In a heartwarming collaboration, Hawaiian Airlines and Arizona State University (ASU) awarded the first of its eight $10,000 grants to native Hawaiian undergraduates under the New Horizons Scholarship Fund.
Meet the Inaugural IT Scholarship Recipients
Hauʻoli Kalipi, a sophomore from Hilo High School on Hawai’i Island, and Preston Naʻalelalani Ponteras, a senior from Oʻahu’s Kamehameha Schools, were the fortunate recipients of these scholarships aimed at nurturing their aspirations in the field of Information Systems in the W. P. Carey School of Business’s Information Systems program.
In a thank-you letter, Hauʻoli Kalipi expressed her aspirations to use her degree to benefit Hawaiʻi businesses like Hawaiian Airlines or delve into sports analytics. She highlighted her involvement as an honours college student, a W.P. Carey Leadership Academy member, and her professional beginnings as a data assistant.
Preston Naʻalelalani Ponteras echoed his pride in representing Hawaiʻi in Arizona and appreciated Hawaiian Airlines for recognising his achievements. As a native Hawaiian, he sees his accomplishments as representing the islands positively, and the scholarship reinforces his commitment to excelling in his endeavours.
Hawaiian Airlines’ Ongoing Commitment to Hawaiʻi’s Education in the IT Sector
Hawaiian Airlines and ASU officially solidified their partnership in January by establishing the New Horizons Scholarship Fund, consisting of eight $10,000 grants for Hawaiʻi students pursuing IT pathways.
It reflects. Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean, and W. P. Carey expressed gratitude for this scholarship initiative, emphasising that Hauʻoli and Preston were chosen based on their exceptional academic performance and contributions to the ASU community.
It is worth noting that Hawaiian Airlines sponsored ASU’s annual ʻOhana Day with a generous $20,000 donation. The overarching goal is to invest in the future workforce, addressing the growing demand for skilled IT professionals at Hawaiian Airlines and across Hawaiʻi.
Expressing the airline’s commitment to academic excellence and community welfare, the managing director of information technology at Hawaiian Airlines, Matthew Chimbos, during ASU’s 2023 ʻOhana Day, where the airline awarded the scholarship, emphasized ASU’s role as a valuable partner in providing relevant learning opportunities for Hawaiʻi students interested in the thriving IT sector, envisioning a future where these IT scholarship recipients contribute to Hawaiian Airlines’ success.
Currently, 702 Hawaiʻi students attend ASU, which boasts an average student population of 143,000, growing annually. ASU’s W. P. Carey Department of Information Systems consistently ranks among the top 20 in the nation for both undergraduate and graduate programs, as recognised by U.S. News & World Report. The department nurtures information systems and data analytics skills for real-world applications.
Hawaiian Airlines has also extended its commitment to supporting education in Hawaiʻi by providing a $100,000 gift to the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) to establish scholarships for students pursuing information technology, computer science, cybersecurity, and related computer technology programs at UH System’s three four-year universities.
The airline also collaborates with Honolulu Community College, where airline instructors teach classes for the school’s Aeronautics Maintenance Program. The airline has also joined UH’s IT/Cyber Leap-Start Experience Excelerator Program, offering invaluable on-the-job training to local students, further contributing to Hawaiʻi’s educational and technological growth.
What are your thoughts on Hawaiian Airlines and the Arizona State University (ASU) IT scholarship scheme? Let us know in the comments below!
