations to Landon Choy, Kaitlin Kitagawa, and Logan Lau, recipients of the 2023 HCCNC Scholarship!
LANDON CHOY
Landon Choy is a graduating senior at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama. He will be attending Stanford University in the Fall of 2023, majoring in computer science. His passion for STEM extends far beyond the classroom with experiences ranging from developing accessibility devices under Apple, coding software for autonomous vehicles at Oceanit, building a Native Hawaiian history website featured in the Planet Word Museum in Washington DC, and designing three novel devices that can harness the energy in waves and generate electricity. He was awarded the “Most Likely to Design the System Architecture that Wins the Nobel Peace Prize” from Apple in 2022, and won recognition for his projects at numerous national and international competitions, including the International Science and Engineering Fair, Spellman International Clean Tech Competition, International GENIUS Olympiad, and National Stockholm Junior Water Prize to name a few. He was also a volunteer leader at the Ulupo Heiau under the nonprofit Kauluakalana, the District Coordinator of his school’s Student’s Give Back Club, an educational intern at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum, and a member of the National Honors Society. Outside of these activities, he loves getting outdoors and exploring nature. Despite the problems it faces, he believes the world is full of beauty and elegance, all things he wants to preserve through using artificial intelligence to optimize existing renewable energy systems in Hawaiʻi to usher the islands into a new era of sustainability.
kaitlin kitagawa
Kaitlin Kitagawa is a 2023 graduate of King Kekaulike High School. She has a passion for math and science, and is an active member of her school’s STEM, National Honor Society, and Tri-M honor society clubs. Her hobbies include playing the trumpet and piano as a member of the King Kekaulike school jazz, pep, and concert bands. She has also been an active member of the Lucky Clovers 4-H club for nine years. Throughout high school Kaitlin was enrolled in rigorous courses such as AP Biology, AP Japanese, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, and English 100/Sociology 100. She has contributed countless hours to her community. A few of these events include volunteering at Pukalani Elementary’s STEM Night, creating Christmas Cards for elder care homes on Maui with the Lucky Clovers 4-H Club, and distributing food to Upcountry families. Kaitlin plans to attend Santa Clara University and major in bioengineering, eventually earning her masters and doctorate and pursuing a career as a Biomedical Engineer.
LOGAN LAU
Logan Lau was born and raised in ʻĀina Haina on the island of Oʻahu. He is a freshman at Stanford University and is a 2022 graduate of Kamehameha Schools Kapālama. He is majoring in computer science with a sub-focus on either computer engineering or artificial intelligence. He also plans to minor in management science & engineering (MS&E). Throughout high school, Logan was an instrumental leader and advocate for legislative bans on flavored tobacco products, helping to run the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaiʻi’s Youth Council in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute. His passions vary widely, from technology and healthcare to social entrepreneurship and research. Logan’s ultimate goal is to bring his skillsets and passions home where he can uplift and give back to his lāhui. He is incredibly grateful for everyone who’s helped him turn his dreams into a reality, and he thanks HCCNC for all their support.