Hospitality Industry Awards $61,000 in Scholarships, Maui County Students Take Top Two Awards

Two Maui County seniors were named the top statewide scholars in the Citizen-Scholars award program and another was named the top scholar for Maui County.

Mallory H. Go of Moloka‘i High School was selected as the top female scholar and will attend Brown University in the fall where she intends to study Public Health and Japanese. Hāna High & Intermediate School’s Owali Moea‘i was chosen as the top male scholar and will attend Brigham Young University – Hawai‘i where he will major in Computer Science and Hawaiian Language. King Kekaulike High School senior Aleth Sabugo was announced as the top scholar for Maui County and will attend the University of Hawai‘i – Maui. Go and Moea‘i each received a total of $6,000 in scholarships while Sabugo collected $3,500.

In total, 41 graduating seniors were named Citizen-Scholars and received $1,000 scholarships. The following Maui County students were among those selected:

Erin A. Mukai
Baldwin High School
University of Washington

Owali A.M. Moea‘i
Hāna High & Elementary School
Brigham Young University-Hawai‘i

Aleth S. Sabugo
King Kekaulike High School
University of Hawai‘i Maui College

Caitlin Raquel L. Baclay
Lahainaluna High School
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Ryllah-Rae M.O.K. Rodrigues
Lāna‘i High & Elementary School
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

Sydnie M. Matsuda
Maui High School
Pacific University

Mallory H. Go
Moloka‘i High School
Brown University

HLTA President & CEO Mufi Hannemann praised the Citizen-Scholar Class of 2021, saying, “We are proud to partner with the Star-Advertiser and the Department of Education to recognize the exemplary work of these young leaders. Their accomplishments are all the more impressive when you consider that nearly half of their high school years coincided with a worldwide pandemic.”

“This is my favorite event of the entire year,” said Honolulu Star-Advertiser Chief Revenue Officer Dave Kennedy. “It warms my heart every time I hear all the bios and all the outstanding accomplishments of these Citizen-Scholars.”

Made possible through a partnership between the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and the Hawai‘i State Department of Education, the annual Citizen-Scholars program awards scholarships to graduating seniors from public high schools around the state. Citizen-Scholars are selected by the Department of Education on the basis of their academic achievements and records of community service. They must have maintained a minimum 3.3 grade point average and have been outstanding stewards in their respective communities. Each Scholar receives a $1,000 scholarship that is paid directly to the college that they will attend.

In addition to the 41 Citizen-Scholars and the top Scholar awards, the scholarship program also selected a top Scholar in each county. These students, each of whom received an additional $2,500, are as follows:

Citizen-Scholar County Winners

• Kaua‘i County – Braelyn I. Cayaban – Waimea High School – Colorado College
• O‘ahu – Jessica Li Chang – ‘Aiea High School – Cornell University
• Maui County – Aleth S. Sabugo – King Kekaulike High School – University of Hawai‘i – Maui
• Hawai‘i County – Riley T. Blaber – Kealakehe High School – Cornell University

Citizen-Scholar Sponsors

• Alaska Airlines
• ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki
• Bank of Hawai’i
• BEI Hawai’i
• Castle Hospitality Group
• Central Pacific Bank
• Domino’s Hawai’i
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• First Hawaiian Bank
• First OnSite
• Halekulani Corporation
• Hawai’i Gas
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Hawaiian Electric
• HLTA – Hawai’i Island Chapter
• HLTA – Kaua’i Chapter
• Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• International Market Place
• Island Movers
• Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club
• Maui Hotel & Lodging Association
• Mauna Kea Resort
• Pūlama Lāna‘i
• Roberts Hawai’i
• Royal Hawaiian Center
• Springboard Hospitality
• University of Hawai’i at Mānoa – Shidler School of Travel Industry Management
• Waikīkī Beach Marriott Resort & Spa