HMSA celebrates 20 years of Kaimana Awards, opens scholarship applications

The Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association has announced the 20th anniversary of the Kaimana Awards & Scholarship Program, which has awarded 341 student scholarships and 171 school awards to date. With the upcoming Kaimana class of 2025, HMSA will have invested a total of $1.62 million in scholarships and awards to students and schools.

Scholarship applications are available online and are open to graduating Hawaiʻi high school seniors. In recognition of the 20th anniversary milestone, HMSA will award 20 scholarships worth $5,000 each to students who demonstrate excellence in academics, athletics, and community service.

“For the past 20 years, HMSA has had the honor of awarding scholarships to outstanding high school graduates from across the state,” said HMSA President and CEO Mark M. Mugiishi, M.D., F.A.C.S. “This program is one of my favorite HMSA initiatives because our past Kaimana scholars have gone on to pursue careers in a variety of fields that make Hawaiʻi and the world a better place. We’re proud of these investments in Hawaiʻi’s future leaders and the schools that help to support and nurture them.”

HMSA’s Kaimana Awards & Scholarship Program has been supporting Hawaiʻi students and their schools since 2005. Scholarships are available to students from public, private, and independent schools in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Kauaʻi Interscholastic Federation, Maui Interscholastic League, and Oʻahu Interscholastic Association.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Graduate from a Hawaiʻi high school in 2025 with a GPA of 2.75 or higher, verified by an official or unofficial school transcript submitted by a school faculty member.
• Have participated in at least one Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association league-sanctioned sport during one or more of their high school years.
• Be involved in community service projects in addition to school activities.
• Write a personal statement and an essay.
• Submit two letters of recommendation from school faculty, mentors, or coaches.

A committee of local business and community leaders will select the Kaimana Scholarship recipients.

Kaimana Scholarship recipients will be notified by email in April 2025. Recipients can use their scholarships to pay for tuition for higher education, books, computers, and room and board. Scholarship use is subject to National Collegiate Athletic Association rules and regulations for those participating in collegiate sports.

To learn more about the scholarship eligibility requirements and apply, visit hmsa.com/kaimana. Scholarship applications must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.

Kaimana school awards of $1,500 each are also available to Hawaiʻi high schools that exhibit all-around excellence in academics, athletics, community service, healthy activities, and sportsmanship. School applications are due on Friday, April 25, 2025.