3 Maui Students Earn McDonald’s Employee Scholarships

By Wendy Osher

McDonald's Kahului, file photo by Wendy Osher.

Three Maui students are the recipients of employee scholarships through McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii.  The company awarded a total of  $25,000 to 10 of its top student employees around the state. These outstanding employee-scholars were selected based on academic achievement, community involvement and on-the-job performance.

Maui honorees include seniors Cherry-Anne Parubrub from Baldwin High School and Jonathan Ranchez from Maui High School, both of whom work at the McDonald’s of Kahului.  Also honored is Maui High School senior, B-Jay Utrera, who is employed at the  McDonald’s of Dairy Road.

All three Maui students plan to attend the University of Hawaii, Maui College in the Fall.

“We are extremely proud of our employee-scholars’ accomplishments,” said Veronica Kaneko, president and managing director of McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii. “We look forward every year to supporting outstanding staff members as they seek to further their education and move toward their career goals.”

Each winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship, which will be applied toward his or her college education. McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii has been providing scholarship awards to student employees since 1995.

Other McDonald’s Employee Scholarship Program winners are:

• Danielle Ferguson, a senior at Kalaheo High School and employee at the McDonald’s of Marine Corp Base Hawaii (MCBH); she has not yet selected a college.
• Kimberly Kishimoto, a senior at Honokaa High School and employee at McDonald’s of Waimea.  She will attend Western Washington University.
• Malie Koehler is a senior at Christian Liberty Academy, and an employee at McDonald’s of Kealakekua.  She will attend Hawaii Community College.
• Jessica Mina is a senior at James Campbell High School, and an employee at McDonald’s of Ewa Beach.  She will attend Seattle Pacific University.
• Erin Momono is a senior at Mililani High School, and an employee at the McDonald’s of Mililani Mauka.  She will attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
• Kent Richie Pardillo is a senior at James Campbell High School, and an employee at McDonald’s of Waipahu.  He will attend Hawaii Pacific University.
• Quinton Wong is a senior at Kaiser High School, and an employee at McDonald’s of Hawaii Kai.  He will attend Chapman University.

McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii has 75 restaurants and more than 4,600 employees in the state. McDonald’s total economic impact on the state, directly and indirectly, is about $285 million in spending and nearly 12,000 jobs in the community.