Japanese Cultural Society of Maui Seeking Students To Apply for College Scholarships

The Japanese Cultural Society of Maui is seeking high school seniors and full-time UH Maui College students to apply for its cultural scholarships.

The scholarships are for students who are pursuing further education with a record of involvement in promoting and perpetuating the Japanese culture or Japanese language and a desire to continue to do so. The deadline for applications to be received is March 31, 2021.

The society will award three $1000 scholarships, and one $1,750 scholarship for the recipient of the Asa Ellison Memorial Scholarship Award, which is for a student who has shown grit in learning and in the perpetuation of the Japanese language.

Ellison was a former president of the society who unexpectedly passed away in March 2020 due to cancer. Ellison was a tour guide with JTB (a travel agency in Japan), a celebrated photographer and a society board member for many years. He began learning Nihongo (Japanese language) as a student of then-Maui Community College and fully embraced the Japanese culture. Ellison spoke Japanese fluently and often shared about the importance of perpetuating the language in the society’s mission.

Eligibility for all the scholarships:
● The applicant must be a resident of the island of Maui.
● The applicant must be a graduate of the class of 2021 from a high school on Maui or a current full-time student at the University of Hawaii Maui College.
● The applicant must complete the Scholarship Program Application Form and submit all the requirements by the deadline.

Scholars must be able to appear in person to accept the scholarship from the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui at a designated place and time, which is typically at its Maui Matsuri celebration. But your safety is our priority. In case of a virtual event, scholars will be requested to submit a 2-minute acceptance video, which will be shared on the society’s platforms.