The Stan Sheriff Center came to life when close to 450 donors and students came together to celebrate the transformational impact scholarship support is making in the lives of so many UH students. The evening highlighted UH as a Hawaiian place of learning. Speakers and the uplifting video explored how scholarships help UH fulfill that mission across a wide breadth of disciplines and contribute to the educational experience of all students of all backgrounds.
The Tuahine Serenaders, led by Dr. Keawe Lopes, Jr., was integral to the evening’s success with their music, hula and oli. Tuahine is a group of selected aspiring students specializing in the perpetuation of the Hawaiian Language through mele (songs and chants) and performance. The Serenaders help sustain Hawaiian culture by learning mele composed by native speakers. They perform these as they were originally intended, bringing life to the stories that are embedded within the lyrics. The Tuahine Serenaders is a part of the Mele Institute of Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language in the Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Speakers included Chairman of the UH Foundation Board Ron N.S. Ho (BS '67, MS '68) who shared why he supports UH. UH Mānoa Chancellor Tom Apple warmly thanked donors and introduced two scholarship recipients. Kaili Taniguchi, an undergraduate business student who is already giving back through a nonprofit she established, shared how scholarships have helped her pursue her dreams. We also heard from Dr. Kaipo Perez III, who was able to achieve his doctorate and work in Hawai‘i in the field he loves – marine biology – thanks in part to scholarships, and the donors who became his mentors.
“I support UH because I believe our children of Hawai‘i should all be able to have access to a first rate university education at UH. I believe that a college education is necessary to prepare them to be integral to our complex society-whether it is in arts, sports, music, medicine, education, engineering, or just about anything we do today
Secondly, I support UH because I believe in “giving back” or “paying forward”, both intended to insure a better future for our children of Hawai‘i.”
Ron N. S. Ho (BS '67, MS '68)
UH Foundation board chair and donor
