2025 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 nearly $120,000 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 Jada Lee, Gabbie Nakamatsu, and Benjamin Tang, recipients of the 2025 HCCNC Scholarship!
Jada lee
Jada is a current Senior majoring in Society and Environment & Education at the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from the island of Oʻahu, Jada is committed to advancing equitable education for Native Hawaiians. Post-graduation, Jada plans to pursue a Master’s in Education focusing on Learning Sciences and Human Development. At Berkeley, Jada, along with three fellow students, helped redesign an elective course focused on Native Hawaiian curriculum. This course emphasizes Moʻolelo (stories), Hawaiian culture, and language, aiming to bridge the gap for Native Hawaiians who grew up outside the islands and may have limited exposure to their culture.
In addition to her academic work, Jada has developed the Kulia Project (kuliaproject.com), an online database connecting students to scholarship opportunities. This passion project transformed into a long-term resource dedicated to helping Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students pursue higher education. Jada is very grateful to the HCCNC for supporting her educational journey.
GABBIE NAKAMATSU
Gabbie Nakamatsu is a current freshman in the Santa Clara University Honors Program majoring in Biology and Neuroscience with minors in Japanese Studies and Biotechnology. She grew up in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, and graduated from Punahou School in 2024. Throughout middle and high school, Gabbie emphasized her passion for community service and giving back by volunteering in the Punahou elementary and middle schools, helping to run the Punahou Carnival, and giving up her weekends at Hale Kūʻike, a dementia home in Kāneʻohe, Hawaiʻi. She also worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Japanese language program at Punahou, helping the youngest learners to get comfortable with learning a new language. In high school, she founded a club focused on exposing students interested in medicine to the “care” aspect of healthcare. Through this club, she learned a lot about organization and leadership, as well as furthered her love for giving back. At Santa Clara University, she is involved with Ka Manaʻo O Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi club, which allows her to feel connected to home despite being so far away. She is also currently serving as the Community Service chair for Rho Psi Eta, a pre-health sorority dedicated to academic excellence, leadership, and service. Gabbie’s ultimate goal is to go to medical school and return home in order to help with the ongoing physician shortage faced in Hawaiʻi. She is very thankful to the HCCNC for helping her to continue chasing her dreams.
BENJAMIN TANG
Benjamin Tang grew up in Honoka‘a, Hawaiʻi, and graduated from Parker School in 2025. He is a current freshman at Stanford University double majoring in Economics and Mathematics. Throughout his life, Benjamin has been passionate about financial literacy, STEM education, and social entrepreneurship. In high school, this led him to lead a mentorship program in Parker’s Investment Club, develop curriculum and teach personal finance camps for thousands of students in Silicon Valley Financial Literacy, conduct scientific research on the relationship between patient characteristics and hypertension in Hawai‘i, serve as the Director of Operations for an equity research firm, and build automated computer systems for Hatch Blue to support a sustainable blue economy in Hawai‘i. Benjamin was also a volunteer English teacher for underserved students in rural China, a Business Development Intern at AI startup NeuralX, and an Algae Technician Intern at local cleantech startup Blue Ocean Barns. Currently, he is a Student Program Leader at the nonprofit Hawai‘i International Science Experience (hise.world) where he is organizing an international STEM camp on Hawai‘i Island to provide a clear and inspiring gateway for students to access local STEM opportunities. Outside of these activities, Benjamin loves exploring the outdoors and playing polo, recently becoming the first Hawai‘i-based team to win the Western Open Regional Polo Championship. Benjamin's ultimate goal is to return to Hawai‘i and integrate business with sustainability to strengthen both the economy and the environment. He is deeply grateful to HCCNC for their support in his academic and career journey.