Hawaii Lions Club Awards $7K to Five Graduating Seniors

Five students from Konawaena High School are heading to college with a financial boost and something even more valuable: recognition for making their community better.

The Lions Club of Kona Community Foundation awarded $7,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors on May 18, honoring them for academic achievement, leadership, and hours spent serving their Big Island neighbors. Hawaii's largest Lions Club selected students who proved that success means lifting others up.

Tia Ichishita received the largest award at $2,000 through the Lion Shari Ann Ogi/Akinori Imai Memorial Scholarship. Analani Craft also earned $2,000 via the Ken and Kimiko Hayashi Memorial Scholarship, recognizing students who embody the spirit of giving that defined these late community leaders.

Three additional students received $1,000 awards. Maila Daniels won the Outstanding Leo Club Member Scholarship for youth leadership. Enhao Zheng earned the Community Service Scholarship Award. Maxon McCloskey received the PDG Norman Sakata Memorial Scholarship.

The Ripple Effect

These scholarships represent more than tuition help. They're proof that small acts of service create waves that come back to shore.

Each winning student logged countless hours helping neighbors, leading peers, and strengthening their Kona community. Now local leaders are investing in their futures, creating a cycle where today's scholarship recipients become tomorrow's donors and volunteers.

The Lions Club will honor the five students and their families at a special dinner July 20 at Teshima's Restaurant in Kealakekua. The community celebration is open to anyone who wants to support these rising leaders, with $25 dinner tickets available by calling 808-756-3838.

The scholarships carry forward the legacies of community members like Shari Ann Ogi, Akinori Imai, Ken and Kimiko Hayashi, and Norman Sakata, people who believed in lighting the path for the next generation. Now five more young people will carry that torch forward, armed with education, opportunity, and a community that believes in them.