LEEWARD OʻAHU — North Star Scientific has made a $75,000 pledge to support scholarships for full-time and part-time Leeward Community College students who are pursuing studies, or a teaching degree, in the Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Math (STEM) fields.
North Star Scientific was started by Dr. James Stamm and University of Hawaiʻi alumni Robert and Sharmaine Swisher in 2001. It designs, develops, tests, and flight qualifies high performance electronics for land-based, ship-based, and airborne Department of Defense applications. This new gift from North Star Scientific builds on its 2009 $30,000 gift that established the North Star Scientific Scholarship. To date, this scholarship has benefited 26 students, many of whom were graduates of Aiea High School,
Campbell High School, Kamehameha
Schools, McKinley High School,
Mililani High School, Moanalua High School, Pearl City High School, Waianae High School and Waipahu High School.
"We at North Star Scientific are honored to have the opportunity to share our blessings and support individuals in our community who are furthering their career paths through education," said James (Jim) Stamm, president and CEO. "At the same time, we are seeding the future local workforce with the technical skills we will need to grow our staff and the high tech industry in general."
For many Leeward students, scholarship support is critical to their ability to access and succeed in their academic journeys. "I see so many students struggling to pay their tuition," said Aileen Lum-Akana, Leeward Community College financial aid director for the past 10 years. She continued, "Sometimes after all is said and done, they don't have enough money to buy a bus pass." Lum-Akana concluded, "We are sincerely thankful to North Star Scientific for reaching out and providing our STEM students with much-needed financial support."
Leeward Community College chancellor Manny Cabral added, "Sharmaine and Robert Swisher are wonderful examples of alumni who truly believe in giving back. Mahalo!"
Robert Swisher graduated with his A.A. from Leeward CC in 1993; a B.S. in Physics from UH Mānoa in 1997 and a M.S. in Engineering from UH Mānoa in 1999. Sharmaine Swisher graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from UH Mānoa in 2001.
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The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
Leeward Community College: Located in Pearl City, Hawaiʻi, Leeward CC is a regional community center, creating both an environment for academic learning and a center of cultural life for our neighbors. From professional career studies to liberal arts, the College offers diverse and comprehensive opportunities for all students. http://www.leeward.hawaii.edu
