Supporting the next generation of Hawai‘i scientists

A Journey

High school friends, college sweethearts, and then newlyweds, Myron’s military assignments took them to Germany, then to California, and eventually to Washington DC. After retiring from the Army, he worked as a consultant and later founded BP International, a professional services firm, and Carol worked for the federal government, primarily with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Inspired

After 30 years in D.C., the Hawaiian Islands finally called them home and they made their way back to O‘ahu. It was there that they reconnected with their former Roosevelt High School classmate, Jo-Ann Leong. Dr. Leong was Director of the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the time and shared with them some of the amazing work HIMB students were doing.

Seeing the exciting research of HIMB students inspired Myron and Carol to start supporting students in 2008, and in 2010 they created the Carol Ann & Myron K. Hayashida HIMB Student Support Fund. They made a point to attend the HIMB Student Symposium as often as they could to see presentations of students from across the institute.

“We’re always so fortunate to go to Coconut Island,” Carol said. “It has been so wonderful watching the students at HIMB grow in confidence.”

Sadly, after a wonderful life, career, and lifetime of generosity, Myron passed away in 2016. Carol says the scholarship held a very special place of joy in his full life.

“He developed some great relationships with students as a result of the scholarship,” she said. “Myron and Kaipo, one of our first scholarship recipients, went diving together on the Big Island and kept in touch for many years. Myron loved hearing about what he did. This kind of research is something he would have loved to have done himself.”

Myron and Carol shared a vision for their scholarship and students at HIMB: “We wanted to help raise the next generation of scientists. Our dream would be to have a scholarship recipient one day be a researcher at HIMB. To see local kids grow up to change the world and contribute to their field, and to know we helped, would be wonderful.”

Celebrating Myron’s life and legacy

It’s safe to say that that day will soon be here. The Myron and Carol Ann Hayashida Scholarship has supported over 25 students and their research. SOEST and HIMB are honored to celebrate Myron’s memory and legacy of generosity through the scholarship and the student research they have enabled.