Gathered for the signing are (L-R) at the table Bro. Bernard Ploeger, SM (Chaminade University President) and Michael Kimo Wong (Alaka’ina Foundation Board President) and in the back row Clayton Rasberry (Alaka’ina Foundation Family of Companies, COO), Diane Peters-Nguyen (Chaminade University Vice President of Institutional Advancement) , Vaughn Vasconcellos (Alaka’ina Foundation Founder & Chaminade University Board of Regents Chairman), Dave Mortensen (Alaka’ina Foundation Board Advisor), Bill Villa (Alaka’ina Foundation Board Treasurer/Secretary), Phil Kahue (Alaka’ina Foundation Exec. Director), and Craig Floro (Alaka’ina Foundation Family of Companies, CEO) .
The Alaka’ina Foundation announced on Aug. 11, at the Pacific Club, a major gift of $1 million to establish the Alaka`ina Foundation Endowed Scholarship at Chaminade University. The endowment will fund scholarships for students of Native Hawaiian ancestry, which will be available in fall 2017.
The new scholarships will benefit students across a range of disciplines including Business, Environmental and Interior Design, Communications, Political Science, History, International Studies, Education, Criminal Justice, and Behavioral Sciences.
Principal at Alaka`ina Foundation and chairman of Chaminade University’s Board of Regents, Vaughn G. A. Vasconcellos, has been a loyal, longtime supporter of Chaminade and a strong advocate for Native Hawaiian students at the institution. “Over the years, I have been privileged to meet countless Chaminade students who persist in achieving excellence while overcoming significant barriers. The Foundation seeks to invest in helping them to succeed, and thereby invest in a positive future for the community of Hawaii,” stated Vasconcellos.
Chaminade University President Bro. Bernard Ploeger said, “We are grateful for this truly magnanimous gift from Alaka’ina. This will mean expanded possibilities for our Native Hawaiian students, giving them opportunities to pursue the discipline of their choice. Wherever students’ academic passions lead them, here is support because of the Foundation’s generosity. ”
The Alaka`ina Foundation is a nonprofit, Native Hawaiian organization with a mission to build and promote leadership and educational initiatives for the youth of Hawaii. Closely aligned with Chaminade’s mission, the goal of the Foundation is to develop a new generation of leaders, especially those among rural areas, to serve in local communities as well as abroad.
Members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and its management team have been instrumental in transforming Chaminade over the years. They have provided invaluable counsel and support for various student programs and campus initiatives during some of the University’s most pivotal years. Alaka`ina Foundation will preserve its legacy at Chaminade through this endowed scholarship that will benefit future generations of Native Hawaiian students for years to come.