Five Maui County Students Receive Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarships

Five Maui County high school seniors have been awarded $1,000 each by the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship program. 

Now in its eighteenth consecutive year, the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship (formerly the Josh Jerman Maui Nui Scholarship) program has provided scholarships to students who will attend an accredited four-year college or university.

To date, the program has awarded more than $55,000 in scholarships to Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i high school seniors who have displayed a passion for returning to Maui County after college to contribute to the community.

This year’s recipients are Alexis Asato from Baldwin High School, Owali Moeai from Hāna High School, Maile Laporga from Lāna‘i High School, Tristen Kaula‘uila Matsuura from Seabury Hall, and Mallory Go from Moloka‘i High School.

In the fall, Asato will attend Whitworth College with plans to major in music. Moeai will attend Brigham Young University-Hawaii, where he will study computer science. Laporga will be studying graphic design at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Matsuura is heading off to Santa Clara University with his sights set on a political science/pre-law degree. Go will attend Brown University, where she plans to major in public health. 

Asato said she is honored to have been selected as one of this year’s recipients. “I feel incredibly honored and grateful to be awarded such a generous amount,” she said. 

Moeai is also grateful to have been selected for the scholarship award. “I feel extremely honored to be a recipient of this scholarship,” he said. “I would like to thank Josh and Souk Jerman for this opportunity and for being a big help on this new chapter in my life.”

Matsuura said the scholarship will help him achieve his long-term goals. “I feel very blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a recipient of the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship,” he said. “I would like to say thank you so much [to Josh and Souk Jerman] for affording me this opportunity. I would also like to say thank you for helping me on my journey towards higher education.”

Asato said all college-bound students should consider applying for scholarships like the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship. “Scholarships may seem tiring to apply for, but push through because it will definitely be worth it in the end,” she said. 

Matsuura also encourages high school seniors to seek out scholarship opportunities. “While it may take some time to apply for scholarships, it is so worth it,” he said. “The sense of accomplishment that one gets when being awarded a scholarship for their work is like no other. The sense of validation you get when you find that your work has paid off is insurmountable. And remember to always try your hardest and be thankful for the opportunities afforded to you.”

Josh Jerman, an award-winning, top-producing real estate broker on Maui since 2004, and his wife, Souk, are the founders of the Josh and Souk Jerman Foundation Scholarship program. To learn more, visit http://jermanfoundation.org.