Two Maui High School seniors awarded $32,500 Bob Poulson Scholarship

The Construction Industry of Maui awarded two Maui high school seniors with the prestigious Bob Poulson Scholarship.

Jaysen Akahi-Vida of Lahainaluna High School and Yuna Lee from Maui Preparatory Academy were awarded $32,500 scholarships each. They were honored at a scholarship banquet at the Fuego Argentinean Steakhouse at the Maui Lani Golf Course in Kahului on May 24.

The funds were raised by the CIM and its supporters in November 20222.

The Bob Poulson scholarship encourages Maui students to pursue a degree in the construction and design industry out of state, then bring their acquired knowledge and skills back to Maui to serve their communities.

Bob Poulson was a steward in the Maui community and a construction industry veteran. One of the original leaders of the Construction Industry of Maui organization, he co-founded Arita Poulson General Contracting in 1986, and was involved with the building and remodeling of over 1,000 projects statewide including schools, hotels, healthcare facilities and other significant commercial projects on Maui.

This scholarship was created to honor Bob Poulson’s legacy, to perpetuate his spirit of helping others, his leadership and how he enjoyed teaching young people about the opportunities in the construction industry. To date,  $200,000 in scholarship funds have been awarded to deserving Maui high school students. 

To be eligible for the scholarships applicants were required to be from a Maui high school and entering a 2- or 4-year degree program in construction, engineering, landscaping and/or other design fields.

Recipient Jaysen Akahi-Vida will pursue a degree in Architectural and Civil Engineering from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington.

According to the CIM: “As an athlete, Jaysen takes pride in his ability to challenge himself both physically and academically. A fourth-generation pig farmer, he hopes that his humble beginnings and work ethic instilled in him by his family, will be the foundation to great success for his future.”

“My dream is to one day become the owner of a world class Maui-based business,” Jaysen said. “And I would like to build this dream alongside a strong crew of construction, planning and design industry professionals from my community,” he said. 

Fellow recipient, Yuna Lee, is a member of the National Honor Society, the Student Senate and the GSA Club.

According to the CIM: “Yuna’s passion for building began as a youngster and she was often found “inventing” products or gadgets and building with Legos or other available materials.”

She plans to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington to major in Engineering with a minor in Construction Management and Business.

“My intent is to return to Maui after graduation and establish a business that constructs affordable, sustainable homes for our communities,” she said. “My goal is to use my education, my love for Maui and work hard to improve my community and its future.”

“We are beyond excited to award these two scholarships to two very deserving local students who met very high academic standards and other requirements during our selection period,” said Anthony Nelson, CIM Scholarship Committee Chair and President of Maui based company, Rethink Restoration. “We are so grateful to everyone in the construction and Maui community for their generosity in making these scholarships possible so these students can pursue their dreams of higher education, earn their degree and then come back to Maui to make an impact in the construction industry. These students will become role models for future generations.”