Binhi at Ani to award $32,000 in scholarships to the Class of 2025

Binhi at Ani will award $32,000 in scholarships to 24 members of the Class of 2025. The eight top-rated students will receive $2,000 while 16 students will receive $1,000.

“The success of our annual Scholarship Golf Tournament and the generosity of our scholarship partners has enabled Binhi at Ani to award the most scholarships in its history,” said Arnel Alvarez, the president of Binhi at Ani. “We are grateful to all those who helped to make it happen.”

The scholars were evaluated by an independent panel of judges and graded on academic achievement (requiring a minimum 3.5 grade point average), honors and activities, an essay and letters of recommendation.

“All the students had outstanding academic records,” said Edward Garcia, co-chairperson of the Scholarship Committee. “They were active in their school activities and volunteered hundreds of hours of their time to support Maui’s community organizations. Plus their essay had to focus on promoting the bayanihan spirit, which is the motto of Binhi at Ani.”

The scholarship recipients will be formally introduced at The Seed and Harvest Dinner on July 12 at the Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center.  The newly-elected Binhi at Ani 2025-2026 Board of Directors will also be installed.

The scholarship recipients are:

• Kaiya Alger, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of James and Annette Alger, received a $2,000 In Memory of Agrifina Cabebe/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in business administration and design at Northeastern University.
• RJ Arconado, a Lahainaluna High School alumnus and son of Jerry and Rowena Arconado, received a $2,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. He plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
• Braeden James Asuncion, a Maui High School alumnus and son of Salvador Asuncion and Ariane Joyce Impelido, received a $2,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. He plans to major in computer science at the University of California, Davis.
• Sadie-Lyn Barbosa, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Frank and Joselin Barbosa, received a $1,000 Bayer US Hawaiʻi/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in advertising and graphic design at Grand Canyon University.
• Karisa Bayudan, a Lahainaluna High School alumna and daughter of Rizal and Julita Bayudan, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
• Sarah Nicole Cariaga, a Lahainaluna High School alumna and daughter of Reden and Madeline Cariaga, received a $1,000 Café O Lei/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in hospitality management at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
• Mareea Casio, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Jhun-Lee and Christiana Casio, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in diagnostic ultrasound at Seattle University.
• Michelle Lennie D. Castillo, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Ken and Mia Castillo, received a $2,000 In Memory of Agrifina Cabebe/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in dental hygiene, communications or management at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Taylor Jade Deocares, a Baldwin High School alumna and daughter of Shane and Clarissa Deocares, received a $1,000 In Memory of Gloria Evangelista Cajigal/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in civil engineering at the Oregon Institute of Technology.
• Brianna Domingo, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Lester and Annabelle Domingo, received a $2,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in business administration-marketing at the University of Oregon.
• Willyn Joy Domingo, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Pedro Domingo and Marilyn Coloma, received a $1,000 McDonald’s of Kahului/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in software engineering at Pacific University.
• Cameron Ibea, a Lahainaluna High School alumnus and son of Marlito and Fe Ibea, received a $1,000 In Memory of Stanley and Rufina Magbual/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. He plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
• Lia Kagehiro, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Russell and Soon Kagehiro, received a $2,000 In Memory of Agrifina Cabebe/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in game arts at the University of Southern California.
• Maomi Alexa Llaguno, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Michael Llaguno and Adelaida Ramos, received a $1,000 In Memory of Rev. Walter T. Baloaloa/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in healthcare at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Brianne Navarro, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Raymond and Bliss Navarro, received a $1,000 US Renal Care/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in pre-pharmacy at the University of the Pacific.
• Kaysa Ong, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Rolando and Vilma Ong, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in biological sciences at Chapman University.
• Meldge Julzea Ponce, a St. Anthony School alumna and daughter of the late Julius and Melody Ponce, received a $1,000 Vince and Jennifer Bagoyo ʻOhana/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in nursing at Grand Canyon University.
• Jelene Cidney Ramelb, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Carl and Jocelyn Abali, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in liberal arts at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Aliyah Karylle Ramiscal, a Maui High School alumna, granddaughter of Rosalino Ramiscal and daughter of May Grace Ramiscal, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Brianna Ravida, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Roland and Leonarda Ravida, received a $2,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Emily Sloper, a Kamehameha Schools Maui alumna and daughter of William Sloper, received a $2,000 Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in biology at Dartmouth University.
• Jonah Dean Tapaoan, a Maui High School alumnus and son of Harold and Jeannette Tapaoan, received a $1,000 In Memory of Richard “Pablo” Caldito/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. He plans to major in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Merced.
• Ava Larelle Torres, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Delbert and Lydia Torres, received a $1,000 Maui Island Cozy Dental/Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in nursing at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College.
• Krystiana Torricer, a Maui High School alumna and daughter of Mark and Eileen Torricer, received a $1,000 Binhi at Ani Scholarship. She plans to major in medical technology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

Binhi at Ani, which means “Seed and Harvest”, is a Hawaii non-profit corporation incorporated in 1985 with a 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. Binhi at Ani operates the Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center located at 780 Onehee Ave. in Kahului, which opened in 2005 and is the current site of the annual Barrio Fiesta, celebrated on Maui since 1970.

After the Lahaina fire, Binhi at Ani established the Tulong for Lahaina Fund where qualified applicants (lost home, lost business or lost immediate family member) would receive $750.00.  By the deadline of Sept. 30, 2023, 713 applications were received and an independent panel determined that 227 of the applicants qualified. Binhi at Ani raised over $170,000.00 and all of the 227 qualified applicants have received their $750.00 grant as well as an assortment of food boxes, plate lunches, toilet paper, water, comforters and gift cards.

During the pandemic, Binhi at Ani established the monthly Bayanihan Food Distribution Program which is now an annual event and through November 2024, over $70,000 monetary donations were received, enabling the distribution of 9,043 food boxes including 10,320 plate lunches, 1,000 turkeys, 95,740 canned goods, 73,994 pounds of produce, 6,290 bags of rice, 17,041 packages of noodles, 3,661 dozens of eggs, 3,868 loaves of bread/pan de sal, 6,200 McDonald’s certificates, 21,697 beverages, 26,310 snacks, 3,810 containers of spaghetti sauce, 6,006 Maui Gold pineapples, 2,160 gallons of milk, 2,318 boxes of mashed potatoes, 730 whole chickens, over 2,500 dragon fruit and other miscellaneous items such as toilet paper, coffee, goat cheese and masks.

Also during the pandemic, Binhi at Ani established the Bayanihan Feeding Program which as of May 31, 2025, has delivered 35,407 meals to kūpuna; and the Bakuna at Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center program through which eleven vaccination clinics were held.

For more information, contact Alfredo Evangelista at (808) 242-8100 or  AlfredoGEvangelista@gmail.com.