The Paubox Kahikina Scholarship helps Native Hawaiian students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and Tech in general. Its purpose is to offer financial support and create a strong network for these students. The scholarship makes education more affordable and connects students with professionals, giving them valuable opportunities to learn and grow in their chosen STEM or Tech fields. This scholarship is about more than just money; it's about building a community and empowering Native Hawaiian students to succeed in STEM or Tech careers.
See also: The big ideas behind the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship
Kaimana Kau is one of the Paubox Kahikina Scholarship 2023 recipients and is now attending Stanford University, studying toward a mechanical engineering degree. Here is a word from Kaimana:
“How's it going everyone. My name is Kon and I am a 2023 Paubox Kahikina STEM Scholarship recipient. This is my year one update.
I just finished my freshman year at Stanford University. I decided that I'm going to be studying mechanical engineering with a focus in ocean engineering. This year's been really great. I made a lot of great memories, great friends, great connections.
One of my highlights of this past year was joining a club called Stanford ESW which is engineers for a sustainable world and I took the subsequent class with that club and I got to work on a glass crusher for a nonprofit in Kenya. This was for women and children to use to recycle their glass waste, which is a big problem. That was a really great opportunity and beneficial for learning and everything.
This summer, I'm interning for SE Engineering in Hawaii. I'm hoping to break into the field of ocean engineering because I think there are a lot of applications back home as far as wave energy and sustainable practices that come with ocean engineering and taking care of our oceans.
That's it for me on my year one reflection. Again, I want to thank everyone at Paubox for all their support. It really helps lift the financial burden of attending postsecondary education. Thank you, everyone at Paubox.”
Watch: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship Recipient 2024 Update
Read also: Paubox Kahikina Scholarship Recipient 2023: Kaimana Kau