For most nursing students, the path to graduation is a test of endurance. However, for Reshmi Rao, it’s been something even greater – a journey shaped by loss, resilience and a promise made quietly in her heart.
Before entering the nursing program at University of Hawaiʻi Maui College (UHMC), Rao had set her sights on medical school. After earning her bachelor’s degree in pre-medical biology from UH Mānoa, she planned to become a forensic pathologist and give back to her Maui community. But during her college senior year – at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic – everything changed.
A sudden medical emergency: an MRI detected a 5 mm brain aneurysm. Emergency surgery at Stanford Medical Center. Months of difficult recovery.
“It was burdensome, mentally exhausting and physically overwhelming,” Rao shared. “But I got through the semester. I knew I had to keep moving forward, even if my path looked different now.”
That health crisis forced her to step back from her original dream. Yet, in the middle of that uncertainty, something else became clear.
“My older sister passed away from a stroke at age 14,” Rao recounted. “She always wanted to be a nurse. I started to feel like maybe this was my chance to carry her dream forward – through me.”
After completing her bachelor’s, Rao had a three year gap before she applied to UHMC’s nursing program. Yet, there was one major concern: the cost. Years of school had already left her with student loans and depleted financial aid.
That’s when she learned she had been selected as a Kam Scholar, which was established in 2024 with a $2 million gift from the Gilbert and Aileen Chuck Charitable Trust. The program helps ease the financial burden for first- and second-year nursing students by covering tuition, books, fees and other education-related costs.
A new $1 million pledge this year builds on the trust’s initial $2 million gift. Together, these funds offer full academic scholarships for students enrolled in UH Maui College’s Practical Nurse (PN) and Associate in Science Registered Nurse (ASN) programs, and will eventually support students in the college’s anticipated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. In the interim, the scholarship will assist UHMC ASN graduates in pursuing their BSN at other campuses by covering tuition, books, fees and other academic expenses.
The Kam Scholars Program honors Aileen Chuck’s father, Dr. Edwin T. Kam (1904–1993), a physician who practiced in Windward Oʻahu after training in China and at the University of Pennsylvania.
“We wanted to eliminate the barriers that keep talented, hardworking students from pursuing a career in nursing,” said Ron Purdy, trustee for the Gilbert and Aileen Chuck Charitable Trust. “This scholarship is meant to give them a real chance – not just to succeed in school, but to serve their communities for years to come.”
For Rao, the scholarship has been a lifeline. Though ongoing medical challenges prevented her from attending the in-person scholarship event in fall 2024, she remains deeply grateful.
“Receiving this scholarship has lifted such a huge weight off my shoulders,” she said. “It’s given me hope. And it’s deepened my understanding of why compassionate, patient-centered care matters so much – especially having lived through my own medical struggles.”
Rao’s story is just one example of how scholarships not only ease financial burdens, but also nurture the values and vision that future nurses will carry into their careers – something the Chuck family deeply believes in.
“Our support for UH Maui College’s nursing program is rooted in a deep respect for the critical role nurses play in the health and well-being of our community,” said Purdy. “This investment is both a tribute to Aileen’s lifelong values and a promise to future generations. Supporting nursing students now means building a future where Maui’s community receives caring and expert healthcare for future generations.”
For Rao, nursing is a legacy that honors her sister, her community and the strength it takes to embrace the future.
“I hope that one day, I can pay it forward,” said Rao, who learned that she had once again been named a Kam Scholar for her second year in nursing school. “I want to support others, just as this scholarship has supported me.”
Questions? / More Information
If you would like to learn how you can support UH students and programs like this, please contact us at 808-956-8700 or send us a message.
