Maunakea Scholars honors students for excellence in astronomy

Eleven students from Waipahu High School were recognized for their achievements in astronomy through the Maunakea Scholars program, including graduating senior Mila Rexford, who received the prestigious $10,000 Hōkūala Scholarship.

Rexford, who plans to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo this fall, was awarded telescope time as a sophomore for her research project, “The Mystery of the Red Square Nebula.” Over two years, she collaborated with astronomers in Hawaiʻi and Great Britain, refining her findings and creating 3D-printed models to make her work accessible to younger students and people with vision impairments.

“I’ve always been interested in astronomy, so receiving telescope time and seeing the environment astronomers work in made me want to pursue it even more,” Rexford said. “Receiving this scholarship now will really help me further my education.”

The Hōkūala Scholarship honors students who have excelled in the Maunakea Scholars program and intend to study astronomy in college. Since its creation in 2018, $60,000 in scholarships has been awarded to students statewide.

In addition to Rexford, 10 Waipahu students received telescope time for research projects using observatories including the W.M. Keck Observatory, Canada-France-Hawaiʻi Telescope, NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and Las Cumbres Observatory. Topics ranged from stellar evolution to galaxy structures. Projects included:

• “The Barium Star of WeBo1” – Natalie Tosta
• “Exploring the Universe Within Hoag’s Object” – Joshua David Visitacion, Devon Ali-Elmore
• “Resources of the Future” – Matthew Vila
• “Structure and Evolution of Arp 298” – Janessa Torres
• “The Blue of Life: Looking at NGC-2023” – Jorge Badua
• “Exploring the Star Polaris” – Isaac Pacariem
• “M78’s Stars” – Aaron Paguirigan
• “Arp 87 Curiosities” – Arielle Daguio
• Honorable Mention: “A Supermassive Conundrum” – Athea Brielle Orbita

“I want to be an astrophysicist one day, so this is another step in my journey toward that goal,” said student Natalie Tosta.

Launched in 2015, the Maunakea Scholars program has engaged more than 1,000 public high school students and awarded telescope time to over 250. This year, students from six public schools—including Kapolei, Kalani, Molokaʻi, Waipahu, Waiākea and Kealakehe—participated, with 32 receiving telescope time and 20 earning honorable mentions.