Chassidy Sakamoto and Bronson Maulupe-Kanae, two Hawaii Pacific University students from Kahului, were awarded $1,000 from the American Resort Development Association of Hawaii’s (ARDA-Hawaii) Steve Hirano Memorial Scholarship for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Maulupe-Kanae graduated from Maui High School in 2009 and is scheduled to graduate from HPU with a bachelor’s degree in the spring of 2013. His parents are Clarke and Miriam Maulupe-Kanae. Sakamoto, who also hails from Kahului, is a 2010 graduate of H.P. Baldwin High School and should graduate from in the spring of 2014. She is the daughter of Jason Sakamoto and Rosalind Kaholokula.
Bronson is currently in Nagoya, Japan studying abroad and plans to use the funds for this trip. “My future plans involve interacting with tourists of many different backgrounds,” Maulupe-Kanae says.
Sakamoto will be using her scholarship funds for fall semester at HPU. “I want to be a future leader in the hospitality industry,” says Chassidy. “By spring 2014, I will graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, double majoring in Travel Industry Management and General Business. I am currently seeking internship opportunities on Oahu in order for me to start networking with prospective employers and companies and begin acquiring the job skills needed to be successful in the hospitality industry.”
“Bronson and Chassidy exemplify the kind of driven and ardent students and young professionals Hawaii needs in timeshare and travel industry management,” says ARDA-Hawaii Chair Daniel Dinell, who is also Regional Vice President of Sales & Marketing Programs for Hilton Grand Vacations Club’s Asia/Pacific region. “The generosity of the donors and sponsors who support the scholarship fund make it possible for us to continue helping students pursuing careers in our state’s most prominent industry.”
Each year, ARDA-Hawaii raises money from its annual golf tournament to support the Steve Hirano Memorial Scholarship fund, created as a tribute to the late public affairs executive and long-time supporter of the timeshare industry in Hawaii. ARDA-Hawaii established the scholarship to facilitate the education of students attending HPU and to provide an opportunity for students to pursue a career in the timeshare industry, especially those from Hawaii. To qualify for consideration, applicants must be enrolled full-time in the TIM program with a Junior or Senior class status, and have a 3.20 minimum GPA.
Since its inception seven years ago, the ARDA-Hawaii Golf Tournament has raised more than $70,000 for the scholarship fund. ARDA-Hawaii is the local chapter of the American Resort Development Association, the national timeshare trade association. The state’s timeshare units account for 13 percent of the state’s visitor lodging inventory and thousands of jobs. You can learn more about “Timeshare with Aloha” at www.ARDA.org.